June 12, 2016 - Texas - Other Birds - Part 1

This week’s pictures feature other birds that I photographed at the Texas workshop I attended in February. This is an Inca Dove, a small bird, only 8 inches long. It’s quite common in Mexico, but in the United States it is only found over much of Texas and in the southern parts of New Mexico and Arizona. Inca Doves usually choose to live near people. The dark edging on their feathers gives them a scaly look. Also note the bright red eye ring.

DoveIncaLagunaSecaRanchEdinburg20160218

The Mourning Dove, found all across the United States, is one of our most common bird species. It’s long, pointed tail helps distinguish it from other dove species. At 12 inches long, it is noticeably bigger than the Inca Dove.

DoveMourningLagunaSecaRanchEdinburg20160218

This little bird (5½ inches long) with the boldly patterned face is a Black-throated Sparrow. It prefers a dry habitat and is found in the desert areas of the southwestern United States. Its diet consists of seeds and insects. During the hottest months of the year it needs a source of water, but during the rest of the year it gets enough water from its food.

SparrowBlackthroatedLagunaSecaRanchEdinburg20160218

The Great Kiskadee is one of the birds whose name resembles its call. The loud and piercing kis-ka-dee call is often heard before the bird is seen. It’s a large flycatcher, almost 10 inches long. As you might expect, insects make up a big portion of its diet. However, it isn’t shy about going after a lizard or diving into a pond to catch small fish. The only place to see this bird in the United States is southern Texas, especially in the Rio Grande Valley.

KiskadeeGreatLagunaSecaRanchEdinburg20160217

Contrary to its name, the Field Sparrow is not found in open fields. It prefers overgrown areas with lots of bushes. The song of the Field Sparrow is one of the easiest to recognize. It consists of clear whistled notes that gradually get closer and closer together. The pattern is like the sound of a ping pong ball that is dropped and bounces until it finally rests on the ground.

SparrowFieldLagunaSecaRanchEdinburg20160218

We saw several Meadowlarks during the workshop. Both Eastern and Western Meadowlarks are found in Texas in winter and they look virtually identical. The best way to tell them apart is by listening to their song. We didn’t hear these birds sing so I can’t be sure if this is an Eastern Meadowlark or a Western Meadowlark.

MeadowlarkEasternLagunaSecaRanchEdinburg20160218

Meadowlarks are usually associated with grassy fields but they are also at home among the cactus in the desert.

MeadowlarkEasternLagunaSecaRanchEdinburg20160220