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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By Zoe Gapayao, Community Outreach Manager The 4-part Witness Series is a springtime event that is artist-led, nature-centered, and community-driven. For the past three years, we’ve explored together the experiences that communities of color have in the land of southeast Texas. Artist Kristi Rangel co-curates the series, partnering with artists from Native American, African American, […]
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By Vicki Stittleburg, Houston Audubon Environmental Educator/Staff Naturalist A break in a stormy weather pattern allowed Houston Audubon members to participate in the Member Field Trip on March 16. Environmental Educator/Staff Naturalist Vicki Stittleburg led the group to 2 parks in Southwest Houston. Birding began at The Wetlands Park at Riverstone. The songs of Red-winged […]
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By Amber Leung, Houston Audubon Staff Naturalist & Educator City Nature Challenge is an annual international bioblitz where cities engage in a friendly competition to see who can gather the most observations of nature, find the most species, and engage the most people. This is a 2-part event that starts with an observation period (April […]
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By Stuart Nelson Get those picnics packed, binoculars polished, and hiking shoes laced up tight – spring migration is upon us! This special time of year, lasting roughly from March through May, and peaking in late April, brings over a billion birds through Texas, many of which stop along the Upper Texas Coast (UTC) to […]
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By Sneed B. Collard III When my 13-year-old son Braden and I arrived at High Island in the spring of 2016, we quivered with anticipation. After two years of birding in our home state of Montana, we had finally decided to venture beyond our borders and attempt a modest ABA Big Year for ourselves. Our […]
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Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) Family: Tyrannidae The Great Crested Flycatcher is a large perching bird in the large and diverse family of tyrant flycatchers. This bird is distinguished by its bright yellow belly and under-tail coverts (bottom of tail), dull white throat and namesake head crest. Although not extremely inconspicuous the Great Crested Flycatcher […]
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