Birds.com: Online Birds Guide with Facts, Articles, Videos, and Photos » texas

Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival

Editor — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 14:50:33 +0000

The 18th Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival will feature a number of fantastic seminars, field trips, a trade show, authors signing, childrens activities, Raptor Project flights and more. Seminar topics will include: Birding by Ear, Shorebird ID, Butterflies, Tales with Tails, Intro to Birding in Spanish, Nature Journaling, Great South Texas Birding Quiz Show and more. The Big Sit on Saturday involves counting birds for twelve hours. Register now so as not to miss out.

Dates: 9 to 13 November 2011
Venue: Harlingen Municipal Auditorium Complex and Casa Amistad
City: Harlingen
State: Texas
Country: United States of America

9th Annual Galveston FeatherFest

Editor — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 14:11:36 +0000

The Galveston FeatherFest is one of the biggest bird watching events in Texas, where some 200 bird species can be spotted. Excursions by boat, bus and kayak will take visitors to bays, beaches, wetlands, coastal praires, upland wood mottes and bay marshes. Besides field trips, a number of seminars will be held, including photography, birding basics, butterflies and moths, digiscoping and optics tips, identification and more.

Date: 7 to 10 April 2011
Venue: Burns High School
Location: Galveston Island
State: Texas
Country: United States of America

Texas Bird Breeders Annual Fall Show and Fair 2009

Editor — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 09:58:30 +0000

The Texas Bird Breeders Annual Fall Show and Fair is an anticipated event for all bird breeders, as it gives them the opportunity to show off their best birds, and win a few prizes. Held on the 7th of November 2009, the show is organized by the Texas Bird Breeders and Fanciers Association, and there will be a variety of birds, vendors and exhibits to look forward to. Some of the birds on display include Budgerigars, Cockatiels, Softbills, Finches, Lovebirds and a few different parrot species.

Information and details about the show is available on the Texas Bird Breeders and Fanciers Association website, at http://www.texasbirdbreeders.org .

Date: 7 November 2009
Venue: Mayborn Convention Centre
City: Texas
Country: United States of America

Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera)

Editor — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:50:35 +0000

The Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera) is easily distinguished by its plumage, and the males and females can by determined by their coloring. Males have a cinnamon-red coloring over their belly, flanks, head and neck. Their backs are predominantly dark brown, with long bills and red eyes. The females have brown eyes, gray bills, and pale coloring over their heads. Their body plumage is somewhat mottled with browns and a dark back. They also have a light blue patch of plumage on the upper part of their wings. There is also a distinctive pale ring around their eyes. Juvenile males have a similar coloring to the females.

These dabbling ducks, are commonly found in western North America, including areas of California, Texas and Mexico. The Cinnamon Teals are always found in small flocks with female and male pairs. Flocks will generally frequent lakes, streams, small rivers and ponds. They need the water areas to have reeds or plants round the edges, as they feed in shallow waters and live off seeds, plants and on the odd occasion, insects. Cinnamon teals are extremely comfortable on the water, and can dive beneath the surface to find food and can also take off from the water, with quite astounding speed.

During the breeding period, females will find a suitable partner and swim in front of him. To attract the attention of the females, males will preen themselves to perfection and take quick flights to impress her. The female Cinnamon Teal takes care of building the nest, and uses plant stems, grass and other plant materials for construction. The nest is built with a tunnel that leads to it through the plants as she constructs her nest under reeds and plants to obstruct it from view. She will lay between nine to twelve eggs, and takes care of the three week incubation period. The chicks hatch already covered in down, which enables them to leave the nest within 34 hours of hatching. The female Cinnamon Teal will remain with her chicks until they fledge her protection, at the age of approximately one and half months.

A Bird Extravaganza: Central California in Winter

Elegant Trogon (Trogon elegans)

Editor — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:50:35 +0000

The Elegant Trogon or the Trogon elegans is very similar to the rarer Eared Trogon, the difference being the barred undersurface of the tail and the white breast band. This stunning bird is related to the Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno), the bird of the Maya emperor-gods. The Trogon has a small habitat range, which barely reaches the United States and so is a birder‘s treasure when they find it. Trogons are insectivorous but they often include small fruits in their diet. Their legs are weak and their bills broad, a clear indication of their diet and arboreal habits. They are fast flyers but don’t enjoy long distances hence the small habitat that they are confined to.

The Trogon is 10 inches or 28 to 30 cm long and has a short, stout hooked yellow bill, weighing 65-67 grams. It has an upright posture and the tail is long and square-cut at the tip. The male is beautiful and has a lovely dark, glossy, emerald green upper body as well as the head and upper breast. The breast also has a white band with the belly and tail coverts being crimson in color with a black band. The underpart of the tail is gray with white bars going across it, the head is black with a pale color around the eye.

The female is duller in color and is plain brown where the male is green, pink and crimson, with a white breast and light coffee-colored bands across the chest. The Trogon will nest 2 to 6 meters high in a shallow cavity like an old woodpeckers hole and has 2 to 3 eggs in every clutch.

The Elegant Trogon is restricted to the southeastern part of Arizona in the United States to northwestern Costa Rica, and at times in the southeastern and western part of Texas. The Elegant Trogon is considered a near passerine bird or a higher land-bird assemblage, a name given to those believed to be related to the true passerines because of their ecological similarities. The Trogon’s normal call is a croaking “co-ah co-ah co-ah” sound and sometimes it includes a chattering noise.

The Elegant Crane

Northern Jacana (Jacana spinosa)

Editor — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:50:35 +0000

Its long slender toes stretch out across the floating water vegetation, it easily runs across the water in search of a tasty meal, this is the “lily trotter” or Northern Jacana (Jacana spinosa). Jacanas throughout the world are known for their remarkable body structure and walking on water skills. The Northern Jacana is found all along the coastline of Mexico, into western Panama, in Hispaniola, Jamaica, Cuba and even Texas of USA. This is a truly fascinating wading bird to observe, so keep an eye out for them on marshy waterways.

The Northern Jacana as with most Jacanas is easily identified by its long toes. Their bodies are about the same size as a robin. The body is mostly dark with black plumage on the head and neck. The Northern Jacana has pale green flight feathers and a distinctive yellow bill and frontal shield. Juveniles have white underparts. These unusual birds are also identified by their harsh “jik” call which progressively speeds up to a chatter. The large feet and claws of the Northern Jacana are what give it the ability to walk atop floating vegetation. In fact, the toes cover an area of 12 by 14 cm, thus dispersing the bird’s mass over a large area. They are particularly fond of lake and fresh-water marsh habitats.

Northern Jacanas are known for being quite aggressive and territorial. They frequently fight with each other using their weapons – spurs located on the bend of the wing. Floating nests are built on the water. Female Northern Jacanas are polyandrous and are often spoken of as the prostitute bird. A clutch of 3 to 5 eggs is laid in the floating nest which is built and cared for by the male. The male Northern Jacana incubates the eggs for a period of 22 to 24 days whilst the female guards her males. Once the young ones hatch, they will fledge in 28 days. The father will teach his precocial chicks how to forage for various foods such as insects, mollusks, worms and fish. Should danger approach, he will carry them under his wings. Its quite easy to understand why the unique Northern Jacana’s are popular amongst bird watchers.

The Critically Endangered Northern Bald Ibis

Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival

Editor — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:18:11 +0000

Bird lovers looking for a fantastic long-weekend getaway should look no further than the 15th Annual Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival. The festival will take place, as always, in Harlingen, Texas, and will provide plenty of great, nature-orientated activities for young and old.

So what can you expect to enjoy at the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival? The weekend’s events are a combination of field trips, keynote lectures, workshops, seminars, children’s programs and a trade show, so there really will be something for everyone. What’s more, the programs and activities have been specially designed to cater to the needs of backyard, novice and veteran birder’s alike; so no matter what your skill level you will find the program to be insightful, informative and fun. The Birder’s Bazaar is one of the places where you will be able to while away hours while updating your equipment, having some fun and learning more about the environment. Nature artwork, trusty field guides, new optics and plenty of birding gear will be available from the more than 60 vendors who have traveled to the show from across the nation to participate in the festival. For those interested in photography, the Eagle Optics and Swarovski Optik digiscoping contest that will be held throughout the festival represents the opportunity of a lifetime. There is simply no shortage of great things to see and do at the festival.

Of course the real reason for the festival is the abundant birdlife that is present in Rio Grande Valley. More than 250 species were sighted at last year’s festival – something which proves that the area is a birding hotspot! To help you in your quest to spot some of these amazing birds, there will be a number of world-class guides leading field trips into the valley and sharing their invaluable information with you. Another good reason for attending the festival is the opportunity to surround yourself with plenty of like-minded individuals. There will be many opportunities to make new friends and meet new people. The event will get underway with a Welcome Reception held at the Harlingen Arts & Heritage Museum on Wednesday, November 5, between 5 and 7 pm. The weekend’s activities will wind down to an enjoyable ending on November 9, after five great days of bird-watching excitement. So make the most of this annual event and make sure that you participate in this year’s Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival.

2008 Hummer/Bird Celebration

Editor — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:30:52 +0000

Every year hundreds of people gather together to celebrate the amazing migration of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. This year will be no different and fans are getting ready to enjoy the 20th Anniversary Hummer/Bird Celebration which will take place from September 11-14.

The annual Hummer/Bird Celebration is held in the coastal Texas towns of Rockport & Fulton every September. The celebration coincides with the fall migration of these delightful little creatures but it doesn’t focus solely on the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. There are also a number of other hummingbird species present in the area around this time and bird watchers may be fortunate enough to spot Black-chinned, Rufous, Buff-bellies and Allen’s Hummingbirds during the Hummer/Bird Celebration. The main goal of the festival is to not only celebrate the annual migration of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird but to help people expand their knowledge of all birds and associated wildlife in the area. The entire event is designed to be fun, educational and inspiring and it is tailored for members of the whole family. Birders of different skill levels are well-catered for, so you can be sure that you will enjoy the weekend regardless of how experienced or inexperienced you are.

Visitors are encouraged to make the most of the 2008 Hummer/Bird Celebration, and you will find that there will be plenty of excellent speakers to keep you informed and entertained. Thus far seventeen different speakers have been booked for the event, and they will be speaking on 21 different topics. The topics are varied and will not only cover hummingbirds and birds in general, but will feature other aspects of wildlife such as butterflies and moths, as well as developing a garden that will better attract your feathered friends. Other aspects of the festival to look forward to include a bird photography demonstration, regular bus field trips, regular boating field trips, a self-guided tour of hummer homes, hummingbird banding demonstrations, hummer/bird malls where you can purchase a variety of nature-related products, butterfly walks and a number of outdoor exhibits.

After the success of the 2007 Hummer/Bird Celebration, birding fans are looking forward to an even better 2008 Celebration. Why not take the plunge and get involved by being a part of this year’s Hummer/Bird Celebration? You are unlikely to regret it!

The Balcones Songbird Festival in Texas

Editor — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:56:06 +0000

Bird lovers will often tell you that the first thing that attracted them to these often delicate, pretty little creatures was their delightful songs. For centuries this caused man to catch and cage these little bards so that they could hear their delightful music both day and night. Fortunately today we no longer seek to put wild birds in cages, but we still enjoy the sweet melodies that they utter.

If you’re a lover of birds, why not think about attending the Balcones Songbird Festival? This lovely celebration of nature will be taking place at the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge between the 25 and 28th of April 2008, and visitors will be able to enjoy birds, butterflies and wildflowers, as well as the company of many like-minded individuals. The entire concept of the festival is to encourage interest in the preservation of the Refuge’s critical habitat. This means that there is a very large educational aspect to the festival and participants are able to experience animals, plants and habitats as they make their way around the wildlife refuge. But this does not mean that the experience is drab and boring – it is quite the opposite in fact. Something special has been prepared for each day to enable visitors to make the most of their time spent living amidst nature.

So what can you expect to find at the Balcones Songbird Festival in Texas? The festival kicks off with a bit of wining and dining as visitors are treated to delicious cuisine, fine wine and a bit of nature-orientated entertainment. The following morning starts early with a birding tour that is designed specifically to enable participants to see as many of the focus species as possible. This is followed by a more generalized bird-watching tour where you might spot Painted Bunting, Canyon Wren, Vermilion Flycatcher and Grasshopper Sparrows as well as many other species. After a light lunch, visitors can again head out on a moderately easy hike to see the focus species of the event. After this you can head out and simply explore the countryside and discover its many intricacies with the help of your guides Jean and Seay Nance.

The next day of the event features more of the same bird-watching and hiking but it also has a few interesting lectures about other facets of looking after nature. One of these is a lecture about how fire can be used to create and enhance a songbird habitat. Another is a lecture and course on photographing songbirds. You can also take a tour of the Bamberger ranch on this day.

The last day is truly a day for the family and everyone can participate in events such as spider hunts, building birdhouses, building fanciful stained glass windows and more. It is also an opportunity to watch a snake show and a raptor show and learn more about the little bugs and beetles that all form a part of the local ecology. So book your place at the Balcones Songbird Festival now and enjoy this fantastic weekend of nature and birds with your family.