Black Scoter (Melanitta nigra) Family: Anatidae The Black Scoter is a medium-sized duck, but is the smallest species of the sea-dwelling scoters. Both male and females have a small and straight bill, although the male’s bill is also adorned with a bright yellow knob. These ducks occasionally occur in mixed flocks with other scoter species. […]

Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata) Family: Rallidae By Will McDaniel, past Houston Audubon Conservation Technician The Common Gallinule is a species of rail which inhabits the Gulf Coast year-round, with its range extending to large parts of Central and South America. It can be recognized by its dark bluish-black plumage with wide yellow feet, a flash […]

American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) Family: Pelecanidae By Carrie Chapin, Houston Audubon Conservation Technician One of the largest birds in North America, the American White Pelican is a sight to behold. With the second longest wingspan of birds in the U.S. after the California Condor, and its fascinating bill, they are difficult to miss. American […]

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) Family: Accipitridae By Jon Piasecki, Houston Audubon Conservation Technician Often recognized as a national symbol of the United States, the Bald Eagle has been the country’s national bird since 1782. Known for their bright white heads and tails and yellow bills, Bald Eagles can be found throughout most of North America. […]

American Robin (Turdus migratorius) Family: Turdidae The American Robin is a large gray-brown songbird with warm, brick red underparts, darker head, and broken, white eye ring. Robins are the largest of North American thrushes and they offer a good chance to learn the shape of most thrushes. They have a large, round body, long legs, […]

California Gull (Larus californicus) Family: Laridae By Carrie Chapin, Houston Audubon Conservation Technician A California Gull, a rare visitor to southeastern Texas, was recently spotted at the Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary. Typically a western species, California Gulls breed in the northwest great plains and southcentral Canada. They are commonly found along the pacific coast through […]

American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) Family: Recurvirostridae By Jon Piasecki, Houston Audubon Conservation Technician Known for its long, upturned bill, the American Avocet is a wading bird that is commonly seen foraging in wetlands, salt ponds, mudflats and occasionally rice fields. This species breeds in parts of the western and midwestern United States as well as […]

Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) Family: Strigidae By Wyatt Egelhoff, Houston Audubon Conservation Specialist Perhaps one of the most recognizable owls, this terrestrial species is found throughout many of the open areas of the temperate and tropical Western Hemisphere. As its name suggests, this species spends much of its time in subterranean burrows. In North America, […]

Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) Family: Anatidae By Carrie Chapin, Houston Audubon Conservation Technician The Northern Shoveler is a unique species of dabbling duck found in wetlands across much of the world, including North America, Central America, Europe, parts of Africa, and Asia. Northern Shovelers breed in Alaska, Canada, the northern U.S., and Russia. During the […]

Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) Family: Accipitridae By Jon Piasecki, Houston Audubon Conservation Technician Northern Harriers are commonly seen gliding low over grassland and marsh habitats throughout most of North America. This species is known to be a year-round resident in parts of the midwestern and western United States. They expand their range to Alaska, Canada, […]