Bird of the Week: Black-throated Sparrow

Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza bilineata Compiled by Lisa S. Graham. The Black-throated Sparrow is a classic songbird of the desert — perfectly at home among sagebrush, creosote, and rocky washes. If your backyard…

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Bird of the Week: Green Kingfisher

Green Kingfisher Chloroceryle americana  Content and photos by James Giroux How can you not love the Green Kingfisher?  The male and female are both a gorgeous emerald and white color, and the…

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Bird of the Week: Double-Crested Cormorant

Double-Crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) By Niyati Acharya The Double-crested Cormorant is a large, black waterbird common to lakes and shorelines throughout North America. Though an expert fisher, its feathers lack the…

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Bird of the Week: Swainson’s Hawk

Compiled by Lindsey Hernandez Photo Credit: Rick Lewis The Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) is a striking raptor that arrives in Central Texas each year from their wintering grounds in the Pampas…

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Bird of the Week: Black Vulture

Black Vulture Coragyps atratus Compiled by Lisa S. Graham Photo credit:  Francisco Dubón, Macaulay Library The Black Vulture plays an important role in the ecosystem as a scavenger. When in flight, it’s often…

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Bird of the Week: Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea  Content and photos by James Giroux Unless you are a birder, the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher might be one of those birds you never knew existed. This, despite the bird…

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Bird of the Week: Mourning Dove

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) By Niyati Acharya The Mourning dove is the most abundant dove species, the most abundant game bird and one of the most abundant songbirds in southern Oklahoma…

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Bird of the Week: Osprey

Osprey Pandion haliaetus Compiled by Lisa S. Graham The Osprey, often dubbed the “fish hawk,” is a raptor known for its unparalleled fishing prowess. With its striking appearance and ease of adaptability…

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Bird of the Week: Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler Sialia sialis  Content and photos by James Giroux (Featured photo: Male Yellow Warbler) Believe it or not, fall migration is upon us, and one of the earliest fall songbird migrants to…

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Bird of the Week: Northern Parula

The Northern Parula (Setophaga americana) is a small, short-tailed warbler with a sharply pointed, bicolored bill. Adults are blue-gray above, with a greenish-yellow patch on the back, two white…

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Bird of the Week: Great Blue Heron

By Niyati Acharya Great Blue Herons can be found in marshes, swamps, lakeshores, riversides, beaches, and ponds.  They forage in upland areas and prairies, especially in winter and have a…

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Bird of the Week: American Kestrel

American Kestrel Falco sparverius Compiled by Lisa Graham The American Kestrel, the smallest falcon in North America, packs a powerful punch despite its petite size. This stunning bird is not likely to…

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Bird of the Week: Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis Content and photos by James Giroux (Featured photo: Male Eastern Bluebird) There are a few birds that the general public can easily identify, or at least have heard of….

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Bird of the Week: Semipalmated Sandpiper

Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris Pusilla) By Niyati Acharya Semipalmated Sandpipers measure 3–15 cm, with black, long bill and legs, and a short neck. Their bill droops slightly at the tip. Their backs…

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Bird Of The Week: The Yellow-breasted Chat

 Yellow-breasted Chat, Icteria virens By Lindsey Hernandez The Yellow-breasted Chat offers a cascade of song in the spring, when males deliver streams of whistles, cackles, chuckles,…

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