Generally, one or the other sex will assume sole responsibility for the clutch. After hatching, the chicks are led away from the nest in search of protein-rich insects, which provide the bulk of chick diets during the first few weeks of life. The abundance and availability of insects during the first 6 weeks after hatch can potentially influence movement rates, weight gain, feather development, and survival. During the breeding season, eggs, chicks, and parents are vulnerable to a range of potential risks, including adverse weather, predators, and mowing. Annual nesting success ranges from 20-40 percent and varies widely.
Adults attempt to renest if the first nest is destroyed.
Brood Rearing After hatching, the chicks and hen must quickly find a brood-rearing habitat that provides an insect food source and protection from predators. Habitat requirements for brood rearing are distinctly different from those for nesting. In contrast, after hatching, the brood requires areas with little dead litter, abundant bare ground, a canopy dominated by broad-leaved forbs, and abundant insects. In late summer and early fall, family groups may join up, and it is not unusual to see two or more family groups together that may number as high as 30 individuals. Eventually these groups break down into smaller groups or coveys.