Beak of the Week – Hooded Oriole

January 23, 2025.Reading time 4 minutes.

Hooded Oriole (Icterus cucullatus) Family: Icteridae By Charlie Ayers, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician This week’s Beak of the Week is a flashy Icterid of south Texas, the Hooded Oriole. Hooded Orioles are slender birds with a flame orange body, black wings, a black tail and a black throat patch that extends up to their […]

Cold Fronts — The Best Time for Birding

January 22, 2025.Reading time 3 minutes.

By Theresa Kelly, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician The best weather for birding can vary heavily based on what you’re looking for. Although wind-driven rain might cause songbirds and waders to hunker down, it tends to push migrating seabirds such as petrels and terns closer to shore, making for great seawatching. Migrants of all orders, […]

Beak of the Week – Golden-crowned Kinglet

January 16, 2025.Reading time 5 minutes.

Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) Family: Regulidae By Theresa Kelly, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician Despite its tiny size, this week’s Beak of the Week is astoundingly hardy, active, and agile. Golden-crowned Kinglets have a tiny, rounded body, short wings, and a skinny tail. Dull body coloration — pale olive and gray — is offset by […]

Beak of the Week – American Bittern

January 9, 2025.Reading time 4 minutes.

American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) Family: Ardeidae By Charlie Ayers, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician This week’s Beak of the Week, the American Bittern, is a master of disguise! American Bitterns tend to choose when they are seen rather than being found. With their cryptic, brown, streaky coloration, they materialize right in front of your face […]

Beak of the Week – Northern Harrier

January 3, 2025.Reading time 3 minutes.

Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) Family: Accipitridae By Charlie Ayers, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician This week’s Beak of the Week, the Northern Harrier, has a small hooked bill that it uses to eat a variety of prey. The Northern Harrier is a medium-sized raptor with broad wings, a long tail and a white rump patch […]

Beak of the Week – Red-breasted Merganser

December 19, 2024.Reading time 3 minutes.

Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) Family: Anatidae By Charlie Ayers, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician This week’s Beak of the Week, the Red-breasted Merganser, has a long, thin bill with serrated edges like a bread knife! Males of this species have green heads with a hairdo that resembles a punk rocker, a white neck band and […]

Beak of the Week – Common Goldeneye

December 11, 2024.Reading time 4 minutes.

Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) Family: Anatidae By Theresa Kelly, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician What’s black and white and flies all over? This week’s Beak of the Week! The aptly-named Common Goldeneye can be identified by its bright amber eye, an easily distinguishable feature in both males and females. As is common to many avian […]

Beak of the Week – Ross’s Goose

December 5, 2024.Reading time 5 minutes.

Ross’s Goose (Anser rossii) Family: Anatidae By Nick Minnich, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician This Beak of the Week is short and stubby compared to its taxonomic ally, the Snow Goose. The Ross’s Goose is often referred to as a miniature version of the other white geese, previously belonging to the genus Chen. Like other […]

Beak of the Week – Nelson’s Sparrow

November 21, 2024.Reading time 5 minutes.

Nelson’s Sparrow (Ammospiza nelsoni) Family: Passerellidae By Charlie Ayers, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician This week’s Beak of the Week brings pumpkin spice to the table, the Nelson’s Sparrow. The Nelson’s Sparrow is quite colorful for a member of this family. They can be identified by their bold yellow-orange faces, gray cheeks, and a neat […]

Beak of the Week – Red Knot

November 14, 2024.Reading time 4 minutes.

Red Knot (Calidris canutus) Family: Scolopacidae By Theresa Kelly, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician This week’s Beak of the Week may seem to be a bit of a misnomer, as the Red Knot’s winter plumage can be fairly drab: pale brown underneath and speckled on the back and wings just like so many other shorebirds. […]