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 […]
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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 […]
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Sneed B. Collard III, Author There’s no one right way to start birding. Some people begin by catching “birding fever” from friends. Others, by watching birds in their gardens. Perhaps a “spark bird” captures your attention and propels you into the larger joys of birding. Or maybe you get wowed by Blue-footed Boobies and Magnificent […]
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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. […]
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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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By Kenena Hanson, Houston Audubon Member Growing up with autism, it can be difficult to make connections with other people. I have been in love with birds from a very young age and have always wanted to be around them. Expressing my love for birds can seem obsessive to someone on the outside, but with […]
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By Brenda and Ivan Castillo Like many, my wife and I started our birding journey as a way to spend more time outdoors. Our first exposure was a guided bird walk put on by Houston Audubon. It was very eye opening to have all that wildlife activity pointed out to us by the incredibly knowledgeable […]
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By Schyler Brown, Houston Audubon Conservation Specialist “Ethical behavior is doing the right thing when no one else is watching – even when doing the wrong thing is legal.” – Aldo Leopold I will not pretend for a second that I knew what the bird was. In fact, upon spotting it on our way out […]
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