State Game Bird
The Bobwhite Quail

The bobwhite quail, genus Colinus virginianus, was designated as the official state game bird by Public Chapter 775 of the Acts of the 95th General Assembly. Bobwhites, also known as partridges, are considered one of the finest game birds in the world. It is a short-tailed chunky brown bird, usually 8 to 10 inches long. The male has a white throat and a white stripe above the eye, while the female has a buffy throat and eye stripe. In spring the male’s clearly whistled bob white is answered by the female’s four-syllable whistle. This gamebird lays from 10 to 20 pure white eggs, more than almost any other bird.

Information from this page taken from the Tennessee Blue Book.