Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) Family: Laniidae By Colleen McDonough, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician The Loggerhead Shrike, nicknamed “butcherbird”, is a songbird with unexpected carnivorous tendencies. Similar in size to a cardinal, shrikes are mostly gray with a black eye mask, hooked bill, and white wing patches visible in flight. The Loggerhead Shrike is one […]
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Caroline Nixson, Volunteer Coordinator, Houston Audubon Houston may be known for its freeways and skyscrapers, but it’s also a city shaped by water, sky, and the creatures that move through both. Perched at the intersection of coastal prairie, piney woods, bottomland forest, and estuarine wetlands, the Bayou City is uniquely positioned at a vibrant ecological […]
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By Sharon Young, Friends of Keegans Bayou Trail As part of the Witness Series event, “Blooming into History: Beautiful, Fierce and Free,” held on April 26, 2025, Houston Audubon staff Jed Aplaca and Carolyn Klein led a walk that helped participants identify wildflowers, grasses, pollinators, and birds along Keegans Bayou Trail in southwest Houston. Among […]
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By Kassandra Robles, Art Teacher, Elsik High School This spring, our students from Alief ISD’s Elsik High School had the incredible opportunity to visit Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary with Houston Audubon, a first for us, and hopefully the beginning of something that continues to grow. As an art teacher in one of Houston’s most diverse […]
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Wyatt Egelhoff, Sanctuary Manager and Victoria Parker-Thacker, Seasonal Coastal Avian Technician, Houston Audubon Shortly before the woods fill with migrating songbirds, Houston Audubon staff spring into action, readying the beaches of the Bolivar Peninsula for the arrival of our beach-nesting birds in mid-March. For over a decade, Houston Audubon has monitored and stewarded several key […]
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Article and photos by Amanda Jerng I recently collaborated with Houston Audubon to host our first bird walk for students at Cullinan Park, an event that ranks among the most inspiring experiences of my life. I had so much fun sharing everyone’s excitement, talking to parents about the origins of their children’s interest in birds, […]
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By Christine Wehrli, Community Outreach Programs Manager In March, amidst preparation for all things spring migration this year, I received some unfortunate news. I would need to get knee surgery after tearing my ACL and menisci in a rugby game. This meant 7 weeks of crutches and a non-weight bearing left leg, which also meant […]
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Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina) Family: Parulidae By Theresa Kelly, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician This week’s Beak of the Week may be more easily recognized by its common name — Cape May Warbler — but its taxonomic species tigrina is a more apt descriptor. Adults boast a bright yellow face, breast, and belly, with […]
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Green Heron (Butorides virescens) Family: Ardeidae By Nick Minnich, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician This week’s Beak is often referred to as “daggerlike,” a perfect tool in the hunt for fish and amphibians. Green Herons are a short, compact heron who often prefer to stand on water’s edge vegetation as opposed to wading in the […]
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Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons) Family: Vireonidae By Nick Minnich, Houston Audubon Coastal Conservation Technician The Yellow-throated Vireo is one of the most striking North American vireos, with its bright yellow throat and breast plumage, broad yellow spectacles around the eyes, and gray wings with two bold white wingbars. Often, this bird frequents forest-edge habitat and […]
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