Houston Audublog

White-crowned Sparrow ( Zonotrichia leucophrys ) Family: Passerellidae The White-crowned Sparrow is a light gray sparrow with a brown back and wings, a long tail, orange, conical bill, and black and white striped cap on the head, making them look a little like badgers. White-crowned Sparrows are very selective about the species they allow into their territories. They will chase away Dark-eyed Juncos and Chipping Sparrows, but do not mind sharing space with Fox Sparrows. White-crowned Sparrows are more aggressive toward other species than they are to other White-crowned Sparrows. In northern populations, male White-crowned Sparrows arrive first to the breeding grounds, and begin to sing in order to defend their territories from one another. When females arrive, they may defend their territories by singing as well. However, their songs are softer and more dynamic than the songs of the males. Different populations of White-crowned Sparrows form distinct song dialects because male White-th...

There are many circumstances in which you could find a baby bird who seems to need help, and a lot of the information out there might not be right for your region, the type of bird you have, or the specific circumstances of the bird you found.  These directions apply to most birds in North America, but if this guide doesn’t seem to fit what you have, you should always default to the least amount of intervention possible until you can speak to a wildlife professional. First, do no harm. When we see a helpless animal, our first instinct is to rush over to the animal and scoop it up, make it warm, and feed it. ALL of these impulses are the worst things you can do for baby birds (and most other wildlife!)  Before you kidnap, take a minute to use the following assessments. 1.) Is the bird in immediate danger? Is it in a dog’s mouth or being stalked by a cat? Is it in the street or parking lot? Is it in the path of yard work happening right now that can’t be stopped?  If th...

Bonaparte’s Gull ( Chroicocephalus philadelphia ) Family: Laridae This common gull gets its claim to fame by being the only gull species to nest in trees. On their breeding grounds in the boreal forests of Canada, Bonaparte’s Gulls build their nests of sticks, bark, lichen, and moss on a conifer tree. Gulls typically build ground nests, but this is simply too boring for the Bonaparte’s Gull. They can be identified by their thin, black bill, which is much slimmer than that of a Laughing Gull. Bonaparte’s Gulls are actually the third smallest species of gull after the Little Gull and Saunder’s Gull. First winter birds show the classic dark “M” shape across the wing in flight and have a black spot behind their eyes. Nonbreeding adults retain this ear-spot and pink legs but have a uniform, pale gray back. In the breeding season, adults develop red legs and a black hood with white eye crescents thinner than those of a Laughing Gull. In flight, they can be identified by a wedge of white oute...

Over the past couple of years, I have been learning more about birds and how to help them (involuntarily, as my sister started working at Houston Audubon and became very interested in birds). I have always had a couple of feeders in the backyard, but I started planting native plants, put out a birdbath, and increased the number of feeders I have out.  On Saturday, I saw a post on Houston Audubon's Instagram about how to help birds during the impending winter storm, and decided to take some extra precautions. My backyard shares a fence with a golf course that provides lots of tree cover for the birds already. The back corner of the yard has some bushes and native plants, and provides a nice natural windbreak.  On Sunday, I scattered a bunch of black oil sunflower seeds and mixed seeds on the ground and restocked all the feeders. I refilled the feeders twice daily through Thursday and checked in periodically to remove any ice buildup from the intermittent snow and rain. On Monda...

Redhead ( Aythya americana ) Family: Anatidae Much like Beyoncé, this week’s Beak of the Week is so fabulous that it need only be referred to by one name: Redhead. A male Redhead will have a light gray body, with a black rump and breast, and a vibrant rufous head. Female Redhead are a dark tan color overall, have darker brown crowns, and napes, and lack the red head. All Redheads have the same rounded head, and grey bill with a black tip. The transition from forehead to bill is not gradual like it is in Canvasbacks. Although they are classified as diving ducks, Redheads will often forage just below the surface as dabbling ducks do. Redheads eat a combination of emergent aquatic plants, and aquatic invertebrates, such as pondweeds, green algae, bulrushes, snails and mayflies. Redheads prefer to suspend their nests over water in bulrush or cattail leaves in an attempt to keep mammals from eating their eggs. While temporary ponds, and wetlands in prairie pothole habitat are preferred bree...

Ruddy Duck ( Oxyura jamaicensis ) Family: Anatidae This week’s Beak of the Week is named after its reddish-brown body, although it is perhaps more easily recognized by its striking light blue bill. Ruddy Ducks lay the largest eggs of all waterfowl, proportionately. The ducklings are already well-developed when hatched and need minimal parental care. This small and compact duck often raises its spiky tail vertically while swimming. In fact, the genus name Oxyura means “sharp tail” in Greek. Only breeding males have the distinctive blue bill. They also have a chestnut body, black head, and well-defined white cheek. The rest of the year, males are brownish-gray with a gray bill, although they retain the black cap and white cheek. Their plumage looks similar to that of a nonbreeding Black Scoter, but Ruddy Ducks are smaller with a long, raised tail. Females have a dark brown cap and an arched line across their cheek. Ruddy Ducks are widespread throughout the United States and are most comm...

One of the unintended benefits of having to stay home during this pandemic is an added appreciation for the commonplace beauty of our households, backyards, and parks. Being a senior in high school and eagerly anticipating college, I have always taken the comforts of my home for granted. It was through birdwatching during this pandemic - listening to the “tweedle-dees” of blue jays and “tink calls” of cardinals at my bird feeder - that I discovered just how special home could be. But for all the casual birdwatching I did last summer, my busy schedule left a lot unseen - like going to a buffet with a dessert plate. Holding up binoculars to get a shaky, close-up view of the birds didn’t make it any more appealing. So, like almost everything else this year, I decided to go virtual with my birdwatching! I initially considered installing a webcam near the bird feeder, but I still faced the “24/7 observation issue,” meaning I would have to constantly watch the feeder in the hopes of spotti...