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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Bird of the Week: Magnificent Frigatebird

Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) Ranging along coasts and islands in tropical and subtropical waters, Magnificent Frigatebirds soar through the air, rarely flapping their wings. To eat, they chase other birds…

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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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