In earlier years Iowa quail hunters would harvest upwards of 1 million quail annually, but with the destruction of their preferred habitats quail harvests have declined to 200,000 annually in the last decade. While there are significant differences in the appearance of male and female bobwhite, it may be difficult to distinguish sexes unless the birds are closely observed in the hand. Males have white chins and upper throats, a white stripe that extends from the bill through the eye to the back of the head, and a brown to black chest collar under the throat and chin. Feathers of the breast and abdomen are white with black barring while upper body and wing feathers are muted tones of brown and gray barred with black. By contrast, females have tan instead of white coloration on the throat, chin, eyestrip and underparts.
Females also lack black neck collars and exhibit brown barring or mottling of body feathers.
Iowa quail are about 9 to 10 inches in length and average about six to seven ounces in weight, with females slightly heavier than males. In late March and early April, coveys begin to break up as pair bonds form between individual males and females prior to the breeding season. Bobwhite nests are characteristically found in herbaceous vegetation consisting of mixed grasses and forbs such as those found in fencerows, roadsides or idle areas. Nests are generally located within 50 feet of an edge. Both the cock and hen work at building the nest by digging a shallow scrape and lining it with dead leaves and grass.