Bird of the Week: Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus) Annie Dillard once wrote, “beauty and grace are performed whether or not we will or sense them. The least we can do is try to be…

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Bird of the Week: Red-winged Blackbird

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) Although the Red-winged Blackbird is a year-round resident of Central Texas, I generally see them at my backyard feeder in very early spring.  The mature male…

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Bird of the Week: Gadwall

Photo credit: Chrissy McClarren and Andy Reago Gadwall – Mareca strepera The Gadwall is often a bird that flies under the…

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Bird of the Week: Black-necked Stilt

Three Black-necked Stilts. Courtesy of Catherine Harris.   Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) One of the most elegant birds in the U.S., the Black-necked Stilt is small-bodied with legs that seem…

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Bird of the Week: American Crow

Photo credit: Andy Reynolds. American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) “A large, long-legged, thick-necked bird with a heavy, straight bill…American Crows are very social, sometimes forming flocks in the thousands…They thrive…

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Bird of the Week: Eastern Phoebe

Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe). Photo Credit: Bryan Calk-Macaulay Library. Like a number of other birds, the Eastern Phoebe’s name is onomatopoeic, meaning the name is based on the…

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Bird of the Week: Roseate Spoonbill

Roseate Spoonbill  (Platalea ajaja) At first glance it is easy to assume that pink bird is a flamingo. But flamingos (except for a couple of zoo escapees) don’t appear in…

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Bird of the Week: Dark-Eyed Junco

Dark-Eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) A member of the sparrow family, Dark-Eyed Juncos reside in Texas during their non-breeding season, generally early September through late May.  Identify them by their small…

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Bird of the Week: Eastern Wood-Pewee

Photo courtesy of Audubon Guide to North American Birds. Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens) This inconspicuous olive brown bird is easily overlooked–until it opens its beak and sings. Its pee-a-wee…

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Bird of the Week: Chipping Sparrow

Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) Sparrows are a diverse and ubiquitous family of birds with over 30 species found in the US.  With some practice, you can move beyond calling them…

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Bird of the Week: Northern Mockingbird

“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing…

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Bird of the Week: American White Pelican

American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) It’s extremely easy to distinguish the American White Pelican from the more commonly seen Brown Pelicans. Color and size are the biggest differences. The American…

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Bird of the Week: Eastern Bluebird

Adult male Eastern Bluebird. Photo Credit: Keith Kennedy.   Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) The Eastern Bluebird is common in most of North America and is present year-round in Texas. They…

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Bird of the Week: Greater Roadrunner

Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) Despite popular depictions, there are no documented cases of a Greater Roadrunner being pursued by a coyote who is riding an ACME rocket, and their call…

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Bird of the Week: Turkey Vulture

Turkey Vulture, Cathartes Aura “…murderous aspect–the very look of a professional assassin, and yet a bird which does no murder.” Mark Twain, Following The Equator (1897) Above the…

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