Houston Audublog

Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus) Family: Sulidae This week’s Beak of the Week looks out of this world. While immature Northern Gannets are patchy brown birds, adults are sleek, white, heavy-set birds with black wingtips, yellowish napes, and have spears for bills. If the appearance of this bird wasn’t enough to impress you, just watch it dive. A Northern Gannet will often reach heights above 100 feet before folding its wings into its body and diving bill-first into the water at about 60 miles per hour trying to catch a fish. They can dive to depths of 72 feet, and use their wings and feet to swim around underwater. Gannets normally forage for fish in saltwater along the continental shelf, and can often be found near fishing ships. During winter, they can be found along the Gulf Coast and eastern coast of the United States. Northern Gannets have recently been found near Galveston, and Sabine Pass, Texas. Northern Gannets breed in large colonies along the eastern coast of Canada. Because...

What screams holiday cheer more than Christmas Bird Count? In the minds of most birders – almost nothing! Christmas Bird Count is the nation's longest-running community science bird project and is in its 121st year! Each year, between December 14 and January 5, volunteers numbering in the thousands brave the weather around the U.S. to count birds! The National Audubon Society and many other organizations use the data collected by these community scientists to assess the health of bird populations, and to help guide conservation actions! It is also a great time for birders and nature-lovers alike to get outside for a dedicated day of birding!  Though 2020 has been a strange year, many CBCs are still happening across the country, with some adjustments. Some CBCs, for example, have switched to only counts by feeder-watchers. Others are still surveying as normal, but in much smaller and more spread out groups.  The purpose of the feeder watcher program is to determine the highest ...

Common Redpoll (Acanthis flammea) Family: Fringillidae The Common Redpoll is a small finch with a stubby, conical, yellow bill, a dark spot beneath its bill, a red spot on its forehead, dark wings, and dark streaking on the flanks, and upper body. An adult male will have a rosy wash to the breast. As a form of negative communication between redpolls, a Common Redpoll may puff its feathers, open its bill, and flash its dark chin spot at another Common Redpoll. This is a frequent enough occurrence as Common Redpolls flock in large numbers. On the other end of the behavioral spectrum, you have courtship behavior. During courtship, males will feed possible mates seeds, and will vocalize while slowly flying around in circles. When it is finally time to build nests, the females are the ones who do the heavy lifting. Redpolls build their nests closer to the ground, often in willow, alder, and spruce trees. When building in the tundra, low ground cover can be used for a nesting site in place o...

Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus) Family: Fringillidae The Pine Siskin can normally be found across southern Canada and in higher elevations of the Rocky Mountains, spreading more widely across the northern and western United States during winter.  Pine Siskins prefer to feed on the cones of spruce trees, and, in years when spruce trees do not produce many cones, they will wander outside of their usual range in search of other food sources to supply them through the winter months. These large-scale movements of Pine Siskins and other finches into areas typically outside of their winter range are called irruptions; in some years these irruptions reach as far as the Houston area. This year appears to be one such irruption year, as Pine Siskins have been reported around southeast Texas in the past few weeks.    During these such irruption winters, when many Pine Siskins are wintering outside of their normal range, they can often be found in flocks of American Goldfinch and visiting...

We’re getting into the thick of the holiday season, so you’re probably already on the hunt for the perfect gifts for friends and family! This year, more and more people have become in awe of the nature that exists in their own backyards. If that sounds like someone you know, lean in and take this opportunity to make your shopping list a little more bird-friendly!  Don’t fret, we've done the leg-work to bring you gift ideas for everyone on your list - from the budding birder to the gardener to those that prefer the indoors. We even recommend getting a special something for yourself - you deserve it! If you need stocking stuffers, head over to the  Houston Audubon Raptor and Education Center where you’ll find jewelry, apparel, books, and more in the nature store.  Gifts for the Bird Nerd in Your Life We know them and love them – bird nerds are the backbone of Houston Audubon! From budding birders to seasoned pros, these gifts are a hit for all. (New birders can also c...