Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) Family: Scolopacidae By Nick Minnich, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician This week’s beak is nothing short of impressive. There’s a lot of information one can gather about a bird’s life simply by studying their physical characteristics; nonetheless, a bird’s bill often provides valuable insight into the species’ foraging and food preference. […]
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Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) Family: Falconidae By Nick Minnich, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician This week’s Beak of the Week is equipped with a unique adaptation that makes it the ultimate aerial hunter. Peregrine Falcons, regarded as the fastest flying bird, also have the widest natural distribution of any bird on Earth, nesting on every […]
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American Redstart (Septophaga ruticilla) Family: Parulidae By Charlie Ayers, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician This week’s Beak of the Week belongs to a bird who is always ready for Halloween, the American Redstart. Adult males of this species are black overall with splashes of orange on the flanks, wings and tail. Females and immature males […]
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Neotropic Cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum) Family: Phalacrocoracidae By Charlie Ayers, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician This week’s Beak of the Week is the Neotropic Cormorant. When birding near any body of water, be on the lookout for this small, slim, nearly all black bird with a long tail, large webbed feet and a thin straight bill […]
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American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) Family: Recurvirostridae By Charlie Ayers, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician This week’s Beak of the Week is one of the funkiest ones out there, the American Avocet. Look for this large wading bird’s long, thin, uniquely upturned bill, bold black and white wings and long blue-gray legs. American Avocets, like many […]
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By Schyler Brown, Houston Audubon Conservation Specialist Besides humans, other animals need to travel in order to go places, see things, and enjoy an enriching life. It is true that some animals do not travel very far, like the Brown Tube Sponge (Agelas conifera) which, after attaching itself to the sea floor, spends most of […]
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By Gabriel Durham, Bird-Friendly Communities Program Manager This summer, Memorial City Plaza became the first multi-story major commercial building in Houston to work with Houston Audubon to install window film to prevent bird collisions! This accomplishment is a big step forward in making Houston more Bird-Friendly and is a testament to how small connections can […]
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By Gabriel Durham, Bird-Friendly Communities Program Manager Here at Houston Audubon, when we talk about going “Lights Out,” we keep it pretty bird focused. Keeping your exterior lights out at night is an essential step to reducing bird mortality during migration and generally improving the quality of avian life at night. However, going “Lights Out” […]
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Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) Family: Picidae By Grace Yaros, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician Red-headed Woodpeckers are among the most handsome and distinctive woodpeckers in North America. Adults are striking, with bright cherry red heads, white bellies, and black backs with a contrasting white rump. Their wings are black with large, bold white patches on […]
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Eastern Screech-Owl (Megascops asio) Family: Strigidae By Grace Yaros, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician Roughly the size of an American Robin, these pint-sized predators are remarkably well-camouflaged. Individuals can be quite varied in appearance; there are gray and red color morphs, as well as intermediate individuals that are brownish overall. Red morph individuals are relatively […]
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