A one-legged Northern Cardinal named Legolas: A lesson in determination.

September 11, 2023.Reading time 9 minutes.

By Schyler Brown, Houston Audubon Conservation Specialist Dr. Kelsey Biles and I (Schyler Brown) run a bird banding station as part of the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (M.A.P.S) program. This program is a nationwide initiative to understand avian populations via bird banding and recapture data during the breeding season. To capture breeding birds, we […]

International Cat Day: How to Protect our Feline and Feathered Friends

August 8, 2023.Reading time 5 minutes.

By Schyler Brown, Conservation Specialist, Houston Audubon We at Houston Audubon want to say Happy International Cat Day! Many of us at Houston Audubon have pet cats and love them dearly. However, we are aware of a looming problem that involves cats… Let’s cut to the chase- cats are the number one cause for the […]

City Nature Challenge is almost here-Help Houston-Galveston rank first again!

March 28, 2023.Reading time 7 minutes.

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 […]

World Wetlands Day: The Importance of Wetlands

February 2, 2023.Reading time 6 minutes.

By Carrie Chapin and Jon Piasecki, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technicians Today (Feb 2nd) is World Wetlands Day – a yearly celebration of wetlands and their important contributions to ecosystems and human society. Wetlands provide food and habitat for thousands of species, filter water, and capture runoff to prevent flooding. A wetland is any area […]

Bluebird Trail – How Houston Audubon & Houston Botanic Garden partnered up to protect Eastern Bluebirds

June 8, 2022.Reading time 6 minutes.

By Charlona Ingram, Houston Audubon Volunteer In 2016, Houston Audubon began surveying birds on Glenbrook Golf Course next to the Raptor and Education Center. The bird surveys continued even as the property was turned over to the Houston Botanic Garden in 2018. Beginning the surveys while the property was still in use as a golf course […]

Bird Collision Monitoring: How you can support research to protect our region’s birds

March 23, 2022.Reading time 5 minutes.

An incredible 600+ species of birds have been documented in Texas, and more than 400 species have been observed in Harris county. Many of these birds briefly stop by on their spring and fall migration, and a big part of that journey happens at night. About 80% of North America’s migratory birds migrate entirely at […]

Wrapping up Fall Migration 2021

November 22, 2021.Reading time 3 minutes.

By Kathy Sweezey, Bird-Friendly Communities Program Manager The days are getting shorter, the weather is getting cooler, and the migratory birds have moved on to their winter homes. Fall migration runs from mid-August through November each year with millions of birds passing through the greater Houston area. Some birds like the Ruby-throated Hummingbird can travel […]

It’s Time to Turn your Lights Out, Texas!

August 6, 2021.Reading time 4 minutes.

✏️ By Anna Vallery, Houston Audubon Conservation Specialist, Bird-Friendly Communities Program Manager While you’re still hanging out by the pool and enjoying summer BBQs, many migratory birds are wrapping up their breeding seasons and getting ready to fly south for the winter. Fall migration kicks into gear in mid-August and continues all the way into November, […]

Birds nest on Cattail Island for the first time!

May 27, 2021.Reading time 2 minutes.

The Texas colonial waterbird counts are underway and Houston Audubon staff are out conducting this important monitoring work. A fantastic surprise in the coast-wide monitoring effort is the first-time use of an island built for just that purpose in Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary. This now three-year-old island was part of a nesting expansion project completed […]

Every Day is Earth Day for the Birds

April 22, 2021.Reading time 8 minutes.

Happy Earth Day from all of us at Houston Audubon! Although we think every day should be Earth Day, we’re excited for a chance to celebrate the planet that sustains the people and wildlife that call it home. There are many easy actions you can take to promote a healthier and happier Earth. If you’re […]