The Beatrice Daily Express

How Far Can Quail Fly!

A number of sportsmen have been discussing the question of how far a quail can fly. There are a good many contingencies to be considered in arriving at a definite conclusion of the question, the which cuts no inconsiderable figure in the distance one of these birds can fly. If there is a stiff wind blowing and the bird's course is with the wind, a full grown quail could certainly go more than a mile with ease and doubtless a much greater distance. Those who have noticed quail trying to fly across the Missouri river, where the distance is about a mile, recall that not all the birds make the trip safely. They usually pick a spot where they can make a halt on a sand bar in midstream, and thus cross the river in two flights. But sometimes they make the distance at a single flight, and this seems to be their full limit under normal conditions, for when they alight they are completely exhausted.

It is generally believed that on an average a mile is about the limit of the flight of a quail where it is neither favored nor retarded by the wind. It happens very often that in crossing the Missouri river at a single flight quail drop exhausted into the water. Probably these are young birds. St. Louis Republic.