American Golden-Plover (Pluvialis dominica) Family: Charadriidae By Averi Lohman, Conservation Technician, Houston Audubon The American Golden-Plover is a very unassuming bird this time of year. Its plumage is a brown-gray color with some darker brown spots and gray ‘armpits’ on the underside of its wings. When it arrives at its breeding grounds in the Arctic, […]

Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla) Family: Parulidae By Ryan McGinty, Conservation Technician, Houston Audubon The Louisiana Waterthrush is a large brown warbler with a large bill, long legs, and a short tail. They have a white underside with brown streaking, and a white supercilium that contrasts with the bird’s dark brown back and head. These birds […]

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) Family: Anatidae By Averi Lohman, Conservation Technician, Houston Audubon Probably the most generic species of duck is the Mallard, the biggest symbol of waterfowl in most of the US. Males are known for their striking green heads, bright yellow bills, and grey bodies. Females possess a more subtle beauty with their tan […]

American Woodcock (Scolopax minor) Family: Scolopacidae By Wyatt Egelhoff, Conservation Technician, Houston Audubon Unlike most other North American shorebirds, the American Woodcock is most often found in deciduous or mixed forest/woodlots. This species is often nocturnal, roosting on the ground amongst leaf litter where they are usually incredibly difficult to see. In these situations, Woodcocks […]

Great Egret (Ardea Alda) Family: Ardeidae By Ryan McGinty, Conservation Technician, Houston Audubon The Great Egret is a tall white bird with long black legs, a long S-shaped neck, and a sharp yellow bill. Its diet consists of fish and other aquatic animals that it hunts by wading in shallow water waiting to ambush its […]

Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) Family: Fringillidae By Averi Lohman, Conservation Technician, Houston Audubon While not nearly as widespread as their relative the house finch, purple finches are a beautiful blip of pinkish red that occasionally visit our area and other parts of northeast Texas in the winter. These small birds have triangular beaks with sharper, […]

Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis) Family: Troglodytidae By Ryan McGinty, Conservation Technician, Houston Audubon The Winter Wren is a small dark brown bird with extensive barring on its flight feathers and belly. It has a tan supercilium and its underside is a paler brown than its back. The Winter Wren is often compared to a mouse […]

Dusky-capped Flycatcher (Myiarchus tuberculifer) Family: Tyrannidae By Wyatt Egelhoff, Conservation Technician, Houston Audubon While not typically encountered in Texas away from the Chisos or Davis mountains in the summer or (irregularly) the Lower Rio Grande Valley in winter, a Dusky-capped Flycatcher was discovered at Houston Audubon’s Smith Oaks Sanctuary in High Island. The bird was […]

American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) Family: Ardeidae The American Bittern is a medium-sized thickset wading heron. They are primarily buff brown with distinctive white streaks on the underside and sides of the neck. Their intricate wing coloration makes them fairly camouflaged when trying to spot them alongside marsh vegetation. While in flight they can be easily […]

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) Family: Regulidae ✏️ By Ryan McGinty, Conservation Technician, Houston Audubon The Ruby-crowned Kinglet is named for the ruby crown patch that they display during spring and summer on a singing male. Although the bird is named for its ruby crown this feature is not usually visible so other clues must be […]