Houston Audublog

Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) Family: Anatidae The Northern Pintail feeds on seeds and aquatic insects, which they usually find by up-ending while swimming, tipping forward and dabbling at food under the surface of the water. When feeding in this manner, their uniquely long necks allow them to reach food items that are up to a foot under the water surface, beyond the reach of other dabbling ducks like Mallard or Blue-winged Teal.  The Northern Pintail is a large duck with a distinctive long-necked, slender shape. Male Northern Pintails are patterned mostly gray and white, with a white stripe extending up the neck onto their otherwise dark brown head. They have a particularly long and pointed tail, for which the species is named, and in flight they show a light tan or whitish border on both the front and back edges of their iridescent green speculum. Female Northern Pintails are less strikingly colored, but they can easily be identified by their overall shape, wedge-shaped tail, and...

Introduction to Habitat Gardening by Glenn Olsen Gardening for birds and butterflies is growing increasingly popular with urban and sub-urban homeowners, especially during our stay at home period. This style of gardening utilizes plants (especially native plants) that benefit birds and butterflies. Additionally, we want to build structure in our yard, that is, plant in a way to create habitat, places where birds or butterflies feel safe, find food, rest, build a nest or seek shelter. This structure is similar to the way plants grow in nature. In addition to the beauty and joy of having birds and butterflies in your garden, it can be-come a retreat in which you can relax, enjoy and contemplate in your own nature oasis. Our winter months are a great time to get organized for a spring garden or landscape project. This is the time to plan which plants you want and where you want them in your yard. Also, if any flower bed preparation or pathways need to be created, winter is a good time to ...

Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) Family: Accipitridae Swainson’s Hawks are uncommon, but increasing breeders on the Upper Texas Coast. During fall migration, we have a great opportunity to see enormous swirling flocks, or kettles,of Swainson’s Hawks passing through. These prairie specialists have one of the longest migrations of North American raptors, with some birds flying more than 10,000 miles to their wintering grounds in Argentina. They leave their breeding grounds from August to October and arrive around two months after their journey began. Whereas other Buteos of similar size feed on rodents and small mammals, a significant portion of the Swainson’s Hawk’s diet comes from insects, including grasshoppers, dragonflies, and crickets. However, they also catch mammals and reptiles in the summer. A common hunting strategy for these raptors is to soar above tractors in search of fleeing prey. Swainson’s Hawks are generally found soaring in open areas like prairies, fields, and farml...

Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) Family: Sittidae Along with the change of seasons, you may also have noticed the arrival of this week’s Beak of the Week: the Red-breasted Nuthatch. The Red-breasted Nuthatch can be found year-round in the northern and western parts of the United States, and can be found further south during winter. They can occur in much greater numbers during irruptive winters, which we are experiencing this year. Already Red-breasted Nuthatches have been spotted in Sugar Land, Pecan Grove, League City, and Galveston.  Red-breasted Nuthatches are a small bird with a gray back and wings, a short gray tail, lightly rufous underside, a white head with three black bands passing over the top of the head and through the eyes from the base of the bill. Equipped with long, thin, black-gray bills, and strong, anisodactyl feet, Red-breasted Nuthatches appear to defy gravity as they walk up, down, and around tree branches and trunks, feeding on insects hiding in the ...

Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) Family: Trochilidae Hummingbirds are generally known for being quick and energetic fliers, but the Rufous Hummingbird just may be the zippiest of them all. The Rufous Hummingbird is a tiny hummingbird that is very agile in flight, even when compared to other hummingbirds. Despite their small size, Rufous Hummingbirds are particularly territorial, and they are known to aggressively defend their food sources by chasing away other visitors. Their territorial antics can be enjoyable to watch, especially if a Rufous Hummingbird stakes its claim to your hummingbird feeders! Male Rufous Hummingbirds are the only hummingbirds found in the United States with an entirely orange-colored back. They have a patch of iridescent feathers called a gorget on their throat, which usually appears bright red. Since most hummingbirds appear green at first glance, this bright and shiny coloration makes male Rufous Hummingbirds easy to spot as they zip by from one place t...