Houston Audublog

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) Family: Passeridae The House Sparrow is easy to find year-round, even in the heat of summer. House Sparrows thrive in urban environments, where there are often very few resources available for birds, but they can also be found in a variety of suburban and agricultural landscapes. Where food is available, large flocks of House Sparrows are commonly seen congregating in hedgerows. House Sparrows will visit feeders, but they are just as likely to be found hopping around parks and searching picnic areas for crumbs. House Sparrows are small, plump birds with strong, conical bills that can easily crack seeds. Adult male House Sparrows are mostly reddish brown with a light grayish underside and a prominent black “bib”; their heads are patterned with darker rusty brown and have a gray patch on top. Female and young House Sparrows are streaked brownish-gray overall and have a lighter stripe near their eyes. Despite sharing a common name with many other w...

July on the upper Texas Coast is hot – too hot for many of us to enjoy getting out and birding. However, the early mornings and early evenings can be bearable, and provide an opportunity to see some of the birds that will soon be leaving us. Fortunately, we have our resident birds to enjoy and, come fall, our wintering birds will begin arriving. But that means the birds we consider our "summer birds" will soon be departing and will not return until next spring. A few of these include the Chimney Swift, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Common Nighthawk, Barn Swallow, Mississippi Kite, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and many others. One of our iconic summer birds is the Purple Martin , our largest swallow, and the only swallow we have that is all dark. While it is called a Purple Martin, this bird is more of a blue-black with some purplish sheen when the sunlight hits the feathers at a certain angle. Many birders anticipate the early arrival of “scouts,” a term used for the arrival o...

By Nhu Bui and Hannah Guyton, Interns, Citizens' Environmental Coalition  (CEC) You've probably heard all about the three R's to save the environment. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. It's been drilled into our heads since childhood, and these steps are undoubtedly crucial parts to creating a sustainable society. However, this month we are focusing on the lesser-known fourth R: refuse*. Today marks the beginning of  Plastic-Free July , a global challenge to decrease the huge amount of plastic pollution around the world. About a truckload of plastic enters the water every minute, warns  Greenpeace , and scientists estimate that our oceans will hold more plastic than fish by 2050 if we continue at our current rates. As important as things like recycling are, the very best way to keep single-use plastics out of the landfills and our streets is to have never used them at all. This Plastic-Free July is quite different than any we have ever experienced. In the midst of a ...

By Sasha Francis, Community Engagement Coordinator, Galveston Bay Foundation Plastic pollution in waterways is a huge problem all around the world with concerning global and local impacts. In the Houston-Galveston area, plastic pollution increases flood risks to neighborhoods when it is trapped in drains, causes water quality issues, and creates an unsightly view while you enjoy Galveston Bay. It also harms wildlife, like dolphins, turtles, and the amazing variety of birds we are lucky to have here. They can easily ingest pieces of plastic by mistaking them for food or become entangled in plastic bags. If you live in the city of Houston, the creeks, rivers, and bayous in your neighborhood are connected to the Bay which eventually leads to the Gulf of Mexico. So, the litter you see in your neighborhood not only makes your local nature spots less enjoyable, it also affects the Bay and the Gulf. While it may seem like an overwhelming issue, Galveston Bay Foundation is here to pr...

Brown-headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla) Family: Sittidae Often found clinging to tree trunks and branches, the Brown-headed Nuthatch is equally at home climbing upward and downward among the high branches of pine forests. Their rather unique habit of walking down tree trunks headfirst may appear silly, but it comes in handy when they are foraging for insects in the deep crevices of pine bark or gathering seeds from within pine cones. The Brown-headed Nuthatch appears large-billed, short-legged, and short-tailed, especially for a bird that’s only 4 ½ inches long. It has a dark bluish-gray back and is white below, with a brown cap on the top of its head. Flocks of Brown-headed Nuthatches are most often heard before they are seen, their repetitive squeaky calls sounding like rubber ducks high in the treetops. Though Brown-headed Nuthatches are usually seen in small groups throughout the year, they occasionally join mixed-species flocks with chickadees and woodpeckers during the winter...

Houston Audubon’s Raptor and Education Center, located in southeast Houston, is not only a beautiful nature sanctuary, but also our education headquarters and home to our ambassador animals. And this past spring has brought some exciting new additions to our team of 31 animals, including 13 birds of prey. The majority of the birds that assist us in our programs were found injured in the wild and were rehabilitated, but cannot be released as it would be difficult for them to survive in the wild. We’d like to introduce you to some of our newest team members! Standish Last Thanksgiving, a dark-morph Harlan’s Red-tailed Hawk was found in Montana with a badly injured wing.  He was rescued and taken to Ironside Bird Rescue in Cody. Because part of his wing was missing, we believe that he may have been hit by a car or flew into some power lines. He went through surgery to clean the wing, but is no longer able to fly. Thanks to our great friends at Ironside Bird Rescue, Standish was bro...

White-winged Dove ( Zenaida asiatica ) Family: Columbidae “Who cooks for you?” Though the Barred Owl has made this phrase famous in the bird world, the call of the White-winged Dove also fits this same rhythm – albeit at a bit higher pitch. In large parts of its breeding range in the desert southwest, the White-winged Dove is known to help pollinate saguaro cactuses. In Southeast Texas and east along the Gulf Coast to Florida, the White-winged Dove has adapted well to residence year-round in urban areas and can be seen frequenting local parks and visiting feeders. The White-winged Dove is light grayish-brown overall, with a dark patch on the sides of its neck. Striking large white patches in its wings and white corners to its rounded tail are readily visible in flight. When seen perched, the White-winged Dove’s white wing patches are visible only as a white strip on the lower edge of the wings.  If seen closely, the White-winged Dove’s red eyes and surrounding b...