Gamebird populations, including quail, are sharply declining across the United States. Texas has been hit especially hard, with the population of native bobwhite quail plummeting by 80% since 1967. The sharp decrease has tipped the balance of Texas’ ecosystem and eradicated a multi-million-dollar quail-hunting industry in the state.
Gamebird Research at East Texas A&M: A Beacon of Hope
The Quail Research Laboratory at East Texas A&M University (formerly known as Texas A&M University-Commerce) is tackling this crisis head-on. Led by Dr. Kelly Reyna, founding director, the nationally renowned program uncovers sustainable solutions for quail populations through innovative research, education and collaboration. While current research focuses on all four U.S. quail species, Reyna also plans to address species like pheasant, grouse and waterfowl with the development of a new research center.
Thanks to a generous donation from alumnus Ted Lyon and his wife, Donna Lyon, construction has begun on a new gamebird research complex at East Texas A&M. The 35-acre Ted and Donna Lyon Center for Gamebird Research is scheduled to open by spring 2026. The facility will expand the university’s gamebird research program, including a state-of-the-art quail research and production center, a wetland research pavilion, nature trails and classrooms. A key feature, the interactive Quail Encounter, will offer visitors the chance to hold, feed and interact with quail—providing a hands-on way to connect with nature.
At the inaugural Lyon Center Luncheon in April, Chancellor John Sharp of The Texas A&M University System predicted that the facility would soon be the leading gamebird research center in the United States.
The Importance of Gamebirds
Gamebirds are crucial to the economy and the ecology of Texas, so bringing them back—and keeping them—is a priority for the state.
“Gamebirds are the foundation of a multi-billion-dollar hunting industry,” Reyna said. “But their habitat also plays a vital role in filtering our air, cleaning our water, recharging aquifers and sequestering carbon.”
Reyna dubs quail “the canary of the prairie.” “If you hear quail in the spring, your ecosystem is properly functioning. But if the quail are silent, their absence is telling you something is wrong,” he said.
Uncovering the Causes of Quail Decline
Understanding why quail populations are declining is crucial to reversing the trend, and East Texas A&M is at the forefront of this effort. The university’s Quail Research Station program spans millions of acres across the United States. Partnering with ranchers nationwide, researchers are compiling large-scale research stations (>100,000 acres each) of contiguous quail habitat to discover causes for their decline. In the lab, they have successfully mapped quail chick development, recreating field conditions and applications to pinpoint threats to survival.
Several key factors have been identified as contributing to quail decline. These include habitat loss due to human encroachment, extreme weather events, and agricultural practices like overgrazing and pesticide use. In particular, the Texas beef industry has created competition for grass, leaving quail without adequate nesting cover and protection from predators.
“Quail need a habitat greater than 18 inches tall, and thousands of acres of it,” said Reyna. “This allows them to hide from predators and spread their genes across the landscape to non-relatives.”
Finding Sustainable Solutions
The East Texas A&M gamebird research team has employed a comprehensive strategy to repopulate Texas with quail, including habitat conservation and translocation efforts.
One important solution involves the profitable integration of agriculture and gamebird management. Researchers are working with ranchers to implement Grazing for Bobwhites, a program that involves rotational cattle grazing on a schedule that complements the bobwhite quail’s life cycle. The initiative reduces overgrazing and maintains quail habitat during critical life stages, like nesting and brooding.
In addition, the Super Quail Project will soon launch at the new Lyon Center for Gamebird Research. This initiative aims to produce a pen-reared bobwhite quail that possesses wild-type predator avoidance behavior and is more resilient to harsh environments like drought. The Super Quail Production Facility is under construction as Phase I of the center.
A Future of Sustainable Gamebird Populations
The Lyon Center for Gamebird Research at East Texas A&M is developing solutions for sustainable gamebird populations while training the next generation of gamebird professionals. By fostering large-scale habitat, integrating agriculture with gamebird management, and leading efforts in gamebird restoration, the Lyon Center is paving the way to restore quail and other gamebird populations across Texas and the United States.
Learn more at tamuc.edu/LyonCenter.