Bobwhite quail love to devour ticks and now one New York district is leveling an army of them to combat the dangerous blood suckers.
Anybody who has hunted the venerable quail knows that they like the dense cover and stay low to the ground until flushed. Now the same legion of hunters that chase these awesome birds are now getting lesson in what they can do for man, specifically in the Long Island area.
While there are many great hunting opportunities on 'The Island' bobwhite quail populations have declined to the tune of 85 percent over the last 50 years or so.
Now, for a completely different reason, this great game bird is being reintroduced to fight an emerging tick problem and recreate a lost population of native birds.
The a quick look at this video:
What more could you ask for in a chemical free, and organic way to tear up those lousy ticks and restore quail to their native region?
With ticks representing one of the most fearsome carriers of disease since the mosquito why not let loose an army of birds that only want to eat them for lunch?
Eric Powers, a wildlife educator with a big job in front of him is reminding residents that one of the biggest issues facing this program is sitting on the couch right next to you: your cat. Powers said,
"Cats take a massive toll on our ground-dwelling wildlife, such as the bobwhite quail, which turns out to be our front line of defense against ticks. So the biggest help anyone can do is to keep your cats inside. If the community wants my help re-establishing quail populations around Long Island to combat ticks then I need your help in return...please keep your cats inside."
Okay Long Island, the rest is up to you.
NEXT: DID YOU KNOW THAT OPOSSUMS EAT VIRTUALLY ALL THE TICKS IN YOUR YARD?
