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Bird of the Week: Red-Tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) Compiled by Lisa S. Graham. If you’ve ever heard a bird screaming in a western, chances are it was the call of the Red-tailed Hawk – even…
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Bird of the Week: Hooded Warbler
Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina) Content and photos by James Giroux It’s spring in Central Texas! And as the wave of new spring flowers and leaves makes its way…
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Bird of the Week: Franklin’s Gull
Franklin’s Gull Leucophaeus pipixcan Written and Compiled by Lindsey Hernandez Painting by Louis Agassiz Fuertes circa 1900 Photo by USFW The Franklin’s Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan) is a delicate and graceful seabird known for its…
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Bird of the Week: Pileated Woodbecker
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) Compiled by Lisa S. Graham Photo credits: Thierry Grandmont, Macaulay Library (Pileated Woodpecker photo); Universal Studios (Woody Woodpecker drawing) Thanks to Universal Studios, anyone who watched the Woody…
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Bird of the Week: Black Skimmer
Black Skimmer Rynchops niger Content and photos by James Giroux – except where indicated There are many ways that birds obtain food, but the beak always plays an important role. With the…
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Bird of the Week: Painted Bunting
Painted Bunting (Passerina ciris) Compiled by Lisa S. Graham Photo credit: David Hollie, Macaulay Library Mature male Painted Buntings are impossible to misidentify. The vibrant combination of blue, green, red, and orange…
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Bird of the Week: Field Sparrow
Field Sparrow Spizella pusilla Content and photos by James Giroux Sparrows are often overlooked by the general population, and even by some birders. Because many of them look alike, there are a…
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Bird of the Week: Least Sandpiper
Compiled by Lindsey Hernandez Featured Photo Credit: Least Sandpiper Great Meadows NWR, Concord, MA Credit: Steve Arena/USFWS The Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) is a small shorebird and the smallest member of…
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Bird of the Week: House Finch
Compiled by Lisa S. Graham Photo credit: Martina Nordstrand, Macaulay Library House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) House Finches originate from the western US and Mexico. In 1940, pet stores in New York released…
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Bird of the Week: White Crowned Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys Content and photos by James Giroux – except where indicated The word “dashing” is typically not used to describe members of the sparrow family. But, the word is…
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Bird of the Week: Grasshopper Sparrow
Grasshopper Sparrow Ammodramus savannarum Content and photos by James Giroux Most sparrows head north from Central Texas before early spring, but there are a few species that breed here in the Austin…
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Bird of the Week: Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay
By Abby West Featured Photo by Chris Wood Woodhouse’s scrub-jays are an odd bunch, described as the Blue jay of dry lowlands from Nevada south to Mexico. They’re most often seen…
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Bird of the Week: Hooded Merganser
Hooded Merganser Lophodytes cucullatus Content by Lindsey Hernandez Feature photo from Libby Butner, Courtesy of Macaulay Library As the holiday season approaches, Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) will begin appearing around ponds, lakes, and…
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Bird of the Week: White-winged Dove
White-winged Dove Zenaida asiatica Compiled by Lisa S. Graham Photo credit: Jeff Timmons, Macaulay Library White-winged doves became a household word in 1981 for fans of Stevie Nicks and her hit song “Edge…
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Bird of the Week: Wood Duck
Wood Duck Aix sponsa Content and photos by James Giroux There are few North American birds that can rival the Wood Duck for flashiness and color. Just count the colors: red, yellow,…
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