Their Pinelands habitat had been carefully prepared over more than 10 years. Controlled forest fires and tree-thinning opened up the landscape. And tall grasses filled in, providing cover for nests. Then came the decisive moment on April 1 - the release of 80 northern bobwhite quail, captured in Georgia only about a day earlier. They took flight from wooden boxes and began exploring an isolated Burlington County woodland that had not heard their distinctive calls for decades. But would they adapt to the new environment? Would they reproduce and begin to restore the quail population in New Jersey? Or would their numbers be thinned by the stress of their 15-hour trip to Chatsworth,...
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