Here is a list of five common species you can see and hear during spring in Texas, using Houston eBird data for Harris County.Yellow-billed Cuckoo Dan Vickers/Macaulay Library (S55087581) This sometimes skulking species occurs regularly in Houston, as evidenced by the eBird range maps (including current reports in orange). During migration, you may see it […]
Read MoreSpring bird migration is in its peak over Texas, filling Houston with a plethora of colorful, melodious visitors. Turning out nonessential lights from April 19 – May 7 is one of the most impactful local actions you can make to save the lives of birds on their journey. As an extension of the city-wide Lights […]
Read MoreCerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea)Family: Parulidae Everyone’s favorite blue warbler has started to arrive in Texas, all the way from South America and on their way to more northerly breeding grounds. Male Cerulean Warblers are stormy blue, with faint gray streaking on top with white throats, bellies, and wingbars. Females are more dusky on top, have […]
Read MoreYellow-billed Cuckoo(Coccyzus americanus)Family: Cuculidae Spring migration is often synonymous with the arrival of flashy yellow birds flitting through the treetops. But the Yellow-billed Cuckoo – our Beak of the Week – has only a little bit of yellow to add to the mix. Yellow-billed Cuckoos appear slender and clean-cut, with their upperparts brown and undersides […]
Read MoreAmerican Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)Family: Parulidae It’s a monarch butterfly, it’s a flying jack-o-lantern, no it’s an American Redstart! The mature male American Redstart looks like it’s perpetually dressed for Halloween with its stark black head, breast, back, wings, and tail, and bright orange patches on the flanks, wings, and sides of the tail to contrast […]
Read MorePrescribed Fire for Habitat ManagementPete Deichmann, Coastal Sanctuaries Manager On March 5, 2020, we executed a prescribed fire at Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary with our friends at US Fish and Wildlife Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. March 5, 2020Bolivar Flats Shorebird SanctuaryTemperature – 55 degrees Relative humidity – 60% Surface winds – Northeast at 21 […]
Read MoreIndigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)Family: CardinalidaeFeeling blue because you’ve been staying inside all the time recently? You’re not alone! Indigo Buntings spend all of their time outside, and they’re quite blue too. Indigo Buntings are in the same family as Cardinals and Grosbeaks – a group that includes many vibrantly colored species. However, Indigo Buntings are […]
Read MoreRaise your hand if you have said or wanted to say CORVID-19 at least once. For some of us bird nerds at Houston Audubon, corvids have been on our minds lately (the corvid family consist of jays, crows, ravens, and magpies). We were also interested to find that there are 19 species of corvid found […]
Read MoreHooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina)Family: Parulidae Spring has arrived, and so have Hooded Warblers. You may have noticed this beautiful warbler hopping about and flashing its light-edged tail feathers in shrubs near you. The males of this species are yellow, have a darker yellow back and tail, and a distinct black “hood.” The females and immature […]
Read MorePrairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor)Family: Parulidae Now that it’s officially the second half of March, we’re all getting excited because warbler migration season is almost here! Some warblers are beginning to show up around Houston already, and we’re looking forward to seeing them all in our sanctuaries (and backyards) again. Warblers are always a sure sign […]
Read More
Houston AuduBlog 