Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) Family: Turdidae By Colleen McDonough, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician In the understory of forests across North America, the aptly named Hermit Thrush spends much of its time quietly foraging for insects in leaf litter. They are one of the most common thrush species seen in the wintertime across much of […]

Bonaparte’s Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) Family: Laridae By Robert Buckert, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician Gulls are often regarded as one of the most difficult groups of birds for birders to identify. Across much of the country, there’s significant local diversity, often marked by subtle differences and complex plumage cycles. Add in often distant and suboptimal […]

Gadwall (Mareca strepera) Family: Anatidae By Spencer Poling, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician Easy to overlook from a distance as a plain gray bird, Gadwalls become increasingly more beautiful and fascinating the closer you look. Males are especially striking up close, with intricately patterned gray and silver breasts, a white wing patch called a speculum, […]

Wilson’s Snipe (Gallinago delicata) Family: Scolopacidae By Colleen McDonough, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician A bird you may not see until it suddenly bursts out of a grassy patch, Wilson’s Snipes are elusive shorebirds with intricate patterning that helps them blend in with their marshy surroundings. Their plump stature, brightly streaked plumage, and proportionately long […]

Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) Family: Alcedinidae By Spencer Poling, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician Belted Kingfishers are common and widespread, yet they’re eye-catching birds whose presence is often hard to miss! Their stocky bodies, large heads, and bulky bills make Belted Kingfishers easy to recognize, yet it’s usually their loud, rattle-like call that announces their […]

Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) Family: Anatidae By Colleen McDonough, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician Sporting a ridiculously large crest, the Hooded Merganser could never not stand out in a pond! Breeding males have striking black and white patterning while females are cinnamon colored. Hooded Mergansers are the smallest of the mergansers found in the Americas, […]