Stubble Quail abundance survey results

The preliminary results of Victoria’s forth statewide abundance survey estimated there were 2.3 million Stubble Quail in Victoria.

The preliminary results of Victoria’s forth statewide abundance survey estimated there were 2.3 million Stubble Quail in Victoria.

The survey was conducted in January 2025 at 78 randomly selected native grasslands, dryland crops and non-native pastures throughout Victoria.

Teams of wildlife ecologists walked almost 300 kilometres of transects on public and private land, flushing and counting Stubble Quail at each site. Total abundance was then estimated based on the extent of quail habitat in Victoria.

The highest population densities were found in the North Central, Mallee, Wimmera, and Goulburn Broken regions.

This is the fourth survey of an ongoing annual monitoring program to ensure the long-term sustainability of Victoria’s Stubble Quail hunting season.

Data collected will be used to track population trends and improve our understanding of the ecology and sustainable management of this native game bird.

The survey was conducted by experienced independent ecologists from Wildlife Unlimited Pty Ltd. The Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research undertook the data analysis and prepared the Abundance Estimates for Stubble Quail in Victoria report.

The final technical report is available at Quail Research.