Bird of the Week – Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

Photo by Kenneth Cole Schneider By Abby West We’ve camped at Enchanted Rock at least once every year for the past ten years. Except this time, I’d been paying attention…

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Bird of the Week: European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

  Every European Starling in North America is descended from one of 100 birds released in Central Park in the early 1890s.  Shakespearian enthusiasts of the day also released House…

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Bird of the Week: House Wren

House Wren Troglodytes aedon  The tiny brown bird, with its checkered brown and…

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Bird of the Week: Downy Woodpecker

Photo by Evan Lipton Downy woodpeckers can be found here in Central Texas year-round. Downy woodpeckers are common in any woods, especially…

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Bird of the Week: Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Sphyrapicus varius Written and compiled by Lindsey Hernandez Sources: Texas Parks and Wildlife, All About Birds, Travis Audubon Society, American Bird Conservancy, Ovid’s Metamorphoses A common woodpecker on the smaller side,…

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Bird of the Week: Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Painting 1916 Robert Bruce Horsfall.   Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) The Yellow-billed Cuckoo arrives in the Texas hill country in late spring and leaves in mid-September when they migrate to…

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Bird of the Week: Northern Cardinal

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Northern Cardinals are one of the most popular birds in North America, and many people confess that the Cardinal is the bird that got them started…

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Bird of the Week: Brown-headed Cowbird

The Brown-headed Cowbird is aptly named. The male is, well, a brown-headed cowbird. They have a glossy black body, an entirely brown head, and are frequently seen around cow…

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Bird of the Week: Green Heron

Photo by Daniel VanWart Let me introduce you to the Green Heron, my favorite bird. The few times I’ve mentioned this fact to my friends after we…

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Bird of the Week: Ladder-backed Woodpecker

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Dryobates scalaris) Like their name suggests, the Ladder-backed Woodpecker has stripes of alternating black and white running along their backs, and the males sport a striking red cap…

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Bird of the Week: Pyrrhuloxia

Adult female Pyrrhuloxia. Courtesy of Mike Charest. Pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinuatus) Often called the Desert Cardinal, the Pyrrhuloxia is gray or brown with…

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Bird of the Week: Belted Kingfisher

Photo credit: Johann Schumacher Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) By Abby West There’s no shortage of gorgeous photos of kingfishers on the internet. These peculiar birds fly sort of like a…

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Bird of the Week: Black-chinned Hummingbird

Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) Regardless of the species, it’s always a thrill to see hummingbirds at my feeder. Their graceful flight coupled with their active defense of the food source…

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Bird of the Week: Chimney Swift

Many Chimney Swifts circling the top of a chimney. Photo credit: Ben Cvengros. Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) The sleek, elegant, speedy Chimney Swift brings summer to life for many…

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Bird of the Week: Red Knot

Red Knot  (Calidris canutus) Red Knots are sandpipers that migrate long distances. In fact, one Red Knot banded in Argentina in 1992 still “commutes” annually for 20,000 miles, flying between…

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