Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons) Family: Vireonidae By Nick Minnich, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician The Yellow-throated Vireo is one of the most striking North American vireos, with its bright yellow throat and breast plumage, broad yellow spectacles around the eyes, and gray wings with two bold white wingbars. Often, this bird frequents forest-edge habitat and […]
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By Charlie Ayers When visiting High Island, you will undoubtedly be enamored by the abundance of spring migrants that litter the trees and ground. So much that you may completely forget to eat! Once that hunger really hits, you’ll be wondering “where can I grab a bite around here?” Well, not to fear. In this […]
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Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) Family: Passerellidae By Theresa Kelly, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician This Beak of the Week has a very expansive range and an incredible array of plumages. The Dark-eyed Junco is a medium-sized sparrow, possessing the short, conical bill and rotund body shape common to its family. Their coloring varies greatly by […]
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Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) Family: Anatidae By Theresa Kelly, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician This week’s Beak of the Week, the Ring-necked Duck, earned both its common and scientific name (collaris) from the chestnut collar on its black neck. Decidedly difficult to make out in the field, they are better identified by other traits. The […]
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Casey Smith is our Community Liaison for the Bolivar Peninsula Nature Trail. Casey has spent the last several years living in Port Bolivar, but the peninsula has held a special place in her heart for her entire life. She lived most of her life in Beaumont but has always been grateful to have the beach […]
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By Nick Minnich, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician With 2025 fully underway, spring migration is right around the corner! Exciting vagrants are already finding their spotlight in and around our High Island sanctuaries, such as a Spotted Towhee, Red-naped Sapsucker, Hooded Oriole, and more! It’s time to start studying your field guides and strengthening your […]
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Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) Family: Parulidae By Theresa Kelly, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician Like cardinals, this Beak of the Week claims the unusually specific honor of “birds named for Roman Catholic robes of office.” The Prothonotary Warbler’s astounding yellow hue is its most defining feature, leading early ornithologists to name it after the yellow […]
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Chuck-will’s-widow (Antrostomus carolinensis) Family: Caprimulgidae By Nick Minnich, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician Our Beak of the Week is the largest North American member of the nightjar family. Caprimulgidae, colloquially referred to as goatsuckers, get this unusual nickname from a folk belief that the birds would milk goats with their enormous mouths each night as […]
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Buff-bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia yucatanensis) Family: Trochilidae By Theresa Kelly, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician Hummingbird identification can be notoriously difficult, largely due to their small size and plumage similarities between different species. This week’s Beak of the Week, the Buff-bellied Hummingbird, is no exception, though adults possess several characteristics that set them apart from their […]
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Cinnamon Teal (Spatula cyanoptera) Family: Anatidae By Theresa Kelly, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician This week’s Beak of the Week is a stunning one. The Cinnamon Teal is a regular (though not overly common) wintertime visitor to the Houston area, a cheery splash of red floating among the reeds of freshwater ponds. Relatively small overall […]
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