In the western segment of Navarro County, a tiny revolution is happening.

Ranchers who once planted Bermuda and Johnson grasses are tearing up those pastures to make way for native prairie grasses all in the cause of bringing back a little bird, the bobwhite quail.

Just 30 years ago, the bobwhite quail were thick on the ground and their calls, which sound remarkably like “bob-whiiiiite” were common in spring and summer. Since then, however, the quail have become scarce, and are now threatened in a very real way all across the state.

Plenty of theories have been suggested for the loss of the species, including the introduction of non-native fire ants, but those don’t hold water, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist Jay Whiteside, who works out of Barry.

“Most people want to believe fire ants, but you have bobwhite quail that are doing quite well in areas with fire ants, and the quail loss is not just in areas where fire ants occur,” Whiteside said. “It really brings you back to the habitat issue.”

The bobwhite is a ground-dwelling bird that lives and thrives in areas with bunch grasses and forbs, or broadleaf plants. The birds also need patches of brush, in which to escape from predators. As more and more pastures are planted with non-native grasses, the bobwhite loses its ability to get around, to hide from predators, and to build nests.

Formed in 2006, the Western Navarro Bobwhite Recovery Initiative covers approximately 29,000 acres in the county, and includes 32 landowners.

“The idea behind it is if we can restore the habitat at that scale, the current source populations in the western third of the county will have the ability to grow into other habitat over time,” Whiteside explained.

Property owners have become strong supporters of the program.

Asa Gallup has dedicated some sizable chunks of his land to creating bridges that link the birds’ habitats with other fields, so they can move without having to fly. Although they can fly, bobwhite quail are primarily walkers. Along the edges of roads, and in turnrows of cotton fields are native grasses and forbs, ideal for quail families.

“I grew up thinking Bermuda and Johnson grass were native to Texas,” Gallup explained. “It’s been a real fun discovery for me. There’s quail on my place now. I hear turkey, too.”

Diversity makes ranching more fulfilling, Gallop said.

“It does take a little more management, but then, what’s an aquarium without any fish in it? There’s something missing there. It’s empty without other things in there (besides cows). I’m trying to have it all.”

One of the largest participants in the initiative are Gary and Sue Price of the 77 Ranch, who won awards last year for their model ranching operation that not only makes sense economically, but does so in an environmentally responsible way.

He’s been using native grasses to help filter and capture rain, recharge the underground water table and send cleaner water to area lakes. He’s gotten grants from the Trinity River Water District to put up fencing to allow him to rotate his cattle, build tanks and plant native grasses.

Price said there’s a practical reason for helping restore the quail — to expand his ranch’s offerings.

“From an economic standpoint, once we get the quail population up to huntable levels, we hope to be able to do some leasing,” Price explained. “It can really add to ranch diversity, as far as income.”

As recently as 20 years ago, the Prices were able to lease their land to bird hunters, but since then the number of birds all over the state has declined rapidly.

“We’re hoping this initiative will bring back the habitat and bring back the birds,” Price said. “That will really enhance and diversify our income.”

In order to make it work, Price has divided his 2,160 acres into 30 smaller pastures, each fenced off. Cattle are moved from one pasture to another, seldom spending more than a week or 10 days on one field.

“If you overgraze, or don’t rotate, then that’s when they take too much cover,” Price explained. “Quail have quite a few predators, so you’ve got to have some cover, or leftover grass for the quail to survive.”

Each field is given at least seven to eight weeks to recover before cattle graze there again, he said.

“That kind of rotation really encourages those native grasses that are so good for quail,” Price said. “We saw birds this year. This spring we saw more birds than we’ve seen in about 15 years. We’re holding our breath, but we’re seeing some good signs.”

There’s plenty of support available. Grants have been given to individual ranchers, like the Prices, and the initiative has gotten its own grants and donations, to help buy equipment and trailer for prescribed burns, a no-till seed drill, herbicides and seeds.

“If you can change the farming and ranching practices so you’re providing habitat for bobwhite, by improving the habitat your pasture quality is going to increase, water holding will increase, and productivity will improve overall,” Whiteside said. “You’re talking about improving the health of the land, overall. You’re putting all the pieces of the ecosystem back together so they start to work more efficiently and smoothly.”

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Janet Jacobs may be reached via e-mail at jacobs@corsicanadailysun.com