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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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Bird of the Week: Zone-tailed Hawk
A Zone-tailed Hawk in flight. Photo by Erick Houli. Before either of us got interested in bird-watching, my husband had a funny…
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Bird of the Week: American Goldfinch
American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) The American Goldfinch has the honor of being the state bird for three states: New Jersey, Iowa, and Washington. This small finch lives in central Texas…
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Bird of the Week: Eastern Whip-poor-will
Photo credit: Tom Murray, Flickr. Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus) Snuggled down in forested ground, the Whip-poor-will blends in perfectly with their surrounding of…
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Bird of the Week: Plain Chachalaca
Photo courtesy of Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Plain chachalaca (Ortalis vetula) I admit that part of my attraction to Chachalacas is…
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Bird of the Week: Turkey Vulture
Photo courtesy of South Dakota Turkey Vultures (Facebook). Another name for Turkey vulture is Cathartes Aura- emanating catharsis; purifying breeze. Catharsis: to purify, to purge. Perhaps vultures are…
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Bird of the Week: Blue Jay
A group of Blue Jays. Courtesy of Suzanne Labbé – Macaulay Library. Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) Draw a line on the map north and…
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Bird of the Week: Inca Dove
Inca Dove. Photo public domain. Inca dove Columbina inca The cooing of doves permeates most of Texas, particularly in the fall. In…
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Bird of the Week: Barn Owl
Barn Owl (Tyto alba) Silent predators of the night, Barn Owls have an eerie, raspy cry rather than the typical hoot of other owls. They have a ghostly appearance with…
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Bird of the Week: Black-crested Titmouse
Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus) Black-crested Titmice like it hot – at least that’s how it seems when comparing their range to their cousins, the Tufted Titmouse, who occupy…
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Bird of the Week: Northern Shoveler
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata). Photo courtesy of USFWS. Named for its unique and dynamic bill, the northern shoveler is a medium-sized…
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