What does the Northern Bobwhite Chick eat?

The Northern Bobwhite Chick's diet shapes where and when you'll find it. Understanding what it eats helps you predict where to look.

Diet overview

Primarily insects (especially ants, beetles, grasshoppers, caterpillars) and small spiders; also consumes tender plant shoots and seeds as they mature.

How it forages

Chicks forage actively on the ground, pecking at small insects and seeds. They are highly dependent on insect protein for rapid growth. They learn foraging behaviors from their parents.

When it feeds

Diurnal, most active during early morning and late afternoon, foraging and dust-bathing.

Explore the Northern Bobwhite Chick