Ronald Kendall, a professor in the Department of Environmental Toxicology at Texas Tech University, has been recognized for his contributions to reviving wild quail populations in Texas. Kendall’s interest in wildlife conservation began early, inspired by childhood hunting experiences with his grandfather in South Carolina.
Kendall’s career took shape during his undergraduate years when he questioned the impact of insecticides on birds and other wildlife. This concern led him into environmental toxicology, a field that was still emerging at the time. Over decades, Kendall focused on addressing challenges facing wild quail populations across the southeastern United States.
A key development came with the invention of QuailGuard medicated feed, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2024. The medicated feed has contributed to a resurgence of wild quail populations where it is used for treatment. According to Kendall, “Real estate agents selling ranches say if you have wild quail on your property, a lot of them, it’s like having an oil well. They’re that valuable.”
The decline of West Texas wild quail became apparent after 2010 when expected population increases failed to materialize despite favorable conditions. This prompted organizations such as the Park Cities Quail Coalition and Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation to engage Kendall and other scientists for research into possible causes. In 2013, their research identified eyeworm infection as a significant factor affecting quail health.
Further studies revealed high rates of infection among previously healthy bird populations and traced damage caused by eyeworms living in specific glands behind the birds’ eyes. The team published their findings in peer-reviewed journals and developed molecular tests to monitor infections across large areas.
“I’m really proud of these foundational papers we published in ‘Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry,’ the seminal journal in our field that demonstrated our FDA work,” Kendall said. “It’s just been a real scientific challenge to bring all of this together into a plausible and biologically supported process.”
These studies provided data needed for FDA approval of QuailGuard medicated feed. The team demonstrated both its safety for birds and its effectiveness against parasites using fenbendazole as the active ingredient. Field trials showed that treated quail populations grew significantly compared to control groups.
After submitting thousands of pages of data over more than eight years—a process typically requiring 10-15 years—Kendall’s team received formal FDA registration for QuailGuard in May 2024. “I was literally ecstatic, because the average drug registration for the FDA is a 10- to 15-year process, and we did it in a little over eight years,” Kendall recalled. “Secondly, only about 10% ever get through, so the odds were against us. But we just worked hard, and our staff and graduate students were phenomenal.”
Kendall credited long-time administrative assistant Tammy Henricks for her support throughout this process. Henricks noted: “To actually be able to see wild quail numbers increasing because of what our lab has done is incredible. Bobwhites are thriving in areas where previously they were few and far between simply because Dr. Kendall cares. To me, that is an amazing legacy.”
QuailGuard became the first commercially available drug approved for use with wild quail in their natural habitat. This achievement earned Kendall an individual Texas Environmental Excellence Award (TEEA) from state authorities after an extensive review process involving site visits by evaluators from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Kendall described being recognized by Texas as one of his highest professional honors: “When you’re a master’s, or particularly a Ph.D. student, the acid test is your scientific publications and your intellectual capability to contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge,” he said regarding training future researchers at Texas Tech.
Throughout his career—which includes leadership roles at national organizations such as SETAC—Kendall has combined teaching with research aimed at solving practical problems affecting wildlife health across Texas and beyond.
“I’m just glad to still be so involved and have fantastic students,” he said about his ongoing commitment to research at Texas Tech University Innovation Hub’s Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory.
