Quails Get Released Into North Hempstead Woods To Gobble Up Ticks

Adorable baby quails were released into wooded areas in North Hempstead to spend their days as professional tick exterminators. This is the second year in a row the Town has released quails into the wilderness to help control their tick population.

Dozens of onlookers of all ages watched the birds soar away into the wild on Tuesday, Aug. 7.

“Lyme disease is a very serious condition caused by deer ticks, which are prevalent in wooded areas and grasslands all over Long Island,” Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth said in a press release. “The Town is constantly on the lookout for natural methods we can use to control disease-causing pests that do not involved using toxic chemicals. The fact that we also got to raise the quail ourselves and enjoy watching the eggs hatch, was just part of the fun. Now they will go out into the world and serve as our superheroes against ticks.”

The quail were incubated from eggs in the Town’s TV studio at the “Yes We Can” Community Center in Westbury. The eggs hatched in late May and were kept at the studio for about another two weeks. They were then transferred to Caleb Smith State Park in Suffolk County. Six weeks later, 70 quail were released throughout the Town. About 30 were released along the Hempstead Harbor Trail at North Hempstead Beach Park and another 40 on the 200-wooded acres across from the park.

The Town, Working closely with Biologist Eric Powers, will then conduct an anecdotal tick study of the Hempstead Harbor Trail to see how the quails have impacted the tick population.

Images via TONH

1. The quail move into the woods to do their work…eating ticks
   
2. From left, Council Member Lee Seeman, Town Clerk Wayne Wink, Council Member Dina DeGiorgio, Ranger Eric Powers, Council Member Anna Kaplan, Supervisor Judi Bosworth, Jayla Humprey, a camper from the “Yes We Can” Community Center and Council Member Peter Zuckerman, release the quail.