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Bird of the Week: Snowy Egret
Snowy Egret Smaller and more delicate than the Great Egret, to which it bears a passing resemblance, the Snowy Egret is easily distinguished by its black bill and…
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Bird of the Week: Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Scissor-tailed Flycatchers are a common sight in summer–though their beauty, both in flight and at rest, is anything but common. The bird’s long, forking tail–often longer…
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Bird of the Week: Painted Bunting
Painted Bunting The male Painted Bunting is almost too beautiful to be believed, looking as if he has just flown out of a Matisse painting. His blue head…
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Bird of the Week: Summer Tanager
Summer Tanager The Summer Tanager is our only completely red bird, making it easy to distinguish. However, it tends to spend most of its time high in the…
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Bird of the Week: Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpeckers are conspicuous residents of any woodland they call home, both visually and vocally. With a crisply striped black back and vibrant red cap, these…
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Bird of the Week: Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is a beautiful and hyperactive little bird, sometimes mistaken for an insect due to its small size and ability to remain stationary while…
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Bird of the Week: Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk Red-shouldered Hawks are often heard long before they are seen, their insistent territorial calls echoing through the forests they call home. Smaller than their common cousin,…
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Bird of the Week: Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron Great Blue Herons are the largest herons in North America, and a common sight on streams, lakes, and marshes across the continent. These wading birds,…
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Bird of the Week: Great-tailed Grackle
Great-tailed Grackle Grackles are unquestionably Austin’s most iconic urban birds: love them or hate them, there’s no escaping their brilliant, iridescent plumage or raucous call. Until the 20th…
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Bird of the Week: American Crow
American Crow The American Crow has been amazingly successful at adapting to human encroachment of their habitat, even taking advantage of humans to expand its own range. This…
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Bird of the Week: Black-crested Titmouse
Black-crested Titmouse Once thought to be a subspecies of the Tufted Titmouse, the Black-crested Titmouse actually has genetic differences indicating it speciated from its eastern cousin at least…
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Bird of the Week: Eastern Whip-poor-will
Eastern Whip-poor-will Whip-poor-wills are part of a family of birds known as nightjars or goatsuckers (after the myth that they subsisted on milk from goats), who nest on…
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Bird of the Week: Chimney Swift
Chimney Swift With their streamlined bodies and long, curved wings, Chimney Swifts were built for flying. In fact, they spend almost all their waking hours aloft, maneuvering nimbly…
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Bird of the Week: White-winged Dove
White-winged Dove The White-winged Dove is one of our most ubiquitous native birds. Closely related to the more cosmopolitan Mourning Dove, the White-winged Dove is most common in…
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Bird of the Week: Monk Parakeet
Monk Parakeet If you’ve ever seen a flock of bright green parrots in downtown Austin and thought they looked a little out of place, you’re right. These highly…
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