A highlight moment of the interesting birds I found last month while birding at the Pungo Unit in the Pocosin Lakes NWR was when I came across a pair of Northern Bobwhites.
It was so cool to see them out there in the open!
Bobwhites are related to turkeys, chickens and other ground fowl. Walking upright on short legs, with a pushed out chest, the image of a small plump chicken comes to mind, lol!
Their numbers have been declining in recent years so it’s always a treat to see them in the wild.
As seen here in these photos, males and females can be distinguished by the feather coloration on their heads.
The male has a white patch of feathers under his chin and neck, a black line that goes from his beak, through his eyes and down his neck and a white line that runs above his eyes.
On the female, those feathers are muted shade of light brown and tan. The plumage of both sexes may be best described as subtle combination of brown and black, buff and white.
Their beautiful coloring provides effective camouflage against predators aiding their efforts to remain hidden in their favored habitats of wide open grassy fields.
Photos by @sally_siko of @birdwatching_nc on the fabulous full frame SLR, the @canonusa
#5Ds