American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)Family: Parulidae It’s a monarch butterfly, it’s a flying jack-o-lantern, no it’s an American Redstart! The mature male American Redstart looks like it’s perpetually dressed for Halloween with its stark black head, breast, back, wings, and tail, and bright orange patches on the flanks, wings, and sides of the tail to contrast […]
Read MorePrescribed Fire for Habitat ManagementPete Deichmann, Coastal Sanctuaries Manager On March 5, 2020, we executed a prescribed fire at Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary with our friends at US Fish and Wildlife Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. March 5, 2020Bolivar Flats Shorebird SanctuaryTemperature – 55 degrees Relative humidity – 60% Surface winds – Northeast at 21 […]
Read MoreIndigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)Family: CardinalidaeFeeling blue because you’ve been staying inside all the time recently? You’re not alone! Indigo Buntings spend all of their time outside, and they’re quite blue too. Indigo Buntings are in the same family as Cardinals and Grosbeaks – a group that includes many vibrantly colored species. However, Indigo Buntings are […]
Read MoreRaise your hand if you have said or wanted to say CORVID-19 at least once. For some of us bird nerds at Houston Audubon, corvids have been on our minds lately (the corvid family consist of jays, crows, ravens, and magpies). We were also interested to find that there are 19 species of corvid found […]
Read MoreHooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina)Family: Parulidae Spring has arrived, and so have Hooded Warblers. You may have noticed this beautiful warbler hopping about and flashing its light-edged tail feathers in shrubs near you. The males of this species are yellow, have a darker yellow back and tail, and a distinct black “hood.” The females and immature […]
Read MoreSpring Native Plant GardeningSarah Flournoy, March 18, 2020 We rushed back home from a trip cut short last week to find our garden popping with blooms. Since then, we’ve been happily adjusting, trimming, photographing, and making plans for more yard updates as we revel in our creation. We sit on the back patio with binoculars, […]
Read MorePrairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor)Family: Parulidae Now that it’s officially the second half of March, we’re all getting excited because warbler migration season is almost here! Some warblers are beginning to show up around Houston already, and we’re looking forward to seeing them all in our sanctuaries (and backyards) again. Warblers are always a sure sign […]
Read MoreGreen-winged Teal (Anas crecca)Family: Anatidae Male Green-winged Teal have black bills, red-brown heads with a thick green band stretching from the eyes to the nape of the neck, white bands on the shoulders, lighter tan speckled breasts, thick, dark-green bands on the lower parts of the wings, and thinner white bands bordering the green on […]
Read MoreHave you ever been minding your own business when you hear that dreadful thud of a bird colliding with your window? Unfortunately, up to 1 billion birds die each year from window collisions. Why are such smart animals so clumsy? Well, it’s because (most) humans can use door frames, reflections, and other visual cues to […]
Read MoreCommon Loon (Gavia immer)Family: Gaviidae Known for its hauntingly eerie yodeling song and gaudy summer colors, the Common Loon is often considered a symbol of northern boreal lakes – it’s even featured on the Canadian dollar coin. However, during these winter months when boreal lakes are frozen over, many Common Loons venture toward both the […]
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