ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Monday, January 6, 1997                TAG: 9701070030
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: B-6  EDITION: METRO 

MR. MOM RULES THE NEST

Male quail are pretty good dads - or moms.

Quail nesting research by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries revealed that 26.5 percent of 102 nests monitored during a three-year study were incubated by male birds.

``Many quail hunters don't realize how often cock birds incubate nests or assist with brood-raising responsibilities,'' said Mike Fies, the department's small-game research biologist.

The practice is a big advantage for quail populations.

``When a cock bird incubates a nest or raises a brood, the hen is free to lay another nest,'' said Fies. ``This reproductive strategy can substantially increase the number of potentially hatched broods during a breeding season.''

LENGTH: Short :   24 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  Nell Bolen. color.