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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]