Jan. 8, 2012 - More Texas Birds
Read More
American Avocets are usually found wading in the shallow areas of ponds, lakes, and coastlines. They sweep their upturned bill through the water to snatch insects and small crustaceans. This bird, found at Santa Ana NWR, is displaying its non-breeding plumage. During the summer, the head and neck will take on a cinnamon color.
Another bird I saw at Santa Ana was this Ringed Kingfisher, a new species for me that I was happy to add to my life list. Ringed Kingfishers are common in the tropics but in the U.S. they are found only in the lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas. At 16.5 inches, they are larger than the familiar Belted Kingfisher. Both species, however, have an unusual way of building their nests. They burrow into a dirt bank and lay their eggs in a chamber at the end of a tunnel that is 5 to 8 feet long.
We stayed on Matagorda Peninsula for several days and there were quite a few Northern Harriers flying low over the grassy areas along the beach. It was often windy which allowed the Harriers to hover in the air like this one is doing. In summer, Harriers are found over much of Canada and the northern half of the United States. They do migrate south for the winter and many stay in the southern U.S.
This Long-billed Curlew is certainly named appropriately. Although it is our largest shorebird (23 inches), it is just as likely to be found in a field as along the shore. The bird’s diet consists mainly of insects, but along the shore it also eats crabs, crayfish, and mollusks.
The Plain Chachalaca is another tropical species that is found only in southern Texas in the U.S. It’s a chicken-sized bird with a long tail. The Chachalaca spends a lot of time in trees where it eats berries, seeds, leaves, and insects. It’s a very noisy bird and groups of them can be annoying if they start calling at dawn. Note the bare, red, throat skin which indicates a breeding male. This photo was taken at Laguna Atascosa NWR.
This Altamira Oriole, seen at Bentsen State Park, was another bird I added to my life list. Males and females look alike. At 9 to 10 inches, it is larger than a Baltimore Oriole. Both of these orioles build a hanging, woven nest. The nest has an opening at the top and can be up to two feet long. I know this is repetitive, but the Altamira Oriole is another species found, in the U.S., only in the Rio Grande Valley. (That’s why southern Texas is such a great destination for birders.)
At Galveston Island State Park, I took this picture of a Piping Plover. After I downloaded it to my computer, I could see that it had lots of “jewelry.” Piping Plovers are endangered, so some of them are banded to help researchers find out more about their location and habits.
Add a comment in the space below.