Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) Family: Accipitridae By Jon Piasecki, Houston Audubon Conservation Technician Often recognized as a national symbol of the United States, the Bald Eagle has been the country’s national bird since 1782. Known for their bright white heads and tails and yellow bills, Bald Eagles can be found throughout most of North America. […]

American Robin (Turdus migratorius) Family: Turdidae The American Robin is a large gray-brown songbird with warm, brick red underparts, darker head, and broken, white eye ring. Robins are the largest of North American thrushes and they offer a good chance to learn the shape of most thrushes. They have a large, round body, long legs, […]

California Gull (Larus californicus) Family: Laridae By Carrie Chapin, Houston Audubon Conservation Technician A California Gull, a rare visitor to southeastern Texas, was recently spotted at the Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary. Typically a western species, California Gulls breed in the northwest great plains and southcentral Canada. They are commonly found along the pacific coast through […]

American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) Family: Recurvirostridae By Jon Piasecki, Houston Audubon Conservation Technician Known for its long, upturned bill, the American Avocet is a wading bird that is commonly seen foraging in wetlands, salt ponds, mudflats and occasionally rice fields. This species breeds in parts of the western and midwestern United States as well as […]

Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) Family: Strigidae By Wyatt Egelhoff, Houston Audubon Conservation Specialist Perhaps one of the most recognizable owls, this terrestrial species is found throughout many of the open areas of the temperate and tropical Western Hemisphere. As its name suggests, this species spends much of its time in subterranean burrows. In North America, […]

Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) Family: Anatidae By Carrie Chapin, Houston Audubon Conservation Technician The Northern Shoveler is a unique species of dabbling duck found in wetlands across much of the world, including North America, Central America, Europe, parts of Africa, and Asia. Northern Shovelers breed in Alaska, Canada, the northern U.S., and Russia. During the […]

Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) Family: Accipitridae By Jon Piasecki, Houston Audubon Conservation Technician Northern Harriers are commonly seen gliding low over grassland and marsh habitats throughout most of North America. This species is known to be a year-round resident in parts of the midwestern and western United States. They expand their range to Alaska, Canada, […]

Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) Family: Mimidae By Carrie Chapin, Houston Audubon Conservation Technician The songs and calls of the brown thrasher are some of the most delightful and confusing sounds to be heard in forests and hedgerows. The brown thrasher is a medium-sized, rusty-brown-backed songbird with black streaks on the breast and flanks, a black […]