Abstract We examined abiotic and biotic variables potentially associated with Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) nest-site selection and nest success in southern Texas, USA during 2002–2005. These data were used to characterize bobwhite nest-site selection, and to develop and evaluate models of daily nest survival in Program MARK. Nest sites (n = 123) had greater visual obscurity (3.50 vs. 2.60 dm) and vegetation height (64 vs. 47 cm), and less bare ground (11 vs. 25%) compared to random locations (n = 123). The two best models indicated daily nest survival increased with increasing mean maximum temperature and increasing cumulative precipitation. The model-averaged (± SE) estimate for bobwhite daily nest survival was 0.9593 ± 0.0060. These results suggest that bobwhites selected for a specific range of nest-site microhabitat attributes, but that nest predation was largely random. Bobwhite nest survival and productivity in semiarid, subtropical, southern Texas may be largely dependent on weather fact...