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Bird of the Week: Bald Eagle
Adopted as our national emblem in 1782–a year before the end of the Revolutionary War–the Bald Eagle has been a contentious symbol for nearly as long. Benjamin…
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Bird of the Week: Belted Kingfisher
The Belted Kingfisher is only about the size of a blackbird or robin, but it seems to wear the bill of a much larger bird. This hefty…
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Bird of the Week: Red-tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk is probably our most common raptor, and easily spotted from a moving car: tall trees, street lights, and tall buildings are equally attractive to…
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Bird of the Week: Common Raven
The intriguing Common Raven has accompanied people around the Northern Hemisphere for centuries, following their wagons, sleds, sleighs, and hunting parties in hopes of a quick meal. Ravens are…
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Bird of the Week: Yellow-rumped Warbler
Few warblers deign to spend the winter months in North America, preferring the warm climates and easy meals of the tropics. The Yellow-rumped Warbler is a notable…
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Bird of the Week: Downy Woodpecker
Weighing in at just under an ounce, the Downy Woodpecker is the smallest woodpecker in North America. Despite their diminutive stature, these bluebird-sized woodpeckers are…
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Bird of the Week: Mallard
Few birds can rival the humble mallard for cultural ubiquity. Ask the average person to think of a duck, and chances are they’ll have in…
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Bird of the Week: Mississippi Kite
The Mississippi Kite is an uncommonly graceful and elegant raptor. Like toy kites, these smoky black and gray birds seem to defy gravity, drifting on air currents…
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Bird of the Week: Black-and-white Warbler
The Black-and-white Warbler may lack the vibrant colors common to New World warblers like the Northern Parula and the American Redstart, but its bold, monochrome plumage has…
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Bird of the Week: Western Kingbird
Don’t be fooled by its vibrant yellow belly– the Western Kingbird is no coward. A pugnacious, “take-charge” member of the aptly-named Tyrannidae family,…
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Bird of the Week: Red-eyed Vireo
The strident, tireless song of the Red-eyed Vireo–one listener reported 22,197 songs by a single male in one day!– is a common sound in summer, and a…
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Bird of the Week: Eastern Meadowlark
…Or is that a Western Meadowlark? As is so often the case in central Texas, which straddles the boundary between eastern and western…
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Bird of the Week: Killdeer
For many landlocked birders, the Killdeer is the only shorebird they are likely to see at home. Their name comes from the loud and insistent cry they…
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Bird of the Week: Yellow-billed Cuckoo
The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is a summertime bird in Texas. These birds typically arrive late in the spring, around mid-April, and leave early in the fall, around mid-September. Their drawn-out knocking…
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Bird of the Week: Black-bellied Whistling Duck
Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, formerly known as Black-bellied Tree Ducks, are one of two whistling duck species found in Texas (the other being the Fulvous Whistling Duck). These ducks are unusual…
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