DIY Water Feature with Drip

January 30, 2023.Reading time 7 minutes.

By Adoriam DeWalt Hello! My name is Adoriam DeWalt and I am an Ambassador of Girl Scouts. I am working with Houston Audubon on my Girl Scout Gold Award to talk about the war on birds. I hope you find this information helpful as we try to be more bird-friendly! Why birds matter Birds are […]

Beak of the Week – Eastern Towhee

January 27, 2023.Reading time 4 minutes.

Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) Family: Passerellidae By Jon Piasecki, Houston Audubon Conservation Technician Eastern Towhees are a species of sparrow typically found throughout the eastern half of the United States. Their physical appearance is much different from many other “new world sparrows” that you may know. Adult males have a black head and back, with […]

Honoring Tom Greer with the 2022 Laura Singleton Exceptional Volunteer Award!

January 24, 2023.Reading time 4 minutes.

By Gabriel Durham, Volunteer Manager Each February, Houston Audubon hosts a Volunteer Picnic to present the annual Laura Singleton Exceptional Volunteer Award and celebrate the collective contributions of our valued volunteers. To best understand the award, it is good to understand the contributions of Laura Singleton herself. Lauded as the “consummate soldier in Audubon’s army”, […]

Beak of the Week – Brown Creeper

January 20, 2023.Reading time 4 minutes.

Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) Family: Certhiidae By Carrie Chapin, Houston Audubon Conservation Technician The Brown Creeper is a unique species as the only North American member of the tree creeper family. Brown Creepers are uncommon in southeastern Texas and can be found foraging in dead and dying trees, with a preference for conifers. These birds […]

DIY Pine Cone Bird Feeder

January 17, 2023.Reading time 9 minutes.

Introducing Wyatt Egelhoff, Coastal Sanctuaries Conservation Specialist

January 16, 2023.Reading time 11 minutes.

If you’ve visited any of the High Island Sanctuaries or Bolivar Flats in the past year, you may have run across our Coastal Sanctuaries Conservation Specialist, Wyatt Egelhoff. Wyatt started working for Houston Audubon as a Conservation Technician in December 2021 and then transitioned to doing beach-nesting bird stewardship in March 2022. He was hired […]

Beak of the Week – American Wigeon

January 13, 2023.Reading time 4 minutes.

American Wigeon (Mareca americana) Family: Anatidae By Jon Piasecki, Houston Audubon Conservation Technician The American Wigeon is a species of dabbling duck that can be found throughout the United States on ponds, lakes, and marshes. These birds breed in the northwestern U.S., the western half of Canada, and Alaska. They can be seen migrating during […]

Beak of the Week – Pomarine Jaeger

January 6, 2023.Reading time 4 minutes.

Pomarine Jaeger (Stercorarius pomarinus) Family: Stercorariidae By Carrie Chapin, Houston Audubon Conservation Technician The Pomarine Jaeger is a rare and fascinating seabird, the largest of the three jaegers. Field identification of jaegers can be difficult due to the high variation in their populations; however, Pomarine Jaegers are the most barrel-chested of the jaegers and have […]

Beak of the Week – Black Scoter

December 30, 2022.Reading time 2 minutes.

Black Scoter (Melanitta nigra) Family: Anatidae The Black Scoter is a medium-sized duck, but is the smallest species of the sea-dwelling scoters. Both male and females have a small and straight bill, although the male’s bill is also adorned with a bright yellow knob. These ducks occasionally occur in mixed flocks with other scoter species. […]

Beak of the Week – Common Gallinule

December 24, 2022.Reading time 3 minutes.

Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata) Family: Rallidae By Will McDaniel, past Houston Audubon Conservation Technician The Common Gallinule is a species of rail which inhabits the Gulf Coast year-round, with its range extending to large parts of Central and South America. It can be recognized by its dark bluish-black plumage with wide yellow feet, a flash […]