My laboratory focus is on discovering practical solutions to modern quail and grassland bird problems and educating students to become leaders in the wildlife field.
Kelly Reyna, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Director of the Lyon Center for Gamebird Research
- Faculty
Lyon Center for Gamebird Research
Quail
Dr. Kelly Reyna spent most of his childhood exploring the outdoors, typically camping, hunting, and fishing with his family. His most memorable moment was flushing his first covey of quail when he was 10. His time outdoors is what he missed most while serving nine tours as a “nuke” onboard the U.S.S. Kentucky, a ballistic missile submarine.
After his military service, Reyna discovered that his beloved bobwhite quail were rapidly declining, along with other wildlife populations. No longer bound by the confines of a submarine, Reyna pursued an education in wildlife biology to make a difference. He now serves as the founding director of the Lyon Center for Gamebird Research and the Reyna Laboratory for Upland Gamebirds, both nationally renowned programs that use modern science to develop sustainable solutions for quail and other gamebirds. He is best known for his TED talk, Saving the Nation One Quail at a Time, and his interdisciplinary and comprehensive quail research. Reyna is an avid hunter and adventurer in his free time, often exploring wild places and pursuing wildlife across the globe with his family, friends and bird dogs.
A Conversation with Dr. Reyna
What draws you to your discipline?
I have always had a passion for wildlife and to make the world a better place. So, my occupation of trying to save quail populations and habitats allows me to be involved in wildlife and hopefully improving the earth for future generations.
What would you tell a student who's thinking about attending East Texas A&M?
The great thing about East Texas A&M is that it's student-oriented and focuses on the students. You get a really good education.
What has been your favorite course to teach?
That would be Human Dimensions of Wildlife. It goes beyond science and you get to know how human decisions, biases and influences affect conservation in addition to data driven decisions.
Educational Background
- Ph.D., Biology, University of North Texas, 2010
- M.Sc., Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Texas A&M University, 2008
- B.Sc., Wildlife Biology, Tarleton State University, 2005
- A.Sc., Nuclear Science and Technology, Georgia Military College, 1996
Research Interests
- Quail and grassland bird sustainability
- Developmental physiology of gamebirds
- Agriculture and wildlife integration
- Human dimensions of wildlife
Awards and Honors
- RSCA Fearless Investigation Award, Texas A&M University-Commerce (now East Texas A&M University)
- Eminent Faculty Scholar Award, Texas A&M University-Commerce (now East Texas A&M University)
- Chuck Arize Junior Faculty Award, Texas A&M University-Commerce (now East Texas A&M University)
- Group Achievement Award, National Bobwhite Technical Committee
- National Legacy Landscape for Bobwhite Conservation Award, National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative
Professional Organizations
Featured Courses
- BSC 335 Wildlife Management I
- BSC 336 Wildlife Management II
- BSC 316 Becoming a Wildlife Professional
- BSC 415/515 Upland Game Bird Ecology and Management
- BSC 440/540 Human Dimensions of Wildlife
Current Projects
- Gamebird Development in Heat-Stressed Environments
- Texas Valley Quail Translocation Project
- Predator Avoidance Behavior of Quail
- Texas Quail Restoration Initiative
- Quail Tracking Improvements
Selected Publications
- Reyna, K.S., J.G. Whitt, and W. Newman. 2021. Efficacy of acclimating and releasing captive-reared and wild-translocated northern bobwhites. Avian Biology Research https://doi.org/10.1177/17581559211010295
- Reyna, K.S. 2019. Acute exposure to hyperthermic oscillating temperatures during pre-incubation influences northern bobwhite development, hatching, and survival. PLoS ONE 14(7): e0219368.
- Reyna, K.S. and W. Newman. 2018. Comparative analysis of behavioural response of captive-reared and wild-trapped Northern Bobwhites to simulated predator attacks. Avian Biology Research 11(1): 16–23.
- Whitt, J.G., J. Johnson, and K.S. Reyna. 2017. Two centuries of human-mediated gene flow in Northern bobwhites. The Wildlife Society Bulletin. DOI: 10.1002/wsb.829
- Reyna, K.S., and W.W. Burggren. 2017. Altered Embryonic Development in Northern Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus) Induced by Pre-incubation Oscillatory Thermal Stress Mimicking Global Warming Predictions. PLoS One 12(9): e0184670.
- Martin, J.A., R.D. Applegate, T.V. Dailey, M. Downey, B. Emmerich, F. Hernandez, M.M. McConnell, K.S. Reyna, D. Rollins, and T. M. Terhune. 2017. The State of Our Knowledge: Translocation, Reintroduction, and Rearing Northern Bobwhites for Restoration. National Quail Symposium Proceedings 8: 1–16.
- Gobeli, A.D., D.A. Crossley II, J.A. Johnson and K.S. Reyna. 2017. The effects of neonicotinoid exposure on embryonic development and organ mass in northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C, 195: 9–15. doi:10.1016/j.cbpc.2017.02.001.
Related News
Ted and Donna Lyon Center for Gamebird Research Highlighted in Premier Conservation Journal
The Quail Forever Journal article highlights the Lyon Center’s efforts to secure sustainable game bird populations in Texas and beyond.
Renowned A&M-Commerce Quail Professor Quoted in Texas Monthly
Dr. Kelly Reyna provided insight on efforts to save the popular gamebird.
Super Quail Project
The Super Quail Project works to produce an affordable gamebird with wild-type survivability and a more stringent thermal tolerance so that they are prolific in challenging environments. We’ve made great progress in this arena and are building a Super Quail Production facility that will begin construction in 2024.