Bobwhite Quail research
Prairie Wildlife Bobwhite Quail Research Program Receives Huge Boost
West Point, Miss, July 20, 2020 - Prairie Wildlife, (prairiewildlife.com) gained a major partner in its quail research program with an endowment for Upland Bird Ecology at Mississippi State University from James C. Kennedy. Prairie Wildlife, founded by Jimmy Bryan, has been a proud partner with MSU for over 20 years on quail restoration, allowing MSU to study many species of plants and animals on their property. With a long history of bobwhite science and conservation, MSU is even better poised to advance this nationally recognized research program thanks to the passion and benevolence of Bryan and Kennedy.
James C. Kennedy established the James C. Kennedy Endowed Chair in Upland Bird Ecology at MSU in 2020. Kennedy, who funded an endowed chair in waterfowl ecology at MSU over a decade ago, is an avid waterfowl hunter and conservationist. The combined commitments to science-driven conservation by Bryan and Kennedy provide new passion, energy, and resources to train undergraduate students and conduct cutting-edge research restoring bobwhite quail populations throughout the Midsouth.
In 2018, Jimmy Bryan, established the Bryan Endowment for Bobwhite Habitat Restoration at MSU with the mission to “…advance restoration of bobwhite quail populations and southeastern native grasslands as a component of working agricultural landscapes through research, conservation and education”. A lifelong quail hunter and farmer, Bryan saw farming taking a toll on the quail population. Working with Dr. Wes Burger, Jr., nationally renowned quail ecologist, they combined research and passion for conservation to restore bobwhite quail at Prairie Wildlife and conducted dozens of research projects on a suite of grassland birds, pollinators, and conservation practices.
In 2019, MSU hired Dr. Mark McConnell, Assistant Professor of Upland Birds, to work with landowners like Prairie Wildlife to conduct applied research and create quality habitats for quail and other upland birds. Dr. McConnell hired multiple graduate students working on a variety of projects in quail ecology, turkey harvest dynamics, impacts of prescribed fire, and conservation in agriculture.
Prairie Wildlife is a 5,000+ acre conservation-driven sporting estate nestled in the Blackland Prairie of West Point, Mississippi, founded in 2009 by Jimmy Bryan a lifelong Mississippian. Prairie Wildlife’s dedication to quail conservation is unmatched and has been instrumental in building MSU’s quail research program into what it is today. For more information on research and conservation efforts at Prairie Wildlife, visit prairiewildlife.com/our-efforts.
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