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Greg Lavaty | profile | all galleries >> Texas Birds 2.0 >> Texas Birds

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Texas Birds

All of these birds were photographed in the great state of Texas.

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Cliff Swallow	Brown-crested flycatcher	Laughing Gull	Painted Bunting	Veery	Eastern Wood-Pewee
Common Moorhen	Crested Caracara	Great Egret	Plain chachalaca	Great egret	Magnolia warbler
Orchard Oriole	Vermilion flycatcher	Snowy egret	Ring-billed Gull	Gray catbird	Barred Owl
Blue-winged teal	Mexican Jay	Purple gallinule	Brown Pelican	Red-tailed hawk	Whooping crane
Sandwich Tern	Prothonotary warbler	Black Skimmer	Scarlet tanager	Eastern phoebe	Pyrrhuloxia
Brown jay	Northern bobwhite	Great blue heron	Blackburnian Warbler	Eared grebe	Pied-billed grebe
Bonaparte's Gull	Scissor-tailed flycatcher	Yellow-crowned Night-Heron	Swallow-tailed Kite	Green jay	Least grebe
Turkey Vulture	Savannah Sparrow	Wilson's Snipe	Great kiskadee	Marbled Godwit	Black and White Warbler
King Rail	Green Kingfisher	Varied Bunting	Yellow warbler	Cactus wren	Great egret
Yellow-throated Warbler	American Bittern	Green heron	Chestnut-sided Warbler	Cackling Goose	Black-throated Green-Warbler
Roseate Spoonbill	Great-horned owl	Wilson's Plover	Red-headed Woodpecker	Northern cardinal	Red-shouldered Hawk
Cedar waxwing	Killdeer	Eastern kingbird	Red-eyed vireo	Long-billed thrasher	Dickcissel
Horned Lark	Wild turkey	Verdin	Green-tailed towhee	Yellow-rumped warbler	Black-bellied whistling duck
Black-crested titmouse	Pileated Woodpecker	Blue-gray gnatcatcher	Clapper Rail	Grasshopper sparrow	Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Black-necked Stilt	Ferruginous Pygmy Owl	Tricolored heron	Reddish egret	Ruby-throated hummingbird	Red-cockaded Woodpecker
American avocet	Loggerhead shrike	Brown Pelican	Indigo bunting	Carolina wren	Swamp Sparrow
Blue grosbeak	Northern Mockingbird	Black-headed Grosbeak	Golden-fronted Woodpecker	Seaside Sparrow	Hermit Thrush

Warren Petersen		25-May-2021 01:46
In May 2021 I saw a bird in Fannin County, TX that looked just like a Red-Breasted Meadowlark that is native to South America and the Caribbean. It was about the size of a Cardinal. It was black on top and sides with a red throat and breast. It only stayed put for about 15 seconds so I couldn't get a picture. Is that possible? If not, what was it? Warren Petersen wpetersen929@gmail.com

cathy campbell		14-Apr-2021 21:04
last winter..2019-2020..i had a pair of great horned owls here on my property. i live east of houston..one day the male got into a dust-up with a red shouldered hawk..hawk was no competition..it was awesome

David Johnson		27-Apr-2020 11:01
Me and my fiance were driving around the sam houston nation Forrest at night and came across what appeared to be a set of eyes in our headlights. When we got closer they started flying and looked to fly like a bird or a bat. Me and my fiance have never seen a bird that is completely reflective like that and we are just wondering what it may have been. It looked like animal eyes in our headlights till they flew around and into the trees

Richard L Caulder		22-Apr-2020 17:51
I saw a bird the size of the redwing blackbird that has a red head yellow breast and black body. I have video of it.

Guest		04-Apr-2020 03:44
I like how in Houston there aren't as many common birds, like rock pigeons and mourning doves; but there's more cool birds.

bleh		27-Jul-2019 22:28
I live in San Antonio, recently saw a plumpish brown bird. White chest with black speckles (spots?). Walked kinda funny.

Elyse Hearn		06-Apr-2019 19:41
West of San Antonio at the edge of the hill country, two small, yellow-breasted birds have nested in an oak tree outside of our house. One, possibly the male, has black wings and tail, and the other a greyish-brown. Wondering what they are?

Guest		26-Jul-2018 00:15
Live in Georgetown Texas. We have a small pot with a wild flower looking plant in it. We have seen as many as four small birds at a time on the plant eating the leaves. The birds are small with a bright yellow breast. Some don't have the yellow, just all tan color.

Joni		05-Jul-2018 23:25
Walking in my neighborhood in the Stone Oak area of San Antonio Tx and I saw 2 green birds fly over me. I’ve seen many birds in this area but never green. We just had a good rain and all the birds were very active. I would love to know what they are. I hope to see them again and perhaps catch a pic.

Guest		23-Jun-2018 19:24
Yes

Guest		21-Jun-2018 14:43
Has anyone else seen a red cardinal in Corpus Christi Texas?

Guest		27-Jan-2018 19:18
to deloris ithink you saw female redwing blackbirds

Herb		24-Jan-2018 18:25
ARE THERE BLACK OR DARK GREY SEAGULLS AROUND HITCHCOCK TX? TODAY THERE WERE ABOUT 15 TO 20 OF THESE BITDS FLYING TOGETHER. I THOUGHT THEY WERE VULTURES AT FIRST BUT THEY WERE SMALLER. I HAVE BEEN HERE OVER 40 YEARS AND NEVER SEEN THEM BEFORE.

Chris M		28-Jul-2017 13:46
Where are the doves, pigeons, grackles, blue jays, and quails??!!

Guest		12-Jul-2017 21:07
yo

Stacey Wright		14-Jun-2017 02:09
We were branding cattle near Shamrock/Lutie. I saw a very small bird on the barbed wire flitting back an forth. It was red with a dark black/brown head and back...Oriel? Not sure because it reminded me of a finch...it was tiny.

Guest		29-May-2017 22:57
I just saw a beautiful orange breasted with black head and back, wing tips were white. Could it have been a Baltimore Oriel? It was taking a bath in our birdbath so I did not see its tail clearly. Never have seen this bird before in our area, near Shamrock, Wheeler County in the Texas Panhandle. 05-29-2017. It was so striking with that bright orange breast, a beautiful bird.

Guest		17-Mar-2017 00:58
I live in La Grange and I saw 2 small yellow bellied birds that may have tuft on top of head that made it look pointed.

Guest		07-Sep-2016 22:43
Do you know name or picture of medium bird in Austin. Fast flying night bird, wings seems transparent. Group flies in a circle at a speed making them almost invisible.

Mike		15-Jun-2016 00:38
We have a small two-toned grayish sparrow like bird we need help identifying. They have nested once on a disconnected motion light under the eave of our deck. The nest is made of a combination of items including what looks like feathers, dirt, grass, etc. They had 2 or 3 young, and they seemed to fly off rather quickly in a couple weeks. Now these (or the others) are nesting again. The birds look like a sparrow in a way, but have a darker head with a "tuff" or "topknot" of sorts on them. And one peculiar aspect of these critters is... they are acrobatic in flight! They can hover, and flap their wings very fast just above the ground and then dive to get bugs or whatever. Plus... they can go straight up from a sitting position to the power lines. They are a wonder to watch. They kinda look like a Titmouse, a Pewee, or the like. But I don't think that's what they are. If any of you can help, then thanks!!!

Kaye		23-May-2016 00:13
I'm with Pam. We live in Lantana on a small lake & have resident Cardinals, so beautiful!!!

Yusuf Shaikh		26-Apr-2016 21:09
I have recently come from India. I am avid birdwatchers. There are so many different types of birds in Houston & surrounding areas. Few days back I could see vultures, Ravens, egrets, gulls, owls around the Richmond. Even I noticed a nest of mourning dove, wherein one dove was hatching eggs & other was keeping the watch. I have photographed both of them on my mobile. The most common bird in Houston as per my observation is GRACKLE. I liked their sound. I have made video of their crackling noise from a tree where there is big colony of grackles with their many nests.

Pam		21-Apr-2016 17:28
I live in a townhouse int the city of Houston and there aren't many trees but I do have a small back yard (mainly a patio) with potted plants and a large rose bush. The other day a bright red cardinal first flew onto the fence top, stopping to look at me long and hard, and then perching himself on the rose bush, while continuing to look my way. He then flew to the ground, foraging for food and then back to a rose branch. I'm surprised that of all these beautiful photos you have captured, there is not a Cardinal.

Steven D		27-Jan-2016 05:51
I live in the town of Highlands Tx just east of Houston,was bird watching out my window after placing food in my garden. I noticed a new bird I've needed seen before! Solid black with a bright red stripe at bottom of the wing. It was not a red-winged black bird, those have the red at there shoulders. These have the red at the tips of flight feathers? Any one seen these before?

Guest		01-Jan-2016 18:14
We just moved from Oklahoma to Cibolo, TX the first of November. When we moved, to our disappointment, none of my feeders made it on the moving van!! So, for our first Christmas here, my husband bought me 3 big bird feeders and filled them full of seed and hung them under the eaves of our house by the patio. But we haven't seen even one bird on the feeders?!?! Where are the birds? 😪😪

Tofa		30-Dec-2015 15:38
I live in Corpus Christi and have bird feeders by bay window. A month ago i saw 2 monk parrots. As we speak i enjoy watching at least 20 now. Simply amazing....

Guest		25-Nov-2015 20:49
I live in Corpus Christi Texas and have many bird feeders close to my bay window. A few days ago I saw a parrot eating from feeder. The next day, I saw 2. It's been 3 days later and he brought the whole family! A total of 5. They're green, young. Very surprised they're here in my yard but enjoying them.

I. Gentry		21-Nov-2015 18:49
Don't forget to include the Night Hawk.

Emily		29-Jul-2015 23:01
We have 2,very tiny birds that have made a nest with new hatchlings. Both adult birds are mostly grey. One has a pale yellow breast, the other is more grey and yellow mixed on the breast. They both make a very high pitched and very loud noise that sounds like "pip pip!" Noise is similar to a red cardinal but louder and basically non-stop before making their nest. Any ideas?

Susie		25-May-2015 16:01
I am trying to find out what type of birds are on my patio. They are a small pair, the female is all gray but the male is half dark-red and half gray, with the red portion being on his head to the top of his wings. I would appreciate any suggestions!

Nancy Alcorn		23-May-2015 20:43
Today saw a bird in my back yard I didn't know. It was trying to bust up a peanut in the shell I put out for the blue jays. It looked like your picture of a "Veery" but was about as big as a dove. In fact a dove was after the peanut and the bird I saw scared it away.

Bobbie Allbright		16-May-2015 21:53
Jef Scott, it sounds like you found either a whippoorwill or a chucks-will-widow.

ST Okchamali		12-May-2015 16:26
I live on the Trinity River bottoms in S Liberty Co where I do see too many unknow birds in the spring especially - After locating a lot of them are really out of their area ! Saw one this morning that looks like a cross between a black-headed grossbeck & maybe an oriole of some kind ? can't find a picture from any area

Jef Scott		02-May-2015 18:17
I saw a bird that I have never seen before, a very strange looking dark brownish bird! It had fairly long wings for the size bird it was but it's head was unlike any bird I can describe. At first I thought it was an immature bird that could barely fly but then it was apparently trying to draw me away from it's ground nest, which had really no nest about it but had two eggs in it. I did get a picture of the eggs that were a dirty white with speckled brown spots on them, about an 1' - 1 1/4" long! It really has me baffled. The only bird that looks even close is a pygmy owl but I don't know if they nest on the ground....

Cherie		05-Apr-2015 19:32
Yesterday, I spotted what looks almost like an eagle, but not. This bird was big, with a solid white head and bright white tips on flight feathers. This bird was hunting birds. I live in Live Oak, Texas.

Emilie Fernandez		23-Apr-2014 14:33
We were watching the Indigo Bunting yesterday there were quite a few and another bird I believe was a Bunting also.. We had our bird book out and were having a great time watching them....

Paul Blankenship		17-Apr-2014 00:53
Here's a curious question. While watching the birds I feed in my yard, I noticed either a dove or pigeon circling an ant bead. He was there a good 5 minutes pecking away. Have you ever heard of a dove or pigeon eating ants, or was he just getting the small rocks that are around an ant bed? Paul Blankenship in Stinnett

Guest		11-Apr-2014 21:04
have two sets of birds in my yard,, look similar to sparrow but have darker stripes on wings, red head female is more light tan with some red

Shyrn		09-Apr-2014 17:32
Guest - Just saw bird I don't recognize in my backyard in Richardson. Bright Orange Head, Pale Orange Belly, Dark Beak with Tiny Bit of Black on Underside, Wings & Tail - not sure as I saw only underside. Any Ideas? Thanks

Guest		20-Mar-2014 19:56
i just moved to Mckinney and I put up a feeder a week ago but no birds yet.

Jimmie k		19-Mar-2014 11:49
To Isela muzquiz you may have seen a Grey cockatiel they come in different colors of mostly yellow and Grey's and are capable of many sounds and whistles also mimic other creatures they've been exposed to bye bye Jimmie San Antonio's bird enthusiast thanks

Guest		18-Mar-2014 23:50
Just moved to Texas from England. Several nights ago we saw a large owl with tufted ears in built up urban area of Fort Worth. Anyone know what this might be? Would this be a usual habitat for such a large bird? I want to learn about your native birds - all so very different from urban London.

Isela Muzquiz		11-Mar-2014 20:49
Live in Brownsville Tx and just as the early rain has started, I heard a sound like a frog's "ribbit" or something outside my bathroom windown on the second floor. I thought it was a frog, but the sound is not a consistent long lasting "ribbit' but more like a cricket that chirps and then stops. I've looked into frog sounds and cicadas, but they both have long lasting steady sounds. The "frog" sound I heard was like a croak every 2 minutes or so. Then i heard it again the next morning, on a cloudy day, and managed to see a bird in the backyard. If i can identify the bird, I figure i can search the call to match what i heard. The bird i saw had a longish tail like the scissor tailed flycatcher but not as long and as it flew it was yellow. I'd say the body is similar to a parakeet and flycatcher in size that is...I think it's body was grey, but there was color near the beak or eyes, can't remember much detail as i saw it briefly before it flew away. Have heard the sound again only once since and haven't seen the bird since either. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Most definitely it had a yellow feathers underneath or on tail as it flew that was clear, and definitely the tail seemed a bit long. Thanks!

Beth		11-Feb-2014 19:26
I live in East Texas and like Deloris, cant identify the now large flock of brown with creamy gold stripped birds with the goldish eyeliner. Started with a few and flock has grown greatly over last few days.

Deloris		07-Feb-2014 15:31
I've lived in in TX for 12 yrs and have always had feeders. This year I'm inundated with a bird I don't recognize. It is primarily a ground feeder. Very thick body, thicker than a cardinal. The breast is patterned, like speckled. The bird has a very short tail. The wing tips are a rust color different than the dark brown of the body. The beak is long and pointed and there are two light colored stripes on its head starting at or directly above the eye. It is in a flock and they flock with my gold finches. I've poured over my Sibley and Nat Geo Society books to no avail. Helpppppp.

Guest		30-Nov-2013 15:15
Hello, We just had a very small parakeet Hello. We live in Austi Hello. we just moved to Austin and have heard of the monk parrots and wild parrots of Austin, but we just had a very small parakeet ( finch size) green with light yellow head land on our porch rail. It has little fear and would have flown in our front door if we let it.. We think it is too small to fit in either of those categories and have brought it inside with a cage and parakeet food, We would like your opinion pet? or wild bird? We want to do what's right for the little bird. Thank You we enjoyed your beautiful site..

sandie Pustejovsky		07-Oct-2013 15:48
I observed a pair of crested caracara on our church property today in Friendswood. We were so intrgued as we had never seen this bird of prey before. We are so thrilled to be able to put a name to these beautiful birds. We also watched them defend their nesting tree when a vulture ventured too close. What a aerial dogfight!

Roger Venable		16-Sep-2013 18:26
Hello. I was just curious about a couple of birds I have photographed out at Medi Park here in Amarillo. The first was what I believe to be a Bullocks Oriole. I had never seen one before and haven't seen one since. Are they native to the area? The second is actually a heron. I have photographed quite a few Black Crowned Night herons here, But this one was smaller and from what I can find on the internet, looks like a Green Heron. Again, I had never seen one of these around here. Anyway, thank you for your time.

Pat Cortez		15-Sep-2013 19:24
Hello. I'm trying to identify a new bird that I've seen in the last 2 days. It is big like a woodpecker but has no red on it. It's gray, a little like the ladder-back woodpecker and has a distinctive band on its back in layers with a button-like symbol in the center. Any ideas what it could be? We live on the lake (Livingston) in a forest between Onalaska and Trinity. We see a lot of birds out here. Lovely! Thank you for your wonderful site.

Greg Lavaty		04-Sep-2013 01:05
Hi there, sorry for not having finches on this page. This was my first version of a Texas birds page and I made a revised version here: http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/00texas_birds_2 I also have a section for finches here: http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/finches I wouldn't expect the House Finches to migrate away from your area, I am not sure why they disappeared.

Guest		03-Sep-2013 17:59
Hi, I have lived in the McKinney area and have been feeding birds to see what shows up? I seems that there are some House Finches that are a little larger than sparrows and with a light red breast and head? I noticed you didn't put any Finches in your pic's? The past week these have stopped coming. Do you know if they migrate this time of year?

Guest		02-Jul-2013 20:44
Hi- I live in the Anahuac area and have been watching a new bird for the last few weeks. It really looks like the crested caracara I found in your gallery. I am so excited to have found a clue about this beautiful bird! Can you tell me what part of Texas you have photographed them?

Guest		25-Jun-2013 14:14
There are some birds living by my house that look a lot like limpkins but had shorter and thicker beaks. They had orange eyes and went from light cream with brown specks on the neck to solid dark brown at the end of the tail feathers.

Guest		03-Jun-2013 20:00
Hello-- I'm visiting Austin from out of town and in the past two days I've seen a bird that I was certain (from the size, flight, and slender pointed wings) was some sort of kite or kestrel however, I cannot find any such bird of prey in my bird book. It appears to be mostly slate gray with large, distinctive white bars on the wings. Any thoughts?

Guest		26-May-2013 01:33
10 years and seen 200 different birds this year and don't live in Texas and only went to florida

Guest		18-May-2013 13:39
Thank you My grandkids and I are getting quite an education

luis		15-May-2013 03:22
wow, beautiful website!!!

Guest		15-May-2013 03:20
live in mcallen next to a 40 acre tract full of 30 - 40 year oak trees just a few blocks north of the medical center. occasionally see a rather large olive brown bird with a broad wingspan. never really get a good look at it as it is always flying rapidly away from me. i can never get closer than maybe 30 yards from it. it flies right under the tree branches then swoops up at the last minute to land on a branch. of course, now i cant see it because it's color allows it to blend in with the tree. would love to find out what it is.

Norma		11-May-2013 02:26
trying to identify small black bird in my back yard, red body(chest all they way down the body is bright red, black wings and head, looks like a tuff of gray feathers on its upper back between the wing. only about 6-7 in very pretty smooth and shiny

Greg Lavaty		06-May-2013 02:57
I have found that in my yard the woodpeckers seem to always go for suet. I usually made it from lard, peanut butter and cornmeal. Sometimes I put nuts and seed in it as well. If you search on line there are a lot of different recipes available.

Guest		05-May-2013 23:46
Hi, i live near Austin i was wondering if anyone knew what the best attracting food for a woodpecker would be?

Greg Lavaty		04-May-2013 11:41
The bird in Rosenberg could be an Acadian Flycatcher. They breed in this area and are migrating through the area at this time. Those small flycatchers can be extremely tough to ID even if you have photos since they all pretty much look the same.

Guest		03-May-2013 23:20
I live in Rosenberg and there is a tiny, very small greenish bird with a yellow belly in my yard. He's been here for 3 days. He seems to try to hop at the base of the fence. I tried to look in my field guide and the closest I can see is an Acadian Flycatcher. Your thought?

Guest		27-Apr-2013 20:55
You might have seen the summer tanager. A male was in the hackberry tree today in my backyard in south Texas

Guest		26-Apr-2013 16:11
We just identified the little bird that flew into our closed window and fell to the ground. We immediately went outside to it and tried to see if there was anything we could do for it. I kept it warm but to no avail. I am sure it broke it's neck. We identified it as the Blue Grosbeak. Such a beautiful bird. We had never seen one before. So sad that we had to be introduced to it in this manner.

Guest		21-Apr-2013 21:21
I am not familiar with Texas birds so I hope you can help ID this bird the beck is orange and it was gray with some orange feathers in it's wings. the color was was a bright orange. Thanks Mick

Tiny		21-Apr-2013 16:37
Lynette! I know it is a year later(almost to the day), but I was out at Fayette County fairgrounds yesterday. There is an adjacent private propery, and I too saw a completely white scissor-tail. I also saw, what I believe may have been an eastern blue bird pair. Only the throat was rusty orange, and did not extend to the chest nor under the wings. The blue as dark though, like an indigo. The scissor-tail did seem like it was protecting a nest since it was diving on other birds seeking bugs in the field. The blue birds were catching large bugs by flapping their wings over the grass and causing the bug to fly. Then they would catch it in the air, and take it to a perch to eat it.

Hank Langford		19-Apr-2013 16:26
Have you ever seen a bird with a bill 5 or 6 inches long that curls down to its feet.They are about the size or a little smaller than a roadrunner.I lived on a 5000 acre ranch in bosque co. centeral Texas in the 50s and I have not seen on since.Thank You Hank

Guest		23-Mar-2013 23:20
Nancy the bird is probably a barn swallow.

Nancy		09-Mar-2013 19:56
A bird I thought was a cliff swallow makes a mud and weed nest under the eaves. Do you have any ideas? They are sometimes referred to as "mud birds".

ellen		20-Jan-2013 22:17
Your photos are beautiful but none of the bird I want to identify. I live in Houston. The bird is the size of a chicadee. All olive green, a tiny yellow line over the eye and a slight tinge of yellow on the edge of the wing. They flit off and on the feeder. Precious!!!! Do you have an idea of what it is? Thanks

Greg Lavaty		26-Dec-2012 01:47
Paul, From your description I think the birds you observed were Brown-headed Cowbirds or possibly European Starlings. Both species form flocks as you described and can be very impressive as they form various shapes in the air as they avoid predators. Greg

Paul		25-Dec-2012 04:47
Hi, I live in Stinnett, Texas and I have a question someone may be able to help with. Today, in a field, I saw a massive amount of dark colored birds flush out from the ground. There were hundreds of them, looking like a swarm of bees flying. This cloud of birds was so thick in places it looked solid dark in the sky. I have also seen these between Borger and Panhandle in the past. Would anyone have an idea of what type of bird this is?

Guest		04-Oct-2012 17:35
Thank you for sharing your pictures. It enabled me to identify several birds in my yard that I had never seen before. You are a wonderful photographer.

Janice		05-Sep-2012 04:27
My husband and I live in North Dallas and saw a white crane walking down the driveway of one of our neighbors. It was walking very slowly and could have been injured, although we didn't see any sign of an injury. It was Sept. 1 and we didn't know if it was a local bird or a one just flying through. We live near two small tributaries of White Rock Creek, so it could have been feeding or swimming there, although they are usually pretty dry this time of year. It was so graceful and a beautiful snow white, we didn't know if this was normal or not for this time of year and place. Thanks. Janice

paula		19-Aug-2012 20:00
Hello Greg I like your site it helped me confirm a siting in my back yard !! I was very excited as i have been watching a pair of white tailed hawks for several months they are magnificent !! And to be able to watch from my back deck isawesome , they were doing the mateing flight they sored high flew at each other away from each other next to each other etc.....they live in a tree behind me and i live in the city , hope this helps any research your doing ......thanks Paula

Guest		05-Aug-2012 23:45
Found a young banded Blue Jay today. Does anyone know anything about banding in this area?

David Rouse		01-Aug-2012 02:08
I found a window struck dazed small slender all dark 4 inch long approximate black bird i rescued from a prowling cat outside a walgreens. I put in a handkerchief in my car door and took home when i got there i placed on a patio table a few minutes later it flew off. I hasve been looking high and low for this hummingbird sized dark bird with a green and yellow surrounded V shaped bib. Looking high and low and still don't know hat it was?

David Rouse		01-Aug-2012 02:08
I found a window struck dazed small slender all dark 4 inch long approximate black bird i rescued from a prowling cat outside a walgreens. I put in a handkerchief in my car door and took home when i got there i placed on a patio table a few minutes later it flew off. I hasve been looking high and low for this hummingbird sized dark bird with a green and yellow surrounded V shaped bib. Looking high and low and still don't know hat it was?

Greg Lavaty		19-Jul-2012 19:35
Sonny, Here is a good place to start: http://www.texastargetbirds.com/birding-in-texas/ Greg

Sunny		19-Jul-2012 18:23
I am trying to find different birds native to the New Boston, TX area. If anyone knows of a website that points me in that general direction, I'd be most appreciative. It is a shame I had to wait until I was 55 to lean what a wonderous, bountiful and beautifully diverse land we live here in Texas. Thanks.

Sunny		19-Jul-2012 18:21
I am trying to find different birds native to the New Boston, TX area. If anyone knows of a website that points me in that general direction, I'd be most appreciative. It is a shame I had to wait until I was 55 to lean what a wonderous, bountiful and beautifully diverse land we live here in Texas. Thanks.

brenda		14-Jul-2012 03:58
There was a smaller perching-type bird with red eyes that used to hang out under the eaves of our small cabin in the hill country near Comfort, Texas. The bird had a beautiful song-"TWEEEET-tweet tweet tweet tweet tweet tweet tweet tweet tweet-pause-CHIRRRR. CHIRRRR. CHIRRRR. CHIRRRR. The first tweet was higher pitched, gradually becoming lower pitched. I have wondered about this for years.

guest		03-Jul-2012 23:13
I took a picture of a bird that caught my eye in our bird bath. From pictures that I have seen it looks like it may be a young Warbler of some kind. I live in Trinity, Tx. Are they common in this area?

guest		03-Jul-2012 23:12
I took a picture of a bird that caught my eye in our bird bath. From pictures that I have seen it looks like it may be a young Warbler of some kind. I live in Trinity, Tx. Are they common in this area?

Guest		03-Jul-2012 01:14
I we just rescued what I believe from looking at these pictures could have been an easter wood pewee. It got stuck inside a hampster food container, poor thing. I had to take box cutters and let it out. It made my day to rescue such a beautiful little creature. Just wanted to know what kind it was thanks!

guest		30-Jun-2012 23:18
I live in Georgetown, TX and yesterday we noticed 4 large (size of a dove) young birds in one of our large oak trees. They have a long orange/yellow straight bill, long light colored legs and a long neck. We got a very quick glimps of the mom as she flew in to feed them. She was dark brown with a reddish breast. She was about 12-16". any ideas what this might be

Guest		23-Jun-2012 20:57
I live in Colleyville and I saw a pair of similar red and brown birds. I am pretty sure they are Ruby Red House Finches.

mlgarcia		22-Jun-2012 22:25
Ellie, You are going to need to feed them worms or bugs. You can buy them at any feed store or pet store. Your best bet would be to call your local wildlife sanctuary and ask if they can pick them up or if you can drop them off. It is a BIG job raising little birds and without experience it makes it that much harder. If they were able to fly on their own you could supliment their food with seeds but bugs are going to be the best bet.

Ellie M. Martinezh		16-Jun-2012 11:17
I have two fledgling my grandson found and for lack of knowing what to do I put them in a birdcage. I have a pix of them but I'm sure they are common birds to S, TX. Since there are many feral cats around I have them in thee garage at night and hang the birdcage outside from the eave of the garage. I have been giving them just sugar water but do not know what else to feed them..they are smoky color with white on the edge of their wings. They have long beak & strong beaks that hook slightly at the tip, and have strong talons that secure them well on a perch.. I expect they will die unless I feed them something edible. I don't known how else too describe them without other than they are as big as fist when sleeping... Would appreciate any suggestions.

Guest		15-Jun-2012 00:03
Liz: I live in Coppell, Tx and I'm seeing a lot of those birds you are describing around my feeder. I too would like to know what they are.

Liz		14-Jun-2012 13:40
I live in Mansfield Tx and like Felix I have been seeing a red bird I thought was a baby cardinal but it has not developed the crest. Has a red chest and head and is brown on the rest of his body. It is a little larger than a sparrow. Any ideas?

Felix		12-Jun-2012 17:24
I live in a rural area just outside San Antonio (West Bexar County) and I saw the strangest bird today, just a few minutes ago. At first I thought it was a cardinal (red, same shape body) but its head was countersunk (like a buzzard) and had a different color (grayish/brown) that started from its neck up. Its beak was also cardinal like but bigger and with bigger eyes. There was a cardinal right below it drinking water by the birdbath. I was able to compared the two and it was no cardinal. - Confused

Martin Burniston		09-Jun-2012 20:56
Just like Cheryl Brinkman on May 1st, I have just seen a lemon-yellow scissor-tailed flycatcher close to my house in Kerrville, Texas. Can anyone identify this bird for me? I have had suggestions from Western Kingbirds to Yellow Warblers to Orioles, but none of the pictures I have seen are close to the bird I saw. Any help would be appreciated.

Martin Burniston		09-Jun-2012 20:56
Just like Cheryl Brinkman on May 1st, I have just seen a lemon-yellow scissor-tailed flycatcher close to my house in Kerrville, Texas. Can anyone identify this bird for me? I have had suggestions from Western Kingbirds to Yellow Warblers to Orioles, but none of the pictures I have seen are close to the bird I saw. Any help would be appreciated.

Guest		06-Jun-2012 00:55
We have three baby owls and two adult owls living in our tree. Even the adults are not very large. The babies are very fluffy and grey. I believe we saw the same ones last year at this time, so I am assuming we are just in there migratory pattern. Any idea what kind of owls these are? We live just outside of Dallas. I have a picture of the baby, but I don't see a place to upload a photo.

Guest		06-Jun-2012 00:54
We have three baby owls and two adult owls living in our tree. Even the adults are not very large. The babies are very fluffy and grey. I believe we saw the same ones last year at this time, so I am assuming we are just in there migratory pattern. Any idea what kind of owls these are? We live just outside of Dallas. I have a picture of the baby, but I don't see a place to upload a photo.

Guest		26-May-2012 18:16
I found a baby bird outside my apt in Dallas I dnt know what kind it is its wings are white and greyish I think there is a little blue I think it may have fell out of a nest and I have no idea how to take care of it but I didnt have the heart to leave it im thinking of buying worms from a bait shop and trying to feed it the bird looks healthy anyone have any suggestions?

Guest		26-May-2012 18:16
I found a baby bird outside my apt in Dallas I dnt know what kind it is its wings are white and greyish I think there is a little blue I think it may have fell out of a nest and I have no idea how to take care of it but I didnt have the heart to leave it im thinking of buying worms from a bait shop and trying to feed it the bird looks healthy anyone have any suggestions?

Kyle		25-May-2012 22:42
@rlopes all you can do is buy an incubator and some night crawlers and chop them up and feed them to the birds. Incubator is so they will hatch and the worms are food,

rlopez		21-May-2012 00:07
hi have 3 babies of scissor-tailed!!! i need know how i can care this babies pls if u know send me your commnet!!!!

Guest		19-May-2012 20:53
I have 2 birds in my yard that have a pointed black beak, dark blue/purple head down their half way with rest blackish/dark gray. their eyes are almost white. Legs are dark. They are 6-8 inches tall. What is this bird?

Guest		17-May-2012 21:33
found 3 eggs on the grass and driveway. They are a very light gray and they are round at the bottom and come up with a point and most of the spots ar at the bottom of the egg are black, gray and dark brown. My 12 year old granddaughter thinks they are scissor tail eggs. Comments please.

Guest		16-May-2012 18:16
I have some birds outside my window that looks like a mocking bird ,but they are a rust color. Does any one know what they are?We live in Greenville, Tx.

Guest		16-May-2012 18:16
I have some birds outside my window that looks like a mocking bird ,but they are a rust color. Does any one know what they are?We live in Greenville, Tx.

Shannon		14-May-2012 14:53
We live in Fort Worth, Texas. A bird just built a nest in our fern that is right in front of our kitchen window. The bird is brown with a bright orange beak so I thought it was a northern cardinal. It however has no crest so I am not sure...

Chris Dunn		06-May-2012 21:19
I also saw a slim all bright yellow with a very long scissored tail with only the tips of the tail black.

Randy		05-May-2012 03:43
a pair building a nest in an oak tree in my neighbors' front yard a few hundred yards from Lake Houston. Looks very similar to a King Rail or American Bittern. Moves about the tree very cautiously. Haven't heard it make any sounds. Anyone have any idea what it might be?

Wren		03-May-2012 18:09
In reference to the green parrot...I have seen lots of Monk Parakeets/parrots in Duncanville below Dallas. They build huge ball shaped stick structures on top of transformers on utility poles. There are many openings into the ball and multiple pairs nest inside. I sometimes glimpse lavendar or apricot on their flanks and under the wings when they take off. They stay here year round..there is a high school stadium where a huge colony has set up housekeeping...they are very popular with the residents around here ( : Check the internet for more info ( :

sholley		03-May-2012 17:49
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INFO ABOUT THE RED HOUSE FINCH.

Cheryl Brinkman		01-May-2012 11:44
I see a yellow bird that looks like a canary, with long "scissor-tail" that can hover like a helicopter above the meadows. It is beautiful... does anyone know what that is?

Cheryl Brinkman		01-May-2012 11:44
I see a yellow bird that looks like a canary, with long "scissor-tail" that can hover like a helicopter above the meadows. It is beautiful... does anyone know what that is?

Gary		29-Apr-2012 21:21
My daughters and I saw our first Rose Breasted Grosbeak today. This page allowed us to identify it. Thanks,

Guest		29-Apr-2012 14:29
I have a rust colored bird that resembles a mocking bird but I can't seem to find a picture of it anywhere. Does this bird have a name? I'm in Cleburne, Tx and I do have mocking birds but I didn't know if they come in rust color. Does it sound familiar to anyone?

Guest		28-Apr-2012 20:00
There is these completely brown birds that I've seen in Plano, TX and I just don't know what they are. They are about the size of mocking birds and they go chia chia ,chia chia hui hui hui hui.

Guest		28-Apr-2012 15:36
The red chested bird eating at the hummingbird feeder is a red house finch. I have a ton of them that eat at my seed feeders. They also like the hummingbird feeder !

Guest		28-Apr-2012 15:35
The red chested bird eating at the hummingbird feeder is a red house finch. I have a ton of them that eat at my seed feeders. They also like the hummingbird feeder !

Guest		28-Apr-2012 15:35
The red chested bird eating at the hummingbird feeder is a red house finch. I have a ton of them that eat at my seed feeders. They also like the hummingbird feeder !

Charyn'Joy		25-Apr-2012 03:02
Paula Kenmuir, Sorry for misspelling your name. I'm surprised too that a wild green parrot would be this far inland. Have you seen others or seen the nests?

Charyn'Joy		25-Apr-2012 02:49
Paula Kenmier, This doesn't answer your question, but there's a history of green parrots that have been imported breaking out and going wild. I saw hundreds in a coastal Connecticut town, with their clay nest, which are colonies, like 6-feet long in the trees. There's a heart breaker indie movie about such a colony in San Francisco. So great that you spotted that! :)

STELLA HOLLEY		24-Apr-2012 21:00
THERE HAS BEEN A BIRD OFF AND ON TODAY EATING FROM THE HUMMINGBIRD FEEDER. IS A MEDUIM SIZE BIRD WITH A RED LOOKING CHEST AND FACE. IS NOT A HUMMINGBIRD. I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE IT DRINKING THE SUGAR WATER. DOES ANYONE HAVE AND IDEA OF WHAT KIND OF BIRD THIS MAY HAVE BEEN. I LIVE IN CANYON LAKE, TEXAS.

AShu		24-Apr-2012 12:47
Hi, wonderful pics..!! Now a days 'm seeing a bird which is nestling in my patio.. It is dark black with light yellow to orange breast... Its almost the size of a sparrow.. And it is using some clay to build its nest.. Wondering which bird it could be? not able to identify..:( Plz help..

J. Lane		23-Apr-2012 18:57
Hey everyone. I just saw a bird I have never seen before and I grew up in TX. It was a grey and white striped finch like bird with a red face. Roughly larger than a sparrow. It had a sing song chirp. It looked similar to a Hoary Redpoll but with more red on the face. Anyone know what kind of bird this is?

Guest		22-Apr-2012 14:29
Red Tanager spotted just now by our outdoor fountain in Round Rock. What a delight! Unfortunately he left before I could grab my camera.

Lynnette		21-Apr-2012 19:41
I live in N. Texas. My husband and I saw a white scissor tail in our back yard today. It had a small amount of black on the tips of it's tail otherwise snow white on the rest of it. We have never seen a white scissor tail and are hopping it will stay around long enough for us to get a picture. Has anyone else ever seen one of these birds?

Lynnette		21-Apr-2012 19:40
I live in N. Texas. My husband and I saw a white scissor tail in our back yard today. It had a small amount of black on the tips of it's tail otherwise snow white on the rest of it. We have never seen a white scissor tail and are hopping it will stay around long enough for us to get a picture. Has anyone else ever seen one of these birds?

Paula Kenmuir		19-Apr-2012 15:46
Didn't think they were this far out of Austin, but one of the wild parots (green) was setting in a tree in our front yard in Cedar Park late yesterday afternoon. Made myself goggle it twice before I was convinced it was the real deal. Have they been spotted in this area before?

Paula Kenmuir		19-Apr-2012 15:43
Didn't think they were this far out of Austin, but one of the wild parots (green) was setting in a tree in our front yard in Cedar Park late yesterday afternoon. Made myself goggle it twice before I was convinced it was the real deal. Have they been spotted in this area before?

Paula Kenmuir		19-Apr-2012 15:42
Didn't think they were this far out of Austin, but one of the wild parots (green) was setting in a tree in our front yard in Cedar Park late yesterday afternoon. Made myself goggle it twice before I was convinced it was the real deal. Have they been spotted in this area before?

SARAH HENRY		18-Apr-2012 19:05
I was so presently surprised to find 2 black bellied whistling ducks eating breakfast with my pet ducks yesterday! I saw a bird yesterday that I cant ID,it was black with an orange head and when it took flight a white strip was visible on both wings,it was about the size of a robin,perhaps a bit bigger-I live in Seguin,Texas

Chip Edwards		17-Apr-2012 23:54
Yesterday, I saw a bird I hadn't seen before. I'm not a birder so no surprise but I was wondering what it was. It was about the size of a purple marten, dull black head and bluish greenish irridescent body. He and his drab looking mate were pigging out on our bird feeder. I live in Plano

Guest		14-Apr-2012 17:45
To J Summey: I think you are looking at a house wren. We have a number of them and they will makes nests in hanging flower baskets too. They are very cute and friendly.

Guest		12-Apr-2012 21:13
I am in Denton County and the last few days have had what looks like the Vermilion flycatcher coming to our porch (a male & female), a range map I saw doesn't show them quite this far into North Texas ... any thoughts?

Guest		03-Apr-2012 14:45
Just been to NYC and saw a bird that looks like a blackbird but it has a rusty brown undercarriage going to white at the tail. Anyone know what it is?

gary		03-Apr-2012 14:20
I have seen a bird on two occasions and I cannot find it in my birdbooks. It is small, very black on the top, with streaks of white, and I think a yellow belly, or pale yellow maybe. I wonder if anyone knows what it is.

Ellen Scott		02-Apr-2012 15:18
I out by Blanco, Tx. and had quite a time trying to find the proper name for this duck! What a great set of pictures, and I found it! Black bellied whistling duck...they come back every year and have little ones. Am still trying to identify the little ducks with the blue bills? Ruddy or masked? Not sure;-)

John		28-Mar-2012 00:26
I live in Kingwood, a heavily wooded suburb NE of Houston. For the last two days I have had a pair of large birds sitting on a limb 25 ft up a pine tree. Just a minute ago a 3rd one joined them in a nearby tree. The birds are large (chicken size) brown and have a small head with a long bill, possibly like a spoonbill. I have no idea but will try to take good pictures tomorrow if they are still there.

J Summey		29-Feb-2012 21:11
We have little birds that have a tail that sticks straight up when the sit on the fence. They are brown, very tiny and tend to make nest in small spaces. They will use a tin can if it is attached to a post. I am not able to find a picture of this little bird. Can anyone tell me what it is.

J Summey		29-Feb-2012 21:10
We have little birds that have a tail that sticks straight up when the sit on the fence. They are brown, very tiny and tend to make nest in small spaces. They will use a tin can if it is attached to a post. I am not able to find a picture of this little bird. Can anyone tell me what it is.

anita		22-Feb-2012 20:54
Yes, Joy it is a grackle! i too first heard them in San Antonio. I love their sound! Well we lived in many states and never heard them before. I have just moved to Dallas/Ft. Worth area and we have them here! I love them!

Tom Ogren		18-Feb-2012 01:50
This are some marvelous photos.....terrific! I hope to get down to southern Texas and bird it before too long. Cheers, Tom San Luis Obispo, California

Jim B		15-Feb-2012 00:55
I live in Texas City, Tx on Galveston bay. Over the weekend I saw a group of at least three birds that stayed for about an hour. They were small... finch sized, with three distinct colors. Belly was an oval of white, surrounded by a rust/orange color that went from chin to tail. Their head, back and wings had a luminescent blue color... very striking, Looking at your photos, the blue was similar to the indigo bunting, but appeared darker in the shadows. Hoping you might have an idea what I saw. Thanks.

Marietta		13-Feb-2012 22:43
I saw a crested caracara in our yard in Greenville, TX a couple of days ago. He flew away and returned to the same place 3 times within 2 hours. Do they usually frequent North Texas in the winter? This is the first one I have seen.

Marietta		13-Feb-2012 22:43
I saw a crested caracara in our yard in Greenville, TX a couple of days ago. He flew away and returned to the same place 3 times within 2 hours. Do they usually frequent North Texas in the winter? This is the first one I have seen.

Guest		04-Feb-2012 21:00
Alix, that owl is probably an Eastern Screech Owl. They have little ears. Males about 10", females around 8" tall. We found an injured one in our backyard, took to Houston Wildlife Center. It healed and has been released.

townie		25-Jan-2012 23:51
Joy it could have been a grackle

Greg Lavaty		07-Jan-2012 03:01
For binoculars I typically find that something like an 8x42 works well. I also had good luck with Eagle Optics, good quality at a good price.

Greg Lavaty		07-Jan-2012 03:01
For binoculars I typically find that something like an 8x42 works well. I also had good luck with Eagle Optics, good quality at a good price.

Guest		07-Jan-2012 02:07
what kind of binoculars for a beginning birder. I own a 10 by something marine binoculars to look at stars and one of my sons wants them, they may not be the best for birds. Should I try and get those back?

Joy		02-Jan-2012 17:37
While visiting San Antonio Texas for the Thanksgiving holiday, i heard a bird that made a sound that i never heard in all my 69 years and ask what was that! I was told that it was a (Cracklin)(Kracklin)! I went on your web site to see the bird but no luck. Is there a such bird and am i spelling the name correctly? Thanks for your help.

Alix		28-Nov-2011 21:50
We found out that an owl has taken up residence in the backyard. It is a mottled grey and is not very big; I'm guessing about 10" tall. Any idea what kind it is?

Susann		10-Nov-2011 19:05
I have a bird that has a broken neck. Someone gave it to me to care for until it can no longer survive. It is so unusual, that I have not seen anything like it. It is black or very dark gray, larger than a pigeon, soft feathers and most obvious, its feet has little flat growths on each toe. I cannot find the species on the web. Anyone know what it may be?

jeannie		06-Nov-2011 19:25
i saw a bird with red head and neck, gray body, black tail with white a end tail feathers what kind of bird is this?

jeannie		06-Nov-2011 19:12
i saw a bird with red head and neck, gray body, black tail with white a end tail feathers what kind of bird is this?

alan_lz		03-Nov-2011 16:15
My dad saw a new pair of birds, male and female. This description is from him. The male was mostly black and white, about the size of a sparrow with a sparrow type beak. The top of his head was red and his back was splotchy black and white. The female was mostly brown, with black and white horizontal stripes on the back and side of her face. No red on the head. He said it looked like a woodpecker, but in a sparrow body. We've never seen them before. They didn't stay long. Got a drink and left. We're in South Austin. Any idea what they may have been?

alan_lz		23-Oct-2011 18:39
Just saw a new bird for our yard. It's small, about the size of a Carolina Chickadee, maybe a little thinner. It was a muted olive/brown on the back, yellow underneath. Gray beak and legs. Beak was short and thin. It stayed in the cedar trees for the most part and didn't go to the sunflower seeds much. I'm trying to get another look at it, but haven't spotted it yet.

Amanda		19-Oct-2011 16:03
I live in corpus christi texas and I just found a small bird (that seemed to be in shock) sitting in the center of a parking spot. I cant identify it. It is small, yellow belly,some green tint to the outer feathers. If anyone could please help me out with what it may be. I don't want to keep it from its habitat, but it is cold down here right now and it seemed to be frozen. It is flying around now in my cage.

Jenny Peterson		18-Oct-2011 00:31
I live in San Marcos and have seen what I believe is a hawk. It has a black head, white band around it's neck and black body. The shape of it's head is hawk like and I have observed two eating some type of prey on the ground. I have searched websites listing common hawks in Central Texas but have not found a picture of this particular bird. An idea of what it might be?

Guest		15-Oct-2011 14:06
I believe you saw a pileated woodpecker. They are wonderful! (They are the only woodpecker similar to the legendary Ivory-Bill; the Ivory Bill is considerably larger, has much more white on its wings, and has a ivory-toned bill rather than the black of the pileated.). Thanks Greg L, for this great forum, which I only discovered thus morning!

Donna		13-Oct-2011 02:06
Can someone please tell me what I saw this afternoon on the west side of Houston (I-10 near Campbell). I briefly caught a glimpse of a bird as it flew away from a tree on my patio. The most striking thing about it was the bright orange (not red) crest on it's head that looked like a mohawk. The other features I was able to catch were a white throat and black and white striped wings. Thanks

Francisco		01-Oct-2011 13:21
Today at about eight-oclock in the mrning I saw a bid bird with a dark brown back a whitish- grayish belly with a black stripe across it's chest. I saw it in chicago. I really want to know what type of bird it is.

Guest		29-Sep-2011 19:29
A female American redstart turned up in my bird bath this weekend in Weslaco. At first I thought it was the Chat. But she kept flashing her tail and wings. The patches on the tail would seem to be distinctive. The books have us out of the normal range but says it is a common vagrant in the southwest.

Lyka		24-Sep-2011 23:13
I kept hearing this melodious chirping from a tree and almost couldn't see the bird. It was so tiny, about the size of an index finger, with yellow under belly and black wings. Another bird was chirping nearby in response but I couldn't see it. Any idea what this bird is? First time I've seen it, we're here in San Antonio, Texas.

phejoh		24-Sep-2011 15:42
Another bird not native to my S.Texas location is a very small and beautiful bird that I first noticed clinging upside down on my native sunflower stalks eating its fill of sunflower seeds. This gorgeous little male was solid shiny black from the tip of its long narrow, pointed beak to its split tail with a bright irridescent yellow under belly and breast which came up to the edge of the beak. He was about the size of my index finger. Later I saw his mate, a dull, mottled grey/brown coloring and assumed she had been nesting with eggs and baby birds perhaps. Have not seen them this past season although iI made sure there were plenty of sunflowers in the yard.

phejoh		24-Sep-2011 15:02
I have heard an unfamiliar bird call here in Live Oak Co. in S. Texas for about 8 years. It has a beautiful melodious song but the bird is very elusive and fast. I had never seen it until this very morning when it flew directly toward my house while I was sitting on the front porch and lit in the tall cedar in my yard. The bird has a bright yellow under belly and breast , the rest of the body was shiny dark black. Since I was looking up overhead, I do not know if there was any yellow on the topside of the bird. (Once I found a brown and yellow feather in my yard which i did not recognize from any Texas birds but after seeing the bird this morning I do not think it came from this bird. Another stgranger to the area.) I have just been online hoping to identify this pair of birds but did not find exactly what i saw this morning. The closest was a Black Vented Oriole. These birds were not as large as the Mexican Jay or a dove.

phejoh		24-Sep-2011 14:38
the large beautiful green breasted birds with the navy blue heads are Green Jays from Mexico. We live in Live Oak Co in South Texas and these jays have been in this area for at least 10 years. But we have not seen any for the past year or two.

Jessie Gongora		23-Sep-2011 00:04
My Wife and her dad have a small ranch in south Texas, I have been seeing a new bird that I have never seen before, they have Dark Deep Blue heads, Green on top of there body and yellow underbelly. I have been trying to capture a photo of them but there too quick, so I took my smart phone, thru out some bird feed and and first placed my smart phone in a tree near by and viedo taped one, the second viedo was put in a pile of rocks near by and I captured 4 in the shot. I have been looking at bird pages and have not found them yet, I'm hoping you know what they are....Jessie.

Jeff J		21-Sep-2011 22:20
The lime green parrots you are seeing may be Monk Parakeets. I would see them nest in and around power lines in Dallas when I lived there.

Jeff J		21-Sep-2011 22:20
The lime green parrots you are seeing may be Monk Parakeets. I would see them nest in and around power lines in Dallas when I lived there.

Dan		20-Sep-2011 01:46
I work in Grand Prairie Texas and this morning myself and a fellow employee saw approximately 2 dozen lime green parrots on a high line. I've never seen any bird like this in the area and was hoping to get information on them. The appear to be the same type as pictures I've seen out of Austin.

Dan		20-Sep-2011 01:45
I work in Grand Prairie Texas and this morning myself and a fellow employee saw approximately 2 dozen lime green parrots on a high line. I've never seen any bird like this in the area and was hoping to get information on them. The appear to be the same type as pictures I've seen out of Austin.

Letitia		18-Sep-2011 20:40
I Live in Victoria County.......I to have had 2 birds that Pat has described feeding from my hummingbird feeders........Never see them in this area before now. Very pretty birds.

Richard		18-Sep-2011 15:03
I have 5 male and 2 female (?) Blackburnian Warblers draining my 3 humming bird feeders competing with more than 2 dozen humming birds. This is the first time in 12 years these birds have paid us a visit. Their color is more like the Black-headed Grosbeak but their beak is pointed. I live close to Killeen, Bell county. They have been fun to watch.

pat		17-Sep-2011 17:44
I live is Seguin, Tx. just east of san Antonio. We too, have had a different bird feeding in our humming bird feeders. But, the head is totally black with the breast being yellow to orange. The top of the wings is black. Will try to post a photo. pat

Michael Jordan		17-Sep-2011 11:32
Just saw a pair of Magnolia Warblers at the bird feeder yesterday. First time to see them in Pasadena. Trying to get pics today...Also my family of 6 cardinals have been around all summer...Been going through tons of bird feed this year. I love watching all the birds playing in the lawn sprinklers...this drought has been hard on these birds.

alan_lz		17-Sep-2011 08:28
Thanks, Greg. After I posted that message, I snapped a couple more shots and it does look like a Bewick's.

Greg Lavaty		17-Sep-2011 06:04
Alan, your bird is a wren, it looks like it might be a Bewick's Wren

alan_lz		16-Sep-2011 18:45
Can someone tell me what bird this is? Here are a couple photos I took: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v345/lzppjb/whatisthisbird.png He wouldn't come near where I had put out seed and there were other birds feeding (titmouse, chickadee, cardinal). He kept his distance, stayed mainly on the ground pecking away. Thanks

Alan		15-Sep-2011 02:54
I just posted about the owl previously. I also have at least 2 Carolina Chickadees darting around today. Along with them was a female Northern Cardinal and a black-crested Titmouse. I'm in South Austin, by the way.

Alan		15-Sep-2011 02:53
I just posted about the owl previously. I also have at least 2 Carolina Chickadees darting around today. Along with them was a female Northern Cardinal and a black-crested Titmouse.

Guest		15-Sep-2011 01:16
I am fairly confident that I saw a white barn owl in my front yard this morning at 6am. He was perched on a cooler we have full of water for the animals. He stared right at me as I was in my truck and the headlights were directly at him. He flew away before I could snap a picture with my phone. He was small, about 12" or so. He was all white from what I could tell...face, chest, wings, back. Round face, no ear tufts, black eyes. Exactly how rare a sight did I witness?

James Orts		14-Sep-2011 14:23
I think I have 2 blackburnian warblers in my back yard. They drink out of the hummining bird feeder. Never have seen this bird before. We live in Moulton, Lavaca co. Trying to get a photo, no luck. Not far from Tawnys home. Could be the same type bird.

James Orts		14-Sep-2011 14:20
I think I have 2 blackburnia warblers in my back yard. They drink out of the hummining bird feeder. Never have seen this bird before. We live in Moulton, Lavaca co. Trying to get a photo, no luck. Not far from Tawnys home. Could be the same type bird.

Greg Moore		12-Sep-2011 23:03
I saw a black headed Grosbeck at my birdbath and he also was attempting to alit my hummingbird feeders.In all my years in Laredo Tx this was my 1st sighting.

Tawny		12-Sep-2011 21:37
Just saw a beautiful bird I have never seen here before..I have been in San Antonio 40 years.... It had black head and bright orange-gold belly and wings...Was drinking from my bird bath...So lovely ...about 5-6" long....could it have been a Blackburnian Warbler? Help!

grazyna rakowski		10-Sep-2011 17:12
wonderful ,thanks

CarolB		10-Sep-2011 15:42
We have a couple of YELLOW WARBLERS in our front yard trees. Spotted them yesterday for the 1st time and grabbed a couple of pix. Hadnt seen them before!

Guest		07-Sep-2011 16:21
Just saw 3 orchard orioles enjoying the sprinkler in my Orange Grove Texas back yard.

Guest		07-Sep-2011 16:21
Just saw 3 orchard orioles enjoying the sprinkler in my Orange Grove Texas back yard.

Angela		02-Sep-2011 04:04
Think I saw a Blackburnian Warbler late in the day near Magnolia, TX in the Thousand Oaks subdivision off 1488. Strange it was hopping around feeding on the ground... by the time I got my camera it flew to a tree and then flew to a wooded area. Dark body with yellow head & neck and orange on the neck.

Angela		02-Sep-2011 04:03
Think I saw a Blackburnian Warbler late in the day near Magnolia, TX in the Thousand Oaks subdivision off 1488. Strange it was hopping around feeding on the ground... by the time I got my camera it flew to a tree and then flew to a wooded area. Dark body with yellow head & neck and orange on the neck.

Guest		01-Sep-2011 17:56
I saw a Blackheaded Grosbeak in Magnolia, TX today. First time I've ever seen one at my feeder.

Ishan		30-Aug-2011 23:48
I saw a bird that in my mind was a golden eagle in Katy, TX. Is this possible? Is there a bird that could resemble this?

Sue K		29-Aug-2011 19:28
We have a Purple Gallinule who has decided to take up residence at our Windsor Place pool area in North Dallas. It is really beautiful and has been here since early summer. It has no mate, but seems to like the company of humans enjoying the sun at the pool!

Richard Allen		26-Aug-2011 01:31
Lovely gallery of bird photographs. Thanks for sharing you work.

Guest		22-Aug-2011 15:21
Live in the DFW area. Saw a raven-sized bird, beak was like a kingfisher. The head had dark gray with streak of light gray around the eyes. Feathers were laddered-like shades of dark gray edged with lighter gray. The belly side was light gray fading to an even lighter shade of gray. Short tail feather. When it left the wing span was at least 3 feet. Any clue to what this was?

Guest		22-Aug-2011 14:12
Live in the DFW area. Saw a raven-sized bird, beak was like a kingfisher. The head had dark gray with streak of light gray around the eyes. Feathers were laddered-like shades of dark gray edged with lighter gray. The belly side was light gray fading to an even lighter shade of gray. Short tail feather. When it left the wing span was at least 3 feet. Any clue to what this was?

Guest		21-Aug-2011 18:55
The lime green birds are Mexican parrots they were turned loose in the Austin San Antinoio area in the 70 and have taken up residence and prospered They are not native and wreak havok on electric lines and stadium lighting where they build nests several feet across

Woody		20-Aug-2011 04:06
whats the deal with Commerants,,,, got alot of em out back

Guest		19-Aug-2011 01:39
Today i saw 5 medium sized lime green birds off loop 1604 in San Antonio. They looked like parrots. does anyone know what they are? they were beautiful and i've never seen them before.

SuzanTX		12-Aug-2011 00:05
Today I saw a bird in my necturine tree that I had never seen before. I looked it up and find that it is a red-bellied woodpecker. Very pretty! I'm in El Paso, TX.

Judy		08-Aug-2011 02:52
Please identify. A woodpecker the size of a blue jay with a very long black beak, black head and a white ring around his neck flew into a window and laid stunned on our back porch for a while. He had white feathers underneath and some black and white striped areas under the tail feathers. He had a wide wing span and the longest beak I've ever seen on a woodpecker. His mate flew overhead making a very loud noise and appeared to have a white head.

D White		01-Aug-2011 20:05
Sited a Painted Bunting between Campbell, TX and Lone Oak, TX.

D White		01-Aug-2011 20:05
Sited a Painted Bunting between Campbell, TX and Lone Oak, TX.

D White		01-Aug-2011 20:05
Sited a Painted Bunting between Campbell, TX and Lone Oak, TX.

Guest		01-Aug-2011 20:04
Sited a Painted Bunting between Campbell, TX and Lone Oak, TX.

minnette		25-Jul-2011 01:24
Was typing on my cellphone. I meant Painted Bunting not Prairie Bunting. Sorry for the confusion.

minnette		25-Jul-2011 00:37
Saw a bird in our backyard that I had never seen before. Wanted to find out what in the world it was. Thanks to Your website I found out it was a Prairie Hunting. I was wondering if its a common bird here in North East Texas?

Meowimotto		17-Jul-2011 09:29
I saw 3 odd birds that looked somewhat like Vultures, yet on their heads had medium-sized, pale blue, circular feathers. I haven't seen them since. They were tall, around 2-3 feet, and were just walking around. Does anyone know what they are?

Meowimotto		17-Jul-2011 09:29
I saw 3 odd birds that looked somewhat like Vultures, yet on their heads had medium-sized, pale blue, circular feathers. I haven't seen them since. They were tall, around 2-3 feet, and were just walking around. Does anyone know what they are?

Karen Black		16-Jul-2011 03:05
I don't see photos of any Black Vultures on here... they are plentiful around the Houston area and I have two that have been hanging out in my back yard for the last couple of weeks. Is there a way to email or post a photo to the gallery?

Chris Peavey		14-Jul-2011 04:47
I took some pretty good pics today of a type of a bird I've never seen before. I've looked through all of the pictures here and the closest I've found is the American Bitten. The one I saw though is not this type. The bird I saw has a longer slenderer neck and a black crest on its head that it would raise every now and then. It had yellow eyes and yellow markings around the eyes. I observed it fishing in some shallow pools of water in a mostly dry river bank at Lyndon B Johnson state park. I got some good pictures of it catching and eating a fish. I would really like to figure out what kind of bird this is.

Blair		12-Jul-2011 01:34
Noni - we found the same kind of nest in my neighbors red oak tree. Any luck finding out what built yours. I'm thinking some kind of heron, but the closest water is 1/4 mile away.

Noni		01-Jul-2011 17:16
Empty bird nest fell out of live oak tree - well made, medium to rather large size, looks like it has been smeared on the inside with heavy, thick mud - almost like smeared with a butter knife. We have many species of birds - which one would build like this?

Noni		01-Jul-2011 17:16
Empty bird nest fell out of live oak tree - well made, medium to rather large size, looks like it has been smeared on the inside with heavy, thick mud - almost like smeared with a butter knife. We have many species of birds - which one would build like this?

Grammy		27-Jun-2011 20:19
New at bird watching but we have one about the size of cardinal visiting our birdfeeder. It is about the size of cardinal red chest, brown body, no crown

Grammy		27-Jun-2011 20:19
New at bird watching but we have one about the size of cardinal visiting our birdfeeder. It is about the size of cardinal red chest, brown body, no crown

Robin		27-Jun-2011 18:52
Greetings: I'm hoping an experienced birder can help me identify a bird visiting our feeders. It resembles a painting bunting, a pair of which also visits our feeders, but its back is entirely deep blue and its breast from chin to end of tail is deep russet. Could it be an immature painted bunting that hasn't yet developed the bright green wing and back feathers? Thanks, R.A.

Alan		24-Jun-2011 20:53
Mark, could they be chimney swifts? We have some that nest in our chimney every year.

Jay Lundgren		19-Jun-2011 15:04
I live in Round Rock and have recently experienced some very strange bird behavior. Each day I have as many as 10 birds at one time and four to five species in my backyard. Recently, I have witnessed female grackles standing in the sun, cocking a wing partially back and turning their head sidewise. Their respiration seems to be extremely rapid, but this is probably just the heat. They will do this for as much as ten minutes or more if not disturbed, then just run over to some shade for a minute or so, only to return and repeat the process. I also witnessed a male cardinal doing the same thing. Does anyone have any idea what they are doing?

mz.htown		16-Jun-2011 23:26
Help! I seriously can 't figure out what kind of birds these are. I have 2 that fell out the nest and barely look 2 weeks old. They have black feathers with an outline of brown. I think one is a girl and the other is a boy because one has a bulge on the sides of its beak with no stripes on its brown legs while the other has no bulge on the sides of its beak with stripes on its brown legs.

mz.htown		16-Jun-2011 23:26
Help! I seriously can 't figure out what kind of birds these are. I have 2 that fell out the nest and barely look 2 weeks old. They have black feathers with an outline of brown. I think one is a girl and the other is a boy because one has a bulge on the sides of its beak with no stripes on its brown legs while the other has no bulge on the sides of its beak with stripes on its brown legs.

Ralph Miller		11-Jun-2011 18:24
i have a painting bunting eating , every morning, & evening, here at my home . i live beween frankston, & poynor, texas. this is the first time i ever have seen this bird in 68 years. i had to have it identified, before i new what it was. i would like to know if this is a male or female, if male what does the female look like. thanks, Ralph Miller .

Mark		09-Jun-2011 19:06
Hi All - There is a bird, several actually, zooming through my neighborhood at dusk that has a falcon like wing formation, kind of M shape, longish tail, grey and white patern on top, white and grey on the chest, short bill. Quite the flyer narrowly missing me at times. There is a white marking near the end on top of wing. I have checked. I can't seem to find anything that looks like it yet. Anyone want to try and identify? Best, Mark B

Jarrell watcher		04-Jun-2011 23:35
I just saw a bird at our dripping bird bath that I can't find in the Audubon book. It was about the size of a Cardinal. It was an orange-red and greenish-yellow color. The head was the orange-red as were patches on the sides as well as a triangular patch on the back between the wings. The bird's chest, wings, belly and most of its back was greenish-yellow. It was a very pretty bird. It looked like a golden finch had mated with a Cardinal! We live in the country in South Central Texas with large pastures of native bunch grasses, a pond, and open woods of mixed live oaks, deciduous oaks, elms and native Texas understory trees. It wasn't one of our Painted Buntings. By the way, we now have seven of our nine Bluebird houses occupied! Any ideas about what the mystery bird was?

ALIZA		04-Jun-2011 04:52
Hi all...PLEASE HELP!!! 911!!...I found a baby bird that fell out of it's nest, and landed on the concrete 8ft down from the nest that is inside the gutters located above our front porch. (dark enclosed area). The 2 other babies died...about 5 days old.....BRIGHT YELLOW-WIDE beak....no feathers yet.....looks like a blue color on it's wings........the area is BEAUMONT TEXAS......WHAT KIND OF BABY IS THIS, AND WHO AROUND THIS AREA WILL TAKE CARE OF/HELP THIS BABY????? Thanks so much, and wish me luck! :)

Judi Purcell		02-Jun-2011 00:48
I live in Pampa, Texas in the Panhandle. A bird I see frequently has an orange breast and looks exactly like a robin. Does anyone know what this bird is?

Ellen		31-May-2011 01:51
There is a solid white bird the size of a mocking bird that has been around our house in Gonzales, Texas for about a week or so. It acts like a mocking bird eat insects and eats in our flat bird feeder. Does anyone know what it could be.

Ellen		31-May-2011 01:51
There is a solid white bird the size of a mocking bird that has been around our house in Gonzales, Texas for about a week or so. It acts like a mocking bird eat insects and eats in our flat bird feeder. Does anyone know what it could be.

Brenda		28-May-2011 23:21
I live near Boerne, TX and there is a bird we observe catching bugs mid-air; fly catcher maybe? It has a florescent orange-red rest on it's head and the entire belly. Any ideas?

Brenda		28-May-2011 23:21
I live near Boerne, TX and there is a bird we observe catching bugs mid-air; fly catcher maybe? It has a florescent orange-red rest on it's head and the entire belly. Any ideas?

Shirley		28-May-2011 02:11
Please identify. I live in near Boerne, Texas, North of San Antonio. For the last two weeks I have had some visitors. The birds are extremely small, like a Finch. They have coal Black heads, crested. Their necks have a pure white band all the way around. Their bodies are a grey or brownish color. Extremely fast darting birds. When they land on the chain link fence they don't sit on top, they grasp onto the side of the fence. They gather at the bird bath but for short spurts at a time. They don't bathe. Like I said they are extremely fast and very, very small. What are they please?

Guest		28-May-2011 02:10
Please identify. I live in near Boerne, Texas, North of San Antonio. For the last two weeks I have had some visitors. The birds are extremely small, like a Finch. They have coal Black heads, crested. Their necks have a pure white band all the way around. Their bodies are a grey or brownish color. Extremely fast darting birds. When they land on the chain link fence they don't sit on top, they grasp onto the side of the fence. They gather at the bird bath but for short spurts at a time. They don't bathe. Like I said they are extremely fast and very, very small. What are they please?

Connie		23-May-2011 19:00
There is a family now of birds in our yard. I can't seem to see any photos of these in Fort Bend County area. Strangely the Mother Parent made a nest in our Sago Palm and the eggs where greenish/with a tint of blue & speckles brightish color not brown. They were 1 &1/2 circumference. The babies hatched one day while out and within less than a week out learning to fly by the mother & dad. There were 4 eggs & babies. They look like black but not quiet & do not look like anything I've seen. The dad may have a color on the head, but can not really tell. I am going to try to get photos of 2 of the youngsters that are on a perch under my eave that stay there most of the time if they are not flying with Mother & Dad and the other 2 chickies. They look like small martins but not exactly.

Connie		23-May-2011 19:00
There is a family now of birds in our yard. I can't seem to see any photos of these in Fort Bend County area. Strangely the Mother Parent made a nest in our Sago Palm and the eggs where greenish/with a tint of blue & speckles brightish color not brown. They were 1 &1/2 circumference. The babies hatched one day while out and within less than a week out learning to fly by the mother & dad. There were 4 eggs & babies. They look like black but not quiet & do not look like anything I've seen. The dad may have a color on the head, but can not really tell. I am going to try to get photos of 2 of the youngsters that are on a perch under my eave that stay there most of the time if they are not flying with Mother & Dad and the other 2 chickies. They look like small martins but not exactly.

Connie		23-May-2011 19:00
There is a family now of birds in our yard. I can't seem to see any photos of these in Fort Bend County area. Strangely the Mother Parent made a nest in our Sago Palm and the eggs where greenish/with a tint of blue & speckles brightish color not brown. They were 1 &1/2 circumference. The babies hatched one day while out and within less than a week out learning to fly by the mother & dad. There were 4 eggs & babies. They look like black but not quiet & do not look like anything I've seen. The dad may have a color on the head, but can not really tell. I am going to try to get photos of 2 of the youngsters that are on a perch under my eave that stay there most of the time if they are not flying with Mother & Dad and the other 2 chickies. They look like small martins but not exactly.

Betty		23-May-2011 17:43
Looking at these pics they may have been Great Kiskadees, but their tails looked longer. The coloring was like them.

Betty		23-May-2011 17:36
I saw two birds, obviously a male and female I had never seen before. They were perched on a brick post. The shape and size were kind of like a Road Runner, but the male had a bright yellow breast. The female was dull brown. They had long tails like road runners, and like I said, about that shape and size. Any help would be appreciated.

Betty		23-May-2011 17:36
I saw two birds, obviously a male and female I had never seen before. They were perched on a brick post. The shape and size were kind of like a Road Runner, but the male had a bright yellow breast. The female was dull brown. They had long tails like road runners, and like I said, about that shape and size. Any help would be appreciated.

Bill McPherson		22-May-2011 01:45
Fredericksburg Texas: I've seen this bird only a couple of times. It behaves like a vulture but looks more like a hawk. It's almost black with whitish or yellowish tipped wings and tail and yellowish head. The other day one was stalking a wounded duck - walking around it apparently waiting for it to die. The duck apparently had a wing injury as it walked fine. I wondered why it did not attack and kill the duck if it was a hawk. The slow paced stalk lasted for a few minutes then the duck wondered into some thick brush. Another one of these birds was seen today with two vultures on the ground. They flew but the one described flew away from the 2 turkey vultures. I've seen this bird only three times and it was solo each time - not another of same description with it.

Guest		21-May-2011 19:43
I have seen a bird that looks like an american bittern but it makes a kind of scratchy clicking noise.

Dee		19-May-2011 21:45
I've seen a bird I can't identify at my birdbath between Leander and Liberty Hill. It's bigger than a cardinal, black body, wings, legs and beak with a very dark maroon head.

Danny		19-May-2011 03:22
I saw a yellow bird with black spots in my tree in houston yesterday. Bright yellow about the size of a robin. I think it is a Yellowed hooded Oriole. Never seen one before anywhere. Wow! It was beautiful. My son's and I are getting feeders tomorrow.

Alan		18-May-2011 00:25
Jill - Thanks for your suggestion. I think it must be a Couch's Kingbird based on a google image search. It had more of a muted yellow than most photos I saw, but there were a few with dull yellow like what I saw.

Guest		16-May-2011 23:33
I have a bird that has been at our property west of San Antonio that I have not been able to find online. It is a yellow with olive green wings. It's face and down its neck is red like it is blushing or has a rash. It has a beautiful song. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

Guest		16-May-2011 19:22
From this site, I have ID'd the Painted Bunting that I have never seen before. I am in SW Austin. I have lived here 10 years and have never seen so many birds. This cheery little fellow has tried several times to come in through the window. What should I provide to keep them nesting around here?

Mickey		12-May-2011 00:51
I've got a nested (I think) Golden Fronted Woodpecker with young. I'm not sure of the ID, because the red spot on the head as shown on your photos is not present. We have a lot of these birds here(Hidalgo Co, TX)Is there another similar woodpecker or flicker species in this area? Also, two birds appear to be tending this nest(or one is jealous)

Lagarto		11-May-2011 04:25
In my central Austin backyard this morning, spotted a Blue Grosbeak hanging with an adult male and young female (still feeding) cardinal. A sight for comparison, purple blue next to flame red...awesome!

Jill		10-May-2011 02:16
Alan... Do a search for the Couch's Kingbird and see if that looks like the bird that you saw. I am in SW Austin and I see these birds near my home.

Jill		10-May-2011 02:10
Duke... Do a search for the female Painted Bunting and see if it matches your little olive-colored bird. Their young are dun-colored so the other bird could have been a juvenile. The male young are olive, too, for a couple of years before their get their bright multi-colored feathers. If it is a female bunting, watch for the male who is sure to be close by (blue head, red chest/underside, olive wings, yellow back...can't miss him!).

Duke Egbert		08-May-2011 15:49
Mother's Day morning during breakfast, we had a bird I have never seen in the back yard. It was small, built like a finch, and had an olive green back and a lighter green stomach. It was accompanied by a similarly built bird, dun colored. They seemed to be hunting for seeds and insects in tall grass. Any ideas?

Alan		08-May-2011 02:08
My parents and I live in south Austin. They have a front yard full of trees and underbrush which invites all sorts of animals. My dad fills a cooler with fresh water daily and tosses out deer feed, nuts, popcorn, seeds...anything he thinks the critters and birds might like. Just to give you an idea, there are deer, an opossum, squirrels, a rabbit, and lots of birds. They get the typical birds for these parts: grackles, morning dove, white-tipped dove, cardinals, blue jays, wrens, a woodpecker from time to time, and a humming bird finally came back yesterday after a year or two absence. The other day, a different bird showed up. It was a little smaller than a female grackle, was brown all over except the breast, which was a dull yellow. Any idea what it is? I didn't have time to grab my camera. Thanks

Nancy		07-May-2011 18:32
Lisa, Your red-headed bird with brown sounds like a house fince. We have those in Lakeway. They eat from the seed feeder and also take a drink of the hummingbird nectar at times.

Charlie Johnson		07-May-2011 16:26
I live off I30 in Hunt County in northeast Texas and I had a visiter this morning at my bird feeders. It was glossy black and under its winds were red. and a strip of yellow were the body meets the wings. I had a very pearsing sound when it sang and when it flow off the under side of its wings were so red to the glossy black body. It was very beautiful.

Jim		07-May-2011 01:11
Lisa, your bird sounds just like the one we have this year in Dallas. I thought it looked like a Vermilion Flycatcher.

Guest		06-May-2011 04:11
i live off of 36 in hunt county in northesast texas and today i saw a bird that was the size and heighth of a yellow-crowned night heron but had a dark green metallicy back an orange chest/legs/feet a dark colored beak and its feathers where quiet long

Nancy V		05-May-2011 19:00
A new bird showed up recently and it quickly destroys the suet feed. It isn't a grackle; it has a yellow/gold beak. Does anyone know the name of this bird?

Lorna		05-May-2011 09:32
I spent the day yesterday at High Island on the Bolivar Peninsula. In Smith Oaks they have a Rookery - roseate spoonbills, snowy egrets, great egrets and cormorants abound. They are all nesting and the egrets have babies already. The noise of all these birds is wonderful. Walking round one of the lakes there show more birds, warblers, tanagers, cape may warblers - a wonderful place, walking back towards the car park an alligator was walking towards us!!! If ever you get the chance to visit you should.

Lisa		04-May-2011 23:40
I have new bird eating from my feeders. He is small and has a red head and some red on his body along with some brown.... could he be a red finch? I live in the Memorial area of Houston.

Ron Merritt		04-May-2011 01:36
In response to Jo Ann Daniel... That would be a male Painted Bunting. We have one that frequents our back yard on occasion as well. Here in TX we are near the western edge of their known range. If you are seeing one then there is a very good chance that you will see him again, as they are brutally territorial.

Jennifer		03-May-2011 16:24
Jo Ann, you are so lucky! You've seen a painted bunting, which in some areas of Texas is very rare. I'm jealous!

jessica gonzales		03-May-2011 14:10
There are black birds with bright orange on their chests and a little on thier wings trying desperately to drink from my humming bird feeders. What kind of birds are these? I live in Palestine Tx. and have never seen these birds before!

Jo Ann Daniel		30-Apr-2011 13:48
What is the bird at my feeder? It has a dark blue head, red underneath, green wings, and yellow back?

Melissa		29-Apr-2011 17:03
Cindy - Those would be female grackles, those large brown birds that congregate in parking lots. Also you'll see alot of european starlings, smaller and darker iridescent with distinctive blunted orange bill.

Mike		22-Apr-2011 21:35
Howdy Folks Need some advice please. Trying to sell my house and it seems that my tress are becoming comfortable housing options for 2 Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers. They have hammered one of my tress much more than any others {Just noticed this problem yesterday}. No insects issues on any of my tress so I am not sure what is their driving {no pun intended} force. Any advice to send those good-fellows packing? Thanks for your time & consideration! MG

Cathy Mathews		19-Apr-2011 21:56
I live in Kingwood, just north of Houston, and saw an Indigo Bunting in my backyard. This is the first time I have seen one and goodness he was beautiful!

steve		18-Apr-2011 14:43
Just yesterday I saw what appeared to be an indigo bunting. I'm new to the area but have never seen this particular species. Is this common to the Marshall area and what can I do to encourage nesting.

Bob		12-Apr-2011 01:37
I had 4 birds land in my yard on the edge of Lake Buchanan. All were about 8" long from beak to tip of tail, were black with a yellowish orange head and throat and an apron on their chest with the same color. They might have also had a white line on their wings, but it was very slight and hard to see

Suzanne		06-Apr-2011 14:11
I see a pair and one male kind of like the one Patricia found on her door in Ennis, TX. I cannot find anything online. The male is colored like the Female Cardinal and kind of like the vermillion flycatcher, but definitely a different bird.

Wayt		05-Apr-2011 23:07
I have a pair of birds that nest EVERY year at my front door {mud nest}. She usually lays twice during the spring. Mom, Dad and the kids will all fly out in the morning and are back at dusk. I can't seem to find a breed for them. They are small like a finch, brown with pale yellow under bodies and a short tail shaped in an upside down "V". I live in north texas. Thanks

Pam		04-Apr-2011 02:18
I saw a bird smaller than but similar to a sparro with a long, thin beak. It made really pretty sounds. This was in Fort Worth. Can you identify it?

Guest		27-Mar-2011 19:20
A black bird with the red tips on their wings are "Red-Winged Blackbirds". Rich in Keller TX

Patti Hand		26-Mar-2011 23:39
I live in North Richland Hills, TX. Today, we saw two birds on a power line. One would move closer to the other and the other would keep moving further away. They are jet black, but have BRIGHT red on the base of their wings, near the neck. What kind of birds are these???

Guest		26-Mar-2011 17:00
I saw a scissor-tailed flycatcher off the 34 outside Ennis Tx yesterday glad you could help with the ID Thanks

D L		25-Mar-2011 17:27
There are yellow-crowned night-herons nesting over several homes in North West Houston. (Not far from the horse track)

Naomi Kronenberger		21-Mar-2011 18:33
We have Mockingbirds (plenty) and the beautiful Cardinal

douglas		17-Mar-2011 16:24
What is the name of those big, black birds with the long tails and pretty song in Central Texas? The answer is: 'Boat-tailed Grackle' primary habitat is east gulf coast, it seems that they have moved inland

Priscilla		17-Mar-2011 03:31
I live in The Woodlands, TX. A small bird with dusty red feathers on it's head has built a small nest in a wreath on my door. It has laid 3 small, very light blue eggs in the nest. Any ideas of what bird it is?

nomia		17-Mar-2011 02:00
found dead in my swimming pool. med-lrg brown bird w/white specks on back. long straight beak, it has red/rust colored under wings and red stripe on each side of face. wings span about 18in. looked online and can not locate it. it looks almost like a redtail hawk claws are slightly curved.

JoAnn Morales		04-Mar-2011 16:23
I live in the Rio Grande Valley, deep south Texas and have a bird feeder in the back yard. I have seen many dove, sparrows and black birds in and around the feeder and bird bath but have just recently noticed a solid black bird with a white strip on the wings. when it moves from spot to spot there are flashes of red but I can't tell if that is from its feet or from the somewhere on it's wing. what are these?

Guest		27-Feb-2011 15:49
Cardinals are always flying at my windows

Scott		19-Feb-2011 21:09
The parrots that are being reported in Austin Texas are Quaker Parakeets/Parrots. They were released by a breeder many years ago and have become naturalized. They can be seen at Festival Park where I35 crosses over Town Lake most often.

Cindy		09-Feb-2011 19:28
Hi, We are new to Texas from the North and see many birds that are unfamiliar to us. We're having trouble identifying them, I think, because they are so common to Native Texans. Could we ask what are the large flocks of birds that congregate nightly in specific trees. There is a huge flock in the trees around our local Whataburger (another great Texas novelty for us), they are large brown birds with a distinctive whee, whee call. Thank you

DeeDee		08-Feb-2011 18:37
Pat, I have the same soft olive bird, as well. Also, today there was a dark colored bird with longer bright yellow beak. His back feathers were brown, but there was a teal tint that started at the top of his wings, across the back and down towards the tail. There were several. Any ideas??

Lizzy Wolf		08-Feb-2011 15:23
I saw many birds on the snowy/icy side of the highway from Big Springs to Abeline, TX during the Big Freeze. They had bright yellow bellies, some white, and maybe grey on top with a few of them looking barred. They looked larger than a robin, maybe because they were so fluffed out in the cold weather. What could they be?

guest		05-Feb-2011 15:12
I think my husband & I saw a Rufous sided Towhee. Larger than a cardinal, white belly, red/rust on sides under wings, black head & bill, little bit of white on tips of inner wings. I checked my book & that was the closest I could match. Springtown, Tx

sherry p		04-Feb-2011 15:25
i have a bunch of cardinals in my yard. i noticed yesterday in the snow, a new baby......an albino!

Dale Grider		01-Feb-2011 14:13
I saw an unusal bird at my backyard bath yesterday and would like to know what it is. It had a shield shaped black patch on its chest and a red patch on the back of its head. the overall color was a sandy brown. There were robins in the area but I do not think the markings were robins. I thought it might be a variety of woodpecker.

Pat		01-Feb-2011 13:53
Please help...I have an soft olive colored bird at my feeders in Luling. His most outstanding feature are real black wing tips. I thought it was a warbler and then kinglet but neither seems right.

Big Ed 8		24-Jan-2011 16:21
I was in South Texas recently and the cardinals I observed there had a grey or black tint whereas the Northern cardinals have a brown tint. Is the cardinal in South Texas a different bird? The South Texas cardinal seemed even more striking than the northern cardinal.

Belinda		16-Jan-2011 17:05
W'd like to know if anyone knows what type of bird we've had the pleasure of watching (unable to capture it in photo). This bird is the color of the kiskadee but has the looks of a penguin face.

Guest		14-Dec-2010 10:23
there are several flocks of parrots around austin. check out the softball fields at havins and kreig for regular viewing. :)

GreenBirds		10-Nov-2010 15:45
Those who saw LIME GREEN birds in Texas: I believe they are MONK PARAKEETS. I saw a flock of them outside of my apartment in Austin. They have white chests, blue-tipped wings, and they are bright green.

texan2		09-Oct-2010 21:26
When do sparrows build their nests in East Texas? Thanks!

Barry		25-Sep-2010 14:57
I have a bird in my crape mertyles, he is real small, bright green with some yellow underneath, he looks to be eating off the undersides of leaves. Can anyone identify this bird? I dont know if he was a pet that got loose or what! I live in west Houston.

Andrea Brietzke		10-Sep-2010 02:40
I keep seeing this small bird in my Michigan backyard - white fur, fluffy, orange beak, orange feet, looks like a duck. It has been around for a few weeks living in my bush. Could you identify it for me? I never saw anything like it. Doesn't look like a bird but flies away into my bush. (Funny, but it looks like a little old man sitting by my porch) Thank you.

Margo		03-Sep-2010 15:37
I saw a very small bird, the size of a wren or smaller. I saw it in Ponder, near Denton, TX. early this Summer. It was standing in the grass by some pink wildflowers outside my window. I saw it for just a moment, but the colors were so bright and distinctive, I hope someone can identify it for me. The bird had a bright red head, brilliant yellow ring around the neck and the body was entirely a very bright blue. The colors were clear, reminding me of tempra paint! I have never seen a more beautiful, bright little bird. Can anyone help me identifu it? Thanks!

osbogosley		13-Aug-2010 17:10
I was able to identify a Roseate Spoonbill by looking at your site. Thanks.

Ellen Campos		07-Aug-2010 15:52
Thanks for your website. We have a little visitor this summer and I recognize it as a Vermillion Flycatcher. We live in West Houston Alief area. We have enjoyed him very much.

Rynda Clark		04-Aug-2010 14:45
No wonder I couldn't fine the bird I was looking for! I was calling it by the wrong name! I was calling it a Mexican Eagle when it was really a Crested Caracara. Oh well, live and learn! I live in Karnes County and see a lot of these birds.

Guest		02-Aug-2010 14:21
We have a new visitor, which I could not find in the Peterson Field Guide. Medium brown, with rusty colour around the wing edges, no crest, and a bright yellow bill, shaped like the cardinal/phyrry. Love this site! Marta

Bob		28-Jul-2010 02:21
Recently spotted small bird with big voice. He is very hard to see ; about the size of a sparrow and colored similarly but has a very loud song. I would like to know more about tis bird.

Sharil		25-Jul-2010 14:50
thank you for these pictures! we may have a few Loggerhead shrikes in our tree...they are VERY tiny and only black and white, haven't seen much gray...I spray our crepe myrtle tree branches and they fly over from a bigger tree and take a bath--right in front of me!! they are tiny, adorable, black and white distinct markings...

paws		24-Jul-2010 11:27
These birds I have each year. Small, mostly black or black and brown with yellow becks. Does anyone know what these birds are? Thanks.

Sara		24-Jul-2010 00:10
Hello to everyone....It seems people are looking for information on the same bird. Small..reddish brown head (male) , the female is all brown and they lay very small blue/brown speckled eggs. Usually the nest is close to the house(front porch area) and very small woven, circular nest. I believe it to be a House Finch. They are very active birds and like the protection of humans...that's why they are close to the house. Look into the House finch and see if its the same bird. I have two nests every year....wonderful little birds and very quite. I hope this is informative.......Sara

Bob		14-Jul-2010 15:10
Thank You for your efforts, I just moved to the Austin Area and have observed two large "pheasant like" birds. They are patterned like tree bark and are very hard to see with the naked eye. Black "crown" on the top of the haed and they are very cool looking birds. Please advise, I hope I have provided enough info... sorry my system would not delete the two typing mistakes (e n) Bobby in Austin

Richard Lazarus		13-Jul-2010 20:10
I am trying to identify the small bird that has built a nest in my Boston fern on the front porch ...there seem to be two...one brown with some black flecks in it and the other nearly the same color but with red feathers on its head..there were three blue eggs in the nest..they are both about 4 inches

Amanda Grewe		13-Jul-2010 01:59
I found a baby bird hopping across the road and i cant seem to figure out what it may be. Right now its a dark gray color and has white tips on the very end of its tail feathers. It doesn't yet have long tail feathers and its head is just getting feathers, the feathers under its wings have also not yet developed. It has a broken leg and cant yet fly. Do you have any idea as to how i can figure out what type of bird it may be? Or advice for what I should do with it? I've rehabilitated animals before, but never a bird.

Sam		11-Jul-2010 00:23
YOUR WORK IS GREAT...LOVE THE PHOTOS

Christine		10-Jul-2010 14:10
I want to thank you very much for your pics and allowing questions and answers. Keep it up. You are AWSOME. However, still trying to find out which birds are all over my yard. They are small, probably common ones. (?) ...and they don't like Finch food. lol PS I live in San Antonio

Calvin		07-Jul-2010 07:14
A little brown bird has QUICKLY built a good-sized, tightly-knit, rounded, all pine-needled, side-entried nest on a wall shelf in my carport's open washroom with latticed panels. The bird has horizontal, head-length white stripes just above it's eyes. Wut iz it? There are 4 eggs.

Sujoyita Ghosh		02-Jul-2010 10:51
Can someone help me pl.? I am from India. My kids found two chicks, brown with long legs. Then we found the parents who have been searching for them since yesterday. The bodies are about mynah sized but have long (about 5inches +) yellow legs, a pointed orange beak, brown body with a black crown. The patch of black runs down the neck on a base of white till the base of the neck. What birds are they? They make a peculiar screech kind of sound.

Sophi S.R.		01-Jul-2010 23:24
Okay, I live in Austin, Texas and I keep hearing this loud bird. The male is a navy blue color when he spreads his wings as he flies. He has black lines across the end of his feathers and then it goes back to blue for the last inch. The female makes these screeching crying noises and is a kakhi color with a black stripe around her neck. I just moved to ATX and I am familiar with ALL birds of Brownsville, Tx. but I am unfimliar with this species and I am very curious about it! If anyone can help me and tell me the name of this bird.... that would be awesome!!

Nancy Walker		30-Jun-2010 18:32
I just looked out my window and saw a bird with a black body. Its head was white with a black stripe from front to back. I've never seen this bird before. I'm hoping you can let me know what it is. It's about 12-14 inches tall and its call is rather piercing. I live in Central Texas or maybe North Central Texas.

Guest		27-Jun-2010 18:58
Can't identify bird spotted in Southern Ontario on June 26/10. About the size of a robin. Orange beast (lighter colour than a robin) with black zig zag patterns on breast. Orange went to throat of bird. Dark coloured beak. Rest of body colouring looked like a sparrow. Didn't see it in flight. Any ideas?

Ciro		25-Jun-2010 21:50
We have a bird that looks like a sparrow with a red head and light red chest. What is it? Ciro from Burleson

Guest		25-Jun-2010 02:04
I found a bird egg about the size of a nickel and I think it is a Violet-Green Swallow.

Jeannie		22-Jun-2010 16:29
I saw a black-throated green warbler in Longview, TX over the weekend. It was a very pretty bird, but it was hurt.

Diann S. Abbey		21-Jun-2010 14:57
I think we may have spotted a painted bunting northeast of Crockett, Texas. It was one of the most beautiful birds I have ever seen in Texas, and certainly the most beautiful I have seen in Houston, County Texas.

Diann S. Abbey		21-Jun-2010 14:55
I think we may have spotted a painted bunting northeast of Crockett Texas. I was one of the most beautiful birds I have ever seen in Texas, and certainly the most beautiful I have seen in Houston, County Texas.

Guest		18-Jun-2010 17:47
What is the name of those big, black birds with the long tails and pretty song in Central Texas? I have looked on every Central Texas website and NOBODY seems to care enough about them to take their picture.

Ben		18-Jun-2010 01:47
That's a House Finch, they love Hummingbird water and are very human-friendly.

kay uptmore		16-Jun-2010 22:30
I just saw what appeared to be a medium size sparrow at my hummingbird feeder. But it had beautiful red cast to its head and to its body. Not solid like a tanager and no crest on its head. Any thoughts? Kay- Waco

Joyce		10-Jun-2010 14:15
Thank you for these gourgous pics. I have some how this spring became the bird rescue home. I am not sure how this happened, but people keep bring me babies. I was blessed with a small bird yesterday and had no idea what this was or how to take care of it. I found your site and discovered it is a killdeer and wish the people had left it there. At least now I know how to proceed in looking for the best way to care for this baby. Thank you again.

Guest		09-Jun-2010 01:03
I just saw my first painted bunting it was wonderful to see a new bird at my feeder in Lampasas texasl

justin		08-Jun-2010 18:09
i need help i found a baby bird at my work (i only took it cause a rain storm blew in and it was starting to rain) i dont know what kind it is but i see them all the time at night they sit on the dirt roads it almost looks like a kite of some kind. i just need to know what to feed it till it gets big enough to release. it already is starting to get feathers

marsymar		05-Jun-2010 02:01
I live in Fredericksburg and just saw a bird the size of a Starling but it was solid black with a light peach colored band on each wing. I can't find a picture anywhere and in the 30 years I have lived here I have never seen one.

Diane		02-Jun-2010 02:47
I think I identified the bird I see every evening...a tri colored heron.

Diane		01-Jun-2010 19:38
Just at dusk, a dark colored, long necked bird with a wide wing span flies from the wildflower preserve behind my apartment up to the grassy area in our complex. When it walks, it kind of juts its head out. Because it is getting dark, I can't see its features well. It stands around and walks a little here and there until I can't see it anymore because it gets too dark outside. Any ideas of what kind of bird. I am fascinated as it comes every evening.

Misty		01-Jun-2010 16:22
My aunt has a grey bird with black rings on its neck and it layed eggs in her yard it doesn't fly we have never seen a bird like this and would like to know what it is. It's eggs are white with black speckles.

Carol		01-Jun-2010 06:19
Thanks Sara, I googled "house finch" and that is exactly what it is.

Sara		31-May-2010 21:42
Carol I believe it to be a house finch.

Mel Oliver		30-May-2010 20:53
There is a small black bird with a yellow bill that I have seen in Houston for several years now. It is smaller than a standard black bird or a mawking bird and larger than a sparrow. I've been in Houston since the 40's and that bird was not here when I was young. A know that the answer will be simple for a Birder but not for me...Thanks

Carol		30-May-2010 18:18
I have a bird that we can not identify in our backyard (outside San Antonio). It's body shape and size is a little smaller than a sparrow, the entire head and breast are red and all other parts are brown. The female is completely brown. Any idea what this could be?

911t		27-May-2010 01:59
Sounds like a barn swallow.

911t		27-May-2010 01:53
Sounds like a barn swallow.

Kimberly		26-May-2010 23:52
I apologize...peach, not peace.... and it's about the size of a sparrow or a little bigger....

Kimberly		26-May-2010 23:49
I apologize...peach, not peace.... and it's about the size of a sparrow or a little bigger....

Kimberly		26-May-2010 23:48
I live in Lubbock, TX. I have a bird building a nest above my back door out of mud and grass and sticks. The bird is a peace/tan breasted, with wha looks like an indigo back and wings. I was wondering is anyone knew what this beautiful bird is? Help!

Jami Hampton		24-May-2010 19:34
I saw a bird in our pasture in NE TX (Hopkins county) that is about the size of a hawk which had white stripe on his wings and tail when he was flying. He stood in the middle of the pasture for a few minutes and you couldn't see the white. I can't find a similar picture in my books since they don't show them in flight. I think he also was light around his face, but he was brown on his head. Didn't get a real close look at him but the white was so obvious. Do you have any idea what this could be? Thanks. Jami

Bryan		19-May-2010 17:33
Hello! I was just up in Big Bend in the Chisos mountains, hiking around 7,000 feet and we saw a fairly large blue and purple bird (2x larger than a pigeon, for example). It has blue and purple throughout, but I can't be sure of the beak color, possible black or blue as well. I have been searching and can't seem to find anything matching the size and color - any ideas? The closest I have found is an image of a "purple blue bird" which I can't even correlate.

Cathie		09-May-2010 22:31
Kelly, I'm actually on the net googling the same bird description. So far the closest description I came up with is the European Starling, but the photo doesn't quite look like it. The verbal description is the same. I want to know what it is, too.

Kelly		09-May-2010 16:10
I live in south central Texas and have seen only 2 (a pair) of these new birds in this area that I've never seen before. They are black for the most part, have an irridescent sheen (sort of greenish at times) slender body, bright yellow beaks and they constantly probe the ground all day long together. I have looked at images of birds but cannot seem to pin down what this bird is that's new to my neighborhood and only the one pair it seems. Can anyone shed some light? Thank You, ..I'm dying to know what they are. :)

Piper		08-May-2010 02:52
This week I was visited by about 100 black (bottom) and gold on the top. Does anyone know what these guys were?

Guest		07-May-2010 22:55
Dee, Forgot to mention that the Red-Winged Blackbird also has the yellow strip on its wing, only when it flies did we notice the red. We are in Cypress Texas, right outside of Houston.

Shelly		07-May-2010 22:50
Hi Dee, We have been enjoying the birds around our house as well. Wow...they can really go through some birdseed fast. We are always having to fill it. We saw a similar bird and looked it up...it is a Red-Winged blackbird. If you have seen the version we have, when he/she flies you will see a bright red. they are really beautiful. Enjoy your birds.

Dee		06-May-2010 22:11
Oh, more details...........I live in Houston.

Dee		06-May-2010 22:09
Yesterday, I sas a blackbird at my feeder, with a bright yellow beak and a yellow stripe on its wings. It had a loud and screechy call. It's about the size of a large mockingbird. Does anyone know what this is??

Ronny........		05-May-2010 13:05
a pair of small birds have buile a small mud nest under the roof of my front porch. the pair look alike, white under and dark on top the appear to have scissor type tails and b-u-t-ful birds. anybody with an idea as to what these bird are please let me know something. a picture to confirm we're talking about the same breed of bird would be great. bless all and thanks in advance.

Guest		05-May-2010 03:12
I saw a large soaring bird with a white head, that a first I thought was a bald eagle, but then I saw it had forked tail. What is this bird? Sour Lake Texas

Guest		01-May-2010 22:36
We have a bird nesting in our pear tree that has gray feathers, an orange breast and a yellow beak. Any ideas what type of bird? I am in Dallas.

Judy		30-Apr-2010 06:00
OK I think I figured it out myself - Killdeers! Cute little guys!

Judy		30-Apr-2010 05:50
Tonight we saw some distraught birds I didn't recognize from around here (allen texas) - a very upset pair of adults chirping in an alarming manner and worryingly hanging around a storm drain for over two hours. Investigating closer, my daughter discovered two baby chicks in the storm drain. This was around sundown. Whenever we were near them the adults would run away. My husband called the city, who came and opened the storm drain, and he rescued the chicks. He took pictures of the baby chicks, which looked a little different than the adults. The adults were white with black bands. I would like to identify them. I can send you the pic of the babies, who have white tummies, grey on their backs and heads outlined in black, with a white band on the collar. Let me know an email address to send them. Thanks!

Tommy		26-Apr-2010 16:03
I spotted a pair of birds at my Mothers bird feeder that I am trying to identify. They have bright red breasts and head, black wings, and the most beautifull color of bright green in the middle of the back. I live in South Carolina. Any help would be appreciated.

Kathy		25-Apr-2010 22:36
Yesterday afternoon I was sitting in my backyard and saw a cedar waxwing. These birds are so cute. They would get a caterpillar and stand there swallowing it. I love living in the hill country where you can see something different everyday. I will use this website more often. It's the best one I've found.

Sharon		22-Apr-2010 18:08
There is a bird that I grew up around, but it prefers to live around marshes. We called it the red winged blackbird. All black except for the striking red patches o the shoulders. They have a distinctive cry which I can't emulate but when I hear it I get homesick. There is also a yellow winged version. I never heard of it flying into windows, however. But thanks for bringing back good memories!

Billie		22-Apr-2010 16:29
There is a beautiful jet black bird with bright red on the"shoulders of the wings" and just beneath the red is vibrant yellow. Does anyone know the name of this bird. It keeps flying into the windows intentionally and has a funny sound and whenn it make this sound, it flairs its wings and tail.

A. L. Minton		20-Apr-2010 21:17
This particular bird I have been watching for 2 years now. My uncle call's this bird a "Butcher Bird" and rightfully so.. this bird catches field mice and shred's them for his mate and chicks while nesting. They look similiar to a Mocking Bird, but with heavier bodies, this birds location is in Sargent, TX. Thank you in advance for any insight.

Pat		20-Apr-2010 14:18
We live in San Antonio. Our neighbor has a hackberry tree in their backyard and we have a pond in ours, for the past few days the tree has been full of small birds with black helmets, looking at your pictures I guess they are black-crested titmouse, or is that titmice?! Every evening they take turns in groups drinking and bathing in our pond, there must be 30 to 50 of these little birds. Has anyone else seen such a sight?

Terry Parker		20-Apr-2010 00:09
Saw a small red bird almost like a scarlet tanager in Sugar Land, TX neighborhood. I stopped to look and he just sat on the side of the road for awhile then flew off. Was not the color of a cardinal and had no black like a cardinal or tanager. Not the face of a cardinal either. Any suggestions anyone?

Nicholson Ranch		19-Apr-2010 14:29
We just had a flock of American Avocet's visit and spend the rainy day at our backyard pond in Mertzon, Texas, over the weekend. Absolutely Beautiful!

sara		12-Apr-2010 16:08
Bug look into the sparrows. There are so many with that discription. I have a few of them in my yard as well....they make my dog crazy!!

Sara		12-Apr-2010 16:03
Cindy the small bird with the red patches is a House Finch. I have a pair of them outside my front door. They just hatched 5 little ones about 2 weeks ago. They will have between 5-11 babies per breeding season. It took me a while to figure out what they were but when I did it sure was exciting. I hope this helps and it is the same bird!

Steve		10-Apr-2010 23:20
Hi. I live in north Plano, TX near hwy 121. The most popular black bird that you see everywhere is called what?

cindy		10-Apr-2010 20:33
I have this bird under my carprot i heve never seen before i live in Brownwood texas. it reminds me of a gray parrakeet with red on him like you took a brush and put red long skinny patches all over him. he is not stripped. there were alot of them fighting over a birdhouse so i put another one out but noone moved into it yet. I cannot find what kindit is.

Bug		09-Apr-2010 17:20
saw several of these birds in my yard last night. First time I've noticed them, does'nt mean I haven't seen them before, but never was a real bird watcher till recently. The bird looked like it had a bicycle helmet on that was black and white striped. mostly brown in color. with a darl collar around it's neck. Can anyone tell me anything?

Bug		09-Apr-2010 14:07
saw several of these birds in my yard last night. First time I've noticed them, does'nt mean I haven't seen them before, but never was a real bird watcher till recently. The bird looked like it had a bicycle helmet on that was black and white striped. mostly brown in color. with a darl collar around it's neck. Can anyone tell me anything?

odis gilbert		06-Apr-2010 01:27
Thanks Sara. That is almost what i saw.. but the white stripes on the underwings were more vertical than horizontal on the one i saw, but its a very close match! thanks again! Odis

R Kimbrell		03-Apr-2010 14:37
Went back and looked at in the morning and noticed it also has large green feet and a very sturdy beek.

Rodger Kimbrell		03-Apr-2010 03:05
I was driving at nigh , just after sunset, and struck a pegion size bird that had a gray or blue body and a black head. The black of the head started at the neck. In the poor light it was hard to be exact on the colors. This happened in the Ft. Hood/Killeen TX area. Any guess as to what it might be?

Ronda Onken		01-Apr-2010 01:36
Recently while vacationing on S Padre Island we saw a bird perched on top of a large evergreen tree. The bird was small and looked to have color on it's breast and had the most impressive tail feathers I have ever seen. The tail feathers (seversl)stood up and were much longer than the bird. It was a windy day and the bird had to keep switching positions to stay in the tree. I am trying to identify the bird. Any help will be appreciated.

T.Sams		31-Mar-2010 13:16
A flock of parrots in Mcallen? That is what they appear to be. Each morning between 7:45 to 8:30 I would take my dog for a walk and there they were, 12 of them. They were always above flying from tree to tree and not in the grass as has been described on this page and they had red on there heads near the beak I think. Since they were always above I'm not sure how large the red. If I didn't see them I could certainly hear them, as they made loud shireking squawks as they flew. I never saw them any other time of day. Are these really parrots? Set free or native? Thank you.

Sara		30-Mar-2010 01:46
I have been doing some research and I believe the bird you all are describing is a juvenile golden eagle. Take a look and see what you think!!! www.thebirdersreport.com has a good pic of the young eagle.

termiteteacher		30-Mar-2010 00:32
to otis and guest, I have been seeing the same descript bird for four years along South Hyw 36 between West Columbia and Needville. I recently saw a pair that was every bit the size of mature Bald Eagles. I might mention that I now continually look for them as I drive around and have had regular and increasing Summer sightings. The white tail and underwing feathers have me baffled. Other than that, I would call them to be Eagle.

odis gilbert		24-Mar-2010 21:46
!thanks sara, i had a look at them and the osprey isnt it..but it was a good thought!

Sara		24-Mar-2010 18:45
Look into the Osprey, they are hawk size or larger and they come in many different black/white patterns. Just a suggestion!

Sara		24-Mar-2010 18:36
Look into the Osprey, they are hawk size or larger and they come in many different black/white patterns. Just a suggestion!

Sara		24-Mar-2010 18:31
I have a bird nest in a round iron plate with the state of Texas cut out and it hangs on the side of my house. It is right outside my front door. She is a small light brown bird with a couple of dark stripes on her and the male is small, reddish in color, mostly on his stomach, head and back. About 2 weeks ago they laid 5 light blue eggs with tiny brown spots. I am very curious as to know what kind of bird this is. They are very loud, and this is there second year back. They first came and tried to use a mud martins nest, but it fell from my front porch. Wasn't too sturdy. So if there is anyone out there with any information it would be greatly appreciated. Many Thanks.

berty		24-Mar-2010 03:27
Can somebady tell me if there's a difference between a crow or a raven and an urraca? My husband says the birds i see almost everyday outside our house are urracas but not crows or ravens. What's the difference between them? I know the difference between a crow and a raven.

odis gilbert		21-Mar-2010 22:40
Hi: this would be the same question as the other guest. I just drove back from buffallo tx and on one of the side roads i saw a hawk sized bird with a solid white stipe down both wings and it had a white tail.. i had been going on this trip for 11 years and had not seen this bird before.... and I wanted to know what it was. If you can tell me.. thanks in advance. Odis

Guest		21-Mar-2010 18:52
Can anyone help me identify a bird I saw in Rosenberg Texas? It was a large, Hawk/Eagle sized brown bird, with a white head. It had landed in some short brush in a field near my road, and I thought I was seeing a Bald Eagle! But, when it flew, I noticed that it had very distinct white stripes on both wings, and wasn't quite as big as an eagle would be. I can't remember 100%, but it may have had a white tail also. I asked a friend and he said it was a "Mexican" eagle, but I looked those up and that is not what I saw. Anybody know what kind of bird this is? I've been searching the net for a pic of one but no luck....thanks!

Nancye		21-Mar-2010 18:33
I have recently seen two birds at my feeder that resemble large sparrows. They are about the size of a robin with brown feathers all over and darker stripes that go from head to tail on their underside and back except for a very small patch of light orange under their chins. The closest I could find in my book was a pipit but its not dark enough and my bird doesnt have any white underneath. Any guesses? I also noticed my cowbirds are back. There were 5 or 6 at my feeder in the middle of our snow storm in east Texas...lol...

Lea		20-Mar-2010 13:41
Hi Greg, I live in an apartment in the Galleria area, and I see this very beautiful bird outside my window every morning. It's colors looks similar to the Vermillion Flycatcher and the Pyrrhuloxia...but it body looks like your every day sparrow. He sings the most beautiful song, and I would love to know what kind of bird he is. Why would this beautiful bird choose to live in the middle of the city!!!?

treepie		11-Mar-2010 21:11
Thanks Greg... You may be right. I live in San Antonio. I cannot really identify most birds out here. I recently moved from India. But would love to know about them here. Any suggestions for a good bird guide?? thanks

Greg Lavaty		10-Mar-2010 23:42
Treepie, I would guess that your birds could be titmice but I can’t say I have ever seen so many in one place at one time. I am not sure where you are located but I wonder if your birds could be Pyrrhuloxia. They look sort of like mutant female cardinals and I have seen them gather in large groups, especially during this time of year. They are usually found in arid habitats of the southwest US including west and southwest TX. Greg

treepie		10-Mar-2010 23:26
hi I have started noticing these birds in groups of atleast 20-30. I was wondering if they are timice. they are crested and look more or less like female northern cardinals... but in large groups. was wondering if anyone would know??

charlotte		05-Mar-2010 22:31
There are birds that comes and is followed by sparrows they are very pretty they remind me of a finch and sparrow but they have a greenish color on their backs and a light greyon there underside. I have not found one in my books or on the computer as of yet I live close to Lubbock texas in a small city near Dickens Texas, can you please help me.

Veronica		02-Mar-2010 17:57
That is so funny that there are other people on here trying to find out what that rusted belly bird is! There have been hundreds in my yard (we live in Parker TX).

Guest		28-Feb-2010 17:18
I live North of Dallas and I saw a sparrow like bird with a orange, yellow breast, a brown body,and a black beak. On its head it had brown feathers sticking up.There was about 20 in my yard. I just happen to get a photo and I tried to serch for it but I couldn't find anything.

Guest		25-Feb-2010 16:02
Amanda and Mary, I was searching for the very same bird you posted about - with an orange breast. There were probably 200 in my front yard yesterday! I live in south Texas - about 50 miles west of Houston. Lynda

Guest		25-Feb-2010 14:49
Amanda and Mary, I was searching for the very same bird you posted about - with an orange breast. There were probably 200 in my front yard yesterday! I live in south Texas - about 50 miles west of Houston. Lynda

Mary		15-Feb-2010 19:36
Amanda, I have the same birds at my house in Dallas. Have you learned what they are?

Kathy Herman		01-Feb-2010 15:15
Greg, I live in East Texas and see many of these birds fairly regularly. These are the best pictures I have ever seen! You're amazing!

Amanda		01-Feb-2010 03:00
I live in Canton and we are noticing an abundance of sparrow like birds- except they have an orange breast. Some are between the size of a sparrow and black bird. Any thoughts on what they may be and why the sudden population?

Patty		29-Jan-2010 20:11
My mom saw a bird at her pond. It was dark brown or black, had long legs like a heron, a long orange beak, some white around its neck and she thought she saw a long feather on the top of its head. Any ideas?

Natalie Roberts		13-Jan-2010 20:22
I love your photographs. They are beautiful, particutlarly the one of the Green Heron that isn't green. I have several photographs of Green Heron myself but mine all look like the ones in the field guides. I haven't been able to find any Green Herons in any of the fifteen reference books I own that show one that are in the colors in your photograph. I was wondering if you recall where this particular photo was taken and if you could tell me if there might be something unusual or different about this particular specimen? Thanks bunches. I love learning new things!

Guest		11-Jan-2010 02:02
I look like a pileated woodpecker!

David		09-Jan-2010 15:23
Saw three birds recently that were colored like a starling, Had a topnot like a cardinal or bluejay and had a bright orange patch from between it's legs back to the tail. Cannot ID this bird from any listings in Texas where I live. Any body got any ideas?

Marty		09-Jan-2010 03:10
Saw a beautiful yellow bodied with black head and black on wings and tail. It was about the size of a Blue Jay and was in the same tree w/it. Eating the bark off my Japanese Redwood. What kind of bird is this? Have seen it twice in my tree in 13 years.

Jenny		29-Dec-2009 01:07
saw a small green feathered bird with a red rectangular mark on it's head on my front porch during the snow fall on 12/24/2009. What type of bird is this?

Sandi		24-Dec-2009 23:21
I saw about 18 lime green birds in San Antonio today. They were about the size of pigeons. They were amazing! What could they be?

C Glover		18-Dec-2009 14:30
Greg, Got a real close up view of the white headed vulture looking bird we chatted about and your were correct as expected.. This bird has a black top notch and is a Crested Caracas. We have lots of them around N. of Uvalde Also enjoyed viewing some Spotted Towhee birds up close and yes they have red eyes. Thanks again, Green Arrow

Greg Lavaty		15-Dec-2009 21:07
Dani, It is possible but it would be a very usual bird for your area. They are normally found on the immediate coast. Your bird might be a Little Blue Heron. If you could get a photo of the bird I am sure there are a lot of people who would be very excited to know about a Reddish Egret near New Braunfels. It might be worth trying to contact a local Audubon society.

Dani		15-Dec-2009 20:05
I live in New Braunfels and recently saw a bird that I believe was a reddish egret. Is this possible? Has anyone else seen them in the San Antonio, New Braunfels, San Marcos area?

christy		05-Dec-2009 21:15
Nancye- I had something similar happen to me several years ago.. I went outside one evening when we had a surprise cool snap that day.. I noticed what looked like a butterfly on my hb feeder, which was common.. got closer and it was a little ruby throated hb! It was night time, no telling how long he'd been there.. I picked him up and brought him inside and placed him in a covered wicker basket with a branch, a wash cloth, and some fresh nectar in a little cup and he spent the night and I released him the next morning as it warmed up. My yorkies were infatuated with listening to him buzzing around in this big basket. It's amazing how little they are!

Green arrow		02-Dec-2009 16:48
I live in Texas and hunt N. W. of Uvalde, Texas. On this ranch and in the area ,I continually see the strangest vultures. They almost look like a bald eagle with a white head, white tail feathers, and white tipped wings. I have yet to find a name or photo of this bird on the web.

Birdzilla		22-Oct-2009 04:25
I live here in NORTHERN CALOFORNIA last year i had the pleasure of watching a pair of WESTERN KINGBIRDS chasing after a RED TAIL HAWK

Nancye		19-Oct-2009 01:01
I had an extraordinary experience today with a hummingbird...he was sitting on the feeder shivering and looking pitiful...i got close and took a picture and he never moved a muscle...so i got closer and touched him...no movement other than shivering...so I picked him up, put him in a basket and took him in the house...set him in front of a small heater covered the basket and in about 20 minutes of warming he was ready to fly. I was going to put him back on the feeder but he had other ideas and flew up into the tree before i could put him on the feeder...up close and personal to a tiny hummingbird...a red letter day for me...I guess he was exhausted from his migration flight...hope he makes it to South America if that's where he is going...

Deb		07-Sep-2009 09:30
NANCYE-We also enjoy "our"Painted Buntings,we've watched & fed + now I photograph them.After my dear hubby began to provide clean water,best food he can find in A county for over 8yrs,then he bought me a telephoto lens camera +now in spring he put up a tent/deerblind to help me get even better pic's.You have possibly seen your last bunting for this yr,maybe not.They spend the cooler weather in an area of NWcoastal Mexico where they are being trapped&sold as cage birds to the European mkt! I 1st learned of this via a Cambridge U study 2wks ago when I decided to Google Painted Bunting. I've been heartsick ever since.When I show my pic's to native E Txns,manyhave never seen 1 or I hear"HOW did you get that one?",knowing that they are only 4+1/2inches long.Happy birding.

guest		07-Sep-2009 03:22
I just typed in search: red, blue and green bird in South Texas (because I live in San Antonio) and I went to your site and saw my little, colorful Painted Bunting. Thank you for the info.

Nancye		03-Sep-2009 02:34
Will my painted buntings head south for the winter?

Gues		25-Aug-2009 19:52
I live in North Texas and there is a big penny-colored bird about the size of a Blue Jay or bigger and it has brown and ivory strips on its belly. The coloring is similar to the Barred Owl, but it's a bird. Can anyone identify it for me?

Annette Daniel		25-Aug-2009 16:13
I am trying to identify a bird on our property. We live north of Fort Worth in Azle. He is the size of a Blue Bird but has a gold chest and a rust color on his back.

Nancye		23-Aug-2009 03:14
I certainly enjoy this page....it has increased my interest in birds in the east texas area and made me more aware of the birds near my home...i find myself watching for them everywhere i go....keep the pics. coming....

Nancye		21-Aug-2009 01:24
My painted bunting returned and has been at my feeder several times...still pretty as ever...Do they migrate for the winter or will i get to see him year round?

Nancy		19-Aug-2009 19:38
My painting bunting has returned....pretty as ever....I sure was glad to see him...

Anita Stoddard		15-Aug-2009 20:40
Trying to ID a bird we saw on our trip down to Llano Texas. We saw it at a rest stop near Fort Worth. It looks like a similar shape to a thrasher or mocking bird. Its tail is longer and the female is all soft brown while the male is all black! Any thoughts? I can send a photo to you if you give me the info for that. Thank you for any and all help. Anita Stoddard

Guest		15-Aug-2009 01:39
Found this page under a search of 'yellow breast' texas bird, and indeed it is a Couch's Kingbird I saw and photographed on South Padre Island. So thanks Jill (absolutely stunning pictures you have here too btw Greg)

Guest		10-Aug-2009 19:21
Marilyn, I think what you saw was a dickcissel. We are in Tomball, northern Harris County, and we have seen some recently.

Jill		08-Aug-2009 15:22
Nancy... Try doing a search for the Couch's Kingbird. Although normally seen in the Rio Grande Valley, I have seen this bird in Kerrville and Austin lately. It is a beautiful bird.

nancy		02-Aug-2009 16:56
Your pic' are beautiful! I have a question for anyone: Since living in TX I have seen some birds usually out in the open country areas, they are a light brown on top with a very pale yellow breast. About the size of a mocking bird. Can anyone tell me what this bird is?

Claudia		01-Aug-2009 13:38
I have been seeing a medium bird it is black with a long light colored head. Very loud voice.

Marilyn		21-Jul-2009 20:44
We really enjoy the birds in our backyard feeders here in Magnolia. We see a lot of Cardinals and Bluejays, some Hummingbirds and one gorgeous Woodpecker. Today, I saw one I had not seen before, it was small like a young sparrow and black with a bright yellow chest and a yellow mask-like yellow strip around the eyes. What was it?

susan		17-Jul-2009 16:08
I was sitting in my back yard last night in harris county. It had just finished raining, and was around 7pm. A large group of birds were flying around like in a race using the same flight pattern over and over, coming really close to me this went on for about 1hr. what do you all think about this, and what kind of bird could it have been? it had a tail like a sparrow, was not blue (I think) small. and no sound...kinda spooked me out a little, this was only in my yard...

Evan		13-Jul-2009 15:44
Mark, If the plume on the back of the head is yellow, and they are between 1-2 feet tall, they might be Yellow-Crowned Night Herons. We had some roosting in our Pecan tree in San Marcos, they come back every year to the same place to lay eggs and raise their young. Watch out for falling crawfish and frog parts.

Mark		08-Jul-2009 22:01
I live in San Antonio and we have a couple of new birds in the neighborhood. We only see them in the evening just after dark. They appear to be a crane type bird, solid grey with some white around the eyes and a narrow plume coming off the back of the head. We can't seem to find a picture on the internet. Just curious if anyone knows what they might be.

Christy		06-Jul-2009 02:43
I'm happy to report that the day I posted this, we went ahead and carefully removed the spare tire from my jeep and successfully moved the nest into a box.. over a few days I got them from the driveway over next to a storage shed so they'd have some sort of coverage. The nest was actually resting more in the brake light fixture than in the tire itself thankfully. Anyhow happy to report mom & daddy wren are tending to their eggs as if they were still hitching a ride in the back of the jeep tire! :)

Bird/animal rehaber		03-Jul-2009 16:30
Christy, Yes, put the nest in a box as close to where the jeep was parked so the parents don't get confused. I rehabilitate birds/animals on the weekends at a wildlife center. Some people don't want to touch a baby bird/egg/nest because they think a bird will 'smell' their human touch and avoid the baby/egg/nest. Although birds do have nostrils or holes above their beak, they do not smell like we do. Hope this helps!

Christy		29-Jun-2009 21:58
Boy do I have a predicament.. I have a carolina wren who has built her nest in the spare tire on the back of my jeep!! I drive this car daily and it's left in another location overnight. We saw it and thought it was an old nest and next day noticed that she's now laid 4 eggs in there.. should I try to carefully remove the nest and put it in a box of some sort near where I park the jeep?? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Chris		29-Jun-2009 17:27
I live in the Fort Worth area and was about to leave my house when i noticed something hanging from a bird feeder in the back... It ate from the feeder by gripping the bottom tray of the feeder with two front arms with its legs dangling. When it ate it looked like it was doing a chin-up. The bird was red and black with a body and shape similar to the Pileated Woodpecker but smaller and a beak like the Green Heron, all except for the arms. What is this thing?!?! will try to get a pic

Susan		29-Jun-2009 00:36
We have a pair of ladder-backed woodpeckers living in our neighborhood, in the NW corner of Preston/Northaven in Dallas.

Mike		25-Jun-2009 18:05
I live in south central texas. I saw a bird that at first I thought was a female cardinal. It was green with an orange head. Looking closer, the beak was wrong. the overall shape was like the painted bunting, but the coloring was very different. Any thoughts?

Guest		25-Jun-2009 02:46
I am new to bird watching and I live in Yorktown, Texas (south east Texas). Five Green Jays appearing on Christmas Day 2008 got me "hooked". It is now June 24, 2009 and a pair of Green Jays have stayed. I have also observed a pair of Painted Buntings (beautiful birds), a tiny yellowed bodied bird with black wings (white tips), and many more beautiful birds. I am trying to learn the names. I just know that each bird is "God's beauty with wings"!

Guest		25-Jun-2009 02:42
I am new to bird watching Five Green Jays appearing on Christmas Day 2008 got me "hooked". It is now June 24, 2009 and a pair of Green Jays have stayed. I have also observed a pair of Painted Buntings (beautiful birds), a tiny yellowed bodied bird with black wings (white tips), and some many more beautiful birds. I am trying to learn the names. God's beauty with wings!

Jaime		21-Jun-2009 20:46
I live in PharrTexas, deep southtexas and yesterday I saw a pair of Lesser goldfinch, the female was taking some strands from an old rope that was tied on the tree. ihad never seen these birds around here..

pottsella		19-Jun-2009 01:04
Wow....had an amazing encounter with an unknown bird today. We've lived in New Braunfels for seven years and have never seen this type bird. I think it was a juvenile, but it was huge........prob around ten inches. It was sitting on a limb, but in the open. I sprayed water with my hose up above its head and it seemed to thoroughly enjoy the "rain". It sat there for about two hours and I was able to get within a few yards of it. I took pics but the sun prob will make the bird appear as a silhouette. Its legs were yellow-goldish; top beak was larger than bottom and points and goes under at the end; feathers appeared to be very light brown to gray and sort of spotted on the belly/chest area. It flew away when a worked came in to my back yard, but it was very calm and watched me as much as I watched it. It's wing span was at least a foot. I've looked at a few pics and it doesn't resemble the bone structure of a vulture at all. Oh, it was sitting on a limg that was about 4 inches in diameter and it's tail hung down past the limb about 3 inches. At first I thought it was an owl, but a look through the binocular convinced me it wasn't. Nothing I did frighttened it away and I was able to enjoy it for a long time. Sure hope someone can help be identify it. If it is a juvenile, I doubt it will look like the full grown adult as far as coloring goes. but maybe I can recognize the similar bone structure. The pics on this site are so fantastic. I was lucky enough to see a Painted Bunting sitting on a rose bush in my back yard. At that time we lived near Bossier City, LA. Thanks!!

Guest		16-Jun-2009 18:21
We too have a pair of painted buntings with two new girls, this is the first time i have seen them and we have lived here in Floresville for 18 years. They are truely a beautiful bird.

Guest		16-Jun-2009 18:21
We too have a pair of painted buntings with two new girls, this is the first time i have seen them and we have lived here in Floresville for 18 years. They are truely a beautiful bird.

Guest		13-Jun-2009 17:16
Mamaw, It sounds like a painted bunting. I have lived in the community of Randolph for 45 years and concider myself pretty familiar with the wildlife in the area. I have been an outdoorsman all my life. I too, have a pair of painted buntings this year >>>never ever seen any here before.

Christiane		01-Jun-2009 17:04
This is Christiane again. On trying to identify the baby bird I have, I can take a picture with my cell phone and send it to you if anyone would like to take a shot on identifying this bird for me. Like I said before, I just want to make sure I get him his proper diet so he can grow to be healthy and I can release him back to his original home, the wild. I appreciate any help I can get.

Nancye		01-Jun-2009 16:46
All my goldfinces seem to have left. Do they move on after a short stay or could my cardinals, cowbirds, and pewees(?) chase them off? And is there anything I can do to get them back.

Christiane		01-Jun-2009 16:01
Saturday morning there was a fledgling in my backyard that made its way to my chicken house. At first glance I thought it was a baby duck because of the big beak. It was to become a meal for the wild cats that hang around, and my chickens also thought it was a meal. I looked around for a nest, or its parents, and couldn't locate either. I couldn't stand to watch a cat eat em, so I have taken the lil bird in. I cannot identify what kind of bird it is, and I need to so that I can get the proper diet for him. I have been feeding him canned Iams kitten food. His color is gray and light brown. His beak, like I said seems big. It points at the end, but at the base its rather wide. I live in Central Texas, and have been looking at pictures of birds to see if any resemble him. Would you have any suggestions???

A. J. Pate		31-May-2009 22:06
Greg, I just saw in my backyard a bird I have never seen before. (And I'm 71 and raised in East Texas.) From beak to tail about 10 inches long. His most prominent feature was rust-colored chest feathers. The rest of his feathers were a dark brown. He had a long beak, sort of orange-colored. Had long straight tailfeathers. He was feeding on the ground under a bay tree. A squirrel went running right past him, and he didn't even budge. He later flew high into a neighbor's oak tree. Among your photos, the closest to him in looks is the Pyrrhuloxia, but no crest on the head. Frequent visitors to my backyard are a cardinal couple and a mockingbird. Both built nests in different trees, but seemed to have an initial territorial dispute, and neither has seemed to occupy their nests as far as I can tell. Haven't seen the mockingbird in a while, but the cardinals still drop by about daily. Great photos! A. J. Pate Houston northern suburbs

Crystal		31-May-2009 01:01
Steve- I saw what I believe is a great blue heron as well. I saw it or possibly multiple birds like it last night walking my dog. It/they were walking around my apartment complex. I got near it and it flew away. HUGE wing span. I live near the N35/290 E corridor. A friend that lives in my complex says she's seen it/them a few times as well. Weird...

Steve		30-May-2009 22:38
Greg - we live in central Austin near Shoal Creek and have what I believe is a Great Blue Heron nesting in a large live oak. Isn't this somewhat unusual?

Christy		29-May-2009 18:56
Hi Judy.. it sounds like you have some barn swallows.. we had some build the mud nests on our back porch at our old place and they looked like what you are describing. We just discovered today that we have a ground nest of black & white warbler babies in the back yard. The mother bird built her nest deep down in the pine straw and leaves close to a small tree and right now there are 5 little babies in there. They're so cute sitting down in their nest.. they look like little grouchy old men. I had to grab my camera and zoom lens to get a shot of them because we didn't want to scare them to death. Our gold finches have moved on for the time being so I moved my niger feeders to a different location.. the indigo buntings although not as abundant in numbers have hung around. We had as many as 25 at the beginning but we're now down to 5 or 6.. (We're just north of Nacogdoches)

Judy		29-May-2009 13:37
I have some fairly good sized birds with bluish colorations on their backs and have built mud nests on my back porch. I live in Abilene TX. Any ideas what they might be?

Michael Lane		27-May-2009 00:03
Earlier this week I saw a bird with a yellow bill. It was about the size of a very large sparrow. I was dark brown or maybe two shades of dark brown, it didn't have a long tail. I saw this bird while walking on McMillan near the intersection of Mockingbird in Dallas, TX. I have tried to find images of the bird without success. I have never seen a bird like it. The yellow bill is what caught my attention. Can anyone help?

Elijah Duncan		26-May-2009 17:23
My wife and I saw this bird on our trash can last week he is larger than a soft ball and looks like a Red shoulder hawk. I have a photo, if there is a way to send it may I just curios, the bird was as curios of us because he watched us as well. Thank you.

Katy		25-May-2009 21:45
We just found a baby bird in our garage. We're trying to figure out what it is. It's black with some gray, and a little bit of white. Help? Dallas, Texas.

Greg Lavaty		16-May-2009 11:40
Kelly, It sounds like you had a Black Vulture: http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/black_vulture Vultures defecate on their legs which is why your bird may have had such white legs. It is believed that they do this to help keep themselves cool. The other possibility is that you have a young Turkey Vulture which has a black head like a Black Vulture.

Kelly Johnson		16-May-2009 01:30
We put an armadillo carcass in our back yard to watch the process and photograph the vultures that we have around south Austin/Oak Hill. Besides two blue jays that continually give the vultures 'crap' there was a new kind of vulture (turkey vulture?) I've never seen before. It had a black body, very dark gray head (total wing span of around 4 feet) but the amazing thing were its legs. They were pure white; looked like white latex paint! I can't find an image online of these yet and.. I had the baby in my arms so I missed the shot! Also, unlike the red faces, it kept turning its head sideways to view the armadillo so it didn't seem to be able to 'see' straight on. Anyone know what kind these were? There was a typical red-headed with the white ring around its eye on the fence a couple of feet away but it keeps coming back.

rhonda		14-May-2009 00:08
I saw a bird at my feeder and was wondering if you could identify it. It had a blue head, yellow body and red tail feathers. It looks very much like the 4th picture of the bird on the website www.nctexasbirds.com and very similiar to the painted bunting on this website. I live in Tyler, Texas and had never seen this bird before. I too want to know if my finch feeder may be too close to my other feeders as they have disappeared. thanks.

Nancye		13-May-2009 23:03
We had a new bird show up at our feeder. I looked him up in my bird book and it seems he is a cowbird. Kind of a pushy fellow but interesting. Also I think I have a northern cardinal that joins the crowd every day. This has been a great year for bird watching at my feeder. One question...my gold finches are gone...are they frightened of the larger birds and should I move my niger feeder farther away.

Robin		07-May-2009 23:58
I live about 30 minutes northwest of houston and I just started seeing these birds a couple days ago and was wondering if anybody know what they are. They are bright blue on their backs with a brownish grey head and red belly/chest. They are skinnier than bluebirds-thin bodies. They have intrigued me because for days they have been flying into my windows over and over and over for hours. I havent been able to find them on the internet.

Christy		06-May-2009 00:43
I live about 20 miles north of Nacogdoches Tx and we've been over run with the beautiful indogo buntings. We have counted as many as 25 at one time at the feeders. Of course the gold finches & cardinals have staked their claim as well.. saw a strange bird for the first time today, sort of resembles the dickcissel but is more of a solid brown, but the shape is the same. We've made sure to keep plenty of variety of seed & suet out for them all.. would love to see one of the painted buntings stop by!

Guest		05-May-2009 12:38
Two pair of indigo bunting recently showed up in my backyard here in Friendswood. Are they common in this area?

Angie		04-May-2009 17:37
Brad..could it be a House Finch? Sounds like the markings of one. I have some at my feeders every day:)

Angie		04-May-2009 17:29
I saw a Baltimore Oriole in the sweet gum tree in my East Texas yard yesterday. I wasn't able to photograph him because he stayed hidden. Sure was a beauty! This is only the 2nd time I've ever seen one here.

Nancy		03-May-2009 17:33
I just saw what I believe were Baltimore Orioles at my feeder. They were a very bright shade of orange with black heads and wings. They were beautiful. This has been our best year for new birds at our feeder. Hope it keeps up...my granddaughter sits on the window seat with my bird book that is almost a hundred years old and looks at the birds. She is 5 years old and it entertains her for ages. I am in East Texas.

Greg Lavaty		01-May-2009 20:26
Jill, it sounds like you saw a male Red-winged Blackbird. Did it look like this? http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/image/111657287

Jill Sebik		01-May-2009 20:23
Hello! My husband and I were really taken by a bird we say perched in a coastal field yesterday. He was solid black, with bright red markings on his wings. Absolutely beautiful! What kind was he (she)?

Brad		01-May-2009 02:47
I'm trying to identify a bird that I saw in my yard in Melissa, TX. It had a red head and a tan chest with brown striations. I haven't seen a picture on the web like it. Does anyone have any suggestions for web sites?

Amy		30-Apr-2009 16:47
Hi, I have some kind of bird (actually 5-7 at my feeder every day). It's larger than a finch, smaller than a sparrow... Not orangey red but true red hood, throat and neck, and plain dull brown body, no white, and just a rounded head--no crest. Their bills look like a cardinal's. They are cheeky and I thought one was going to perch on my finger... I'd like to know what they are, if anyone can help. BTW, I'm in Odessa, TX. Thanks!

TWW		29-Apr-2009 22:48
i have a turquoise finch sized bird at my feeder. i've lived in texs all my life and have never seen a bird the color of a bar of ZEST. any ideas?

TWW		29-Apr-2009 22:48
i have a turquoise finch sized bird at my feeder. i've lived in texs all my life and have never seen a bird the color of a bar of ZEST. any ideas?

TWW		29-Apr-2009 22:45
i have a turquoise finch sized bird at my feeder. i've lived in texs all my life and have never seen a bird the color of a bar of ZEST. any ideas?

Archie		27-Apr-2009 20:59
Greg, thank you for the information. It's possible they are Franklins gulls. They have white bellies and under wings, can't get close enough to see any other detail. Thank you again, I've never seen them b4.

Greg Lavaty		27-Apr-2009 13:35
Bob, when you say cowbirds do you mean the little brown/black birds or the larger white birds (Cattle Egrets)? Cattle Egrets are migrating (in flocks) and could look like gulls. Greg

Greg Lavaty		27-Apr-2009 13:29
Archie, it is tough for me to say. If they were gulls and they were migrating they could be Franklin’s Gulls. http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/franklins_gull Greg

Bob Wilson		26-Apr-2009 23:27
That flock Archie saw were most likely the cow birds that nest in the Wise/Montague County line area. They fly 50 or more miles every day.

Nancy		26-Apr-2009 22:47
My little painted buntings, Laurel and Hardy, seem to have flown the coop. Guess they found digs elsewhere....I am sad to see the go. They were so pretty.

Archie		26-Apr-2009 01:09
I have seen a flock of what looks like a small gull pass over my Arlington Texas home at dusk this week. I assume they're migrating but don't remember ever seeing anything like them. Any ideas as to what they are?

Mamaw		23-Apr-2009 21:06
Nancy and Jeanette...I think we are seeing the same birds. I don't have any good pictures yet. Do y'all have any that I could take a look at and compare. I don't believe they are Painted Buntings either.

Mamaw		23-Apr-2009 20:38
Nancy and Jeanette...I think we are seeing the same birds. I don't have any good pictures yet. Do y'all have any that I could take a look at and compare. I don't believe they are Painted Buntings either.

Mamaw		23-Apr-2009 19:55
Nancy and Jeanette...I think we are seeing the same birds. I don't have any good pictures yet. Do y'all have any that I could take a look at and compare. I don't believe they are Painted Buntings either.

Mamaw		23-Apr-2009 19:48
I have been seeing a dark blue bird with red-orange belly and light green on the back of its neck. I live in East Texas in the same house for almost 10 years, but this is the first Spring I have seen them. Does anyone have any idea what this bird is and if it is just migrating through?

Mamaw		23-Apr-2009 19:46
I have been seeing a dark blue bird with red-orange belly and light green on the back of its neck. I live in East Texas in the same house for almost 10 years, but this is the first Spring I have seen them. Does anyone have any idea what this bird is and if it is just migrating through?

Kath		23-Apr-2009 19:20
I just saw a bird exactly like Yvonne described. Looks like your picture of a red-cockaded woodpecker, except with a red mohawk as opposed to whole red head. So is it a freak red-headed woodpecker or red-cockaded woodpecker who uses Grecian formula?

Cecilia		22-Apr-2009 20:02
Thank you for the site Greg, answering Norma's question actually answered mine. I found my birds on the link you gave. They are the red-winged blackbird and the brown headed cowbird. Thank you again for your knowledge and expertise.

Cecilia		22-Apr-2009 19:53
I have two types of birds that have visited my feeders over the last couple of years and I do not know what they are. One is black with some yellow on the top of the wing and when it flies there is red right below the yellow. The first year there were only a couple of these birds, this year my son counted 43. They also make a beautiful sound when they are gathering to eat from the feeders. The other bird is black with a brown head. I live in Southwest Texas. I did not see the birds here on your site. Any ideas?

Greg Lavaty		22-Apr-2009 16:49
Norma, my guess is that your bird is one of the Icterids (assuming you are in Texas). http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/blackbirds__orioles Greg

Norma		22-Apr-2009 03:49
I saw some small black birds with yellow wings. I didn't find the name here. Any ideas on what it could be?

Yvonne		20-Apr-2009 19:37
I am sitting outside on my front lawn because pest control said I can't go inside for two hours. I'm really happy about that because otherwise I would not have noticed the variety of birds in my neighborhood. There are, what I think are 3 Red-headed woodpeckers. However, unlike the picture in this site, these birds have black wings with white speckles. They are so beautiful. Their heads are a vibrant metallic red almost.

Nancy		19-Apr-2009 23:46
My mystery bird is back today with his friend and he is much tougher today. He is running all my finches and sparrows off from the feeder. Even the cardinal seems to hesitate before landing....what a feisty little fellow....one is chubby and the other a little leaner. I think I will call them Laurel and Hardy.

irene		19-Apr-2009 17:36
I live in San Antonio and saw a similar bird twice last week. He stayed at the feeder for a long time. From the pictures on this site the closest is the Painted Bunting but he had more blue on his wings and a beautifil yellow back.

Jeanette		19-Apr-2009 14:47
Nancy I got a better view and pic of it late evening and have it on film now. Not a painted bunting. It is marked/colored like tropical bird or love bird. Awesome colors. Deep scarlet/orange underside up to the throat, green feathers on body that look irridesent in the light and a deep purple head. They aren't as nervous today in that they stood their ground at the feeder against the cardinals. I live so of Stephenville. Later tonite hopefuly will get the chance to put the pic or film clip on the web for all to see.

Jeanette		19-Apr-2009 14:47
Nancy I got a better view and pic of it late evening and have it on film now. Not a painted bunting. It is marked/colored like tropical bird or love bird. Awesome colors. Deep scarlet/orange underside up to the throat, green feathers on body that look irridesent in the light and a deep purple head. They aren't as nervous today in that they stood their ground at the feeder against the cardinals. I live so of Stephenville. Later tonite hopefuly will get the chance to put the pic or film clip on the web for all to see.

Nancy		19-Apr-2009 04:12
Jeanette....I think we may have seen the same bird...I think it may be a painted bunting...whatever it is it came back with a friend...they are really pretty little birds.

Jeanette		18-Apr-2009 20:42
This morning a new pair of birds showed up to feed. They have red/orange chest, purple heads and green (iridescent?) feathers on their back. I have a photo of one on the feeder. I can't find a pic of them anywhere. Can anyone help?

Nancy		18-Apr-2009 18:48
This morning a new bird showed up at my feeder. It has so many colors I don't know where to begin...It's about the size of a common sparrow. It has orange, yellow, red , and blue feathers. His back was yellow and red. His chest was red and his head was a dark blue or purple. He had a little red right under his bill. There were even tinges of green on him...He was beautiful and not very shy. He sat on the window sill and watched us as we watched him. I live in East Texas near the Sabine River and have a wide variety of birds to watch, but this little fellow was new. Sure hope some one can figure him out...and I hope he comes back.

Scott		17-Apr-2009 21:55
Thanks Greg.

Guest		17-Apr-2009 21:54
Thanks Greg... I think thats them. Great site!

Guest		17-Apr-2009 21:10
Greg, Thanks so much! I believe it was a Crested Caracara that I saw w/the vultures. Beautiful bird!

Greg Lavaty		17-Apr-2009 15:51
The only swallow that we get here in Texas with the forked tail (that I am aware of) is the Barn Swallow. Here are some photos of other species of swallows that can be found in Texas: http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/swallows

Guest		17-Apr-2009 15:21
I think I have a pair of what looks like Swallos that come by my porch but none of the pics look like them. They are purple black on the head and back and wings with a cream breast. The have a V tail . Could they still be Barn Swallows?

Greg Lavaty		17-Apr-2009 12:42
My first guess is that your raptor that was on the side of 1431 with the vultures was a Crested Caracara who often feed with vultures. http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/crested_caracara

Greg Lavaty		17-Apr-2009 12:38
Scott, Thanks for your message. My guess is that you have Barn Swallows nesting on your balcony since they make their nests out of mud and grass and often choose locations like balconies. Here are some photos to compare your birds to: http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/barn_swallow

Guest		17-Apr-2009 01:21
I saw what I believe was a raptor of some sort on the side of 1431 today. It was with a large group of vultures, but it looked NOTHING like them. It was very large, brown w/white legs and a fluffy crest/plumbe on top of it's head....anyone have any ideas as to what it might have been? Beautiful bird!!

Rachel		16-Apr-2009 23:43
My question is very similar to one posted prior. There are two small birds (black with dark blue shading) who have mad a mud based nest under the ledge of my porch. Their beaks are longer than the finch. They seem to only be in a pair. The nest has pebbles scattered thoughout the bowl shape. It should not have logically fit on the ledge but it was made to overlap the edge. "She" sits in it. He sits on the legde outside. They leave every morning and return every night. They do not appear afraid of me and do not move when I enter or leave my house. Nor does the porch light going off and on deter them. What are they and will they ever leave?

Scott		16-Apr-2009 21:28
I have to admit I have had litle interest in birds or learning about them, however there are two small birds that have made a home on my balcony and I am fascinated by them at this point. I moved in last October to an apartment in Garland. i noticed a dried mud and starw nest on the top door frame on my balcony. I decided to leave it there. About two weeks ago a pair of what I think may be Eastern Bluebirds or an Eastern Kingbirds. The female (I think) is more calm and will sit in the nest with me out there. The male (I think) will not. It is a small space and thats what surprises me about them making home there. Anyway any advice or info would be great in helping me with my new interest.

Jeri Baugh		16-Apr-2009 18:41
Hi, I'm Jeri Baugh from Falls City Texas. I saw a dark blue bird with gray tips and a yellow beak. I was wondering what kind of bird it was.

SylviaG		14-Apr-2009 00:24
Hi there I'm new to this site and wanted to let you all know we have 5 Indigos that arrived this weekend. They are beautiful and love to eat nuts and berries, I live in ranch in Maxwell, Texas.

Jane		13-Apr-2009 02:21
Hi there, I live out in the Oak Hill area and just saw a new bird at my feeders and can't identify it. It's a larger blue bird with a faint silver line over the brow above the eye, medium gray under the belly and feathers but no cross hatching. The beak resembled a woodpecker peak and it had no crown like a cardinal. It was beautiful and chased off the wrens. It doesn't look at all like the blue jay pictures. Any help is appreciated. I love your site!

Jane		13-Apr-2009 00:28
Hi there, I live out in the Oak Hill area and just saw a new bird at my feeders and can't identify it. It's a larger blue bird with a faint silver line over the brow above the eye, medium gray under the belly and feathers but no cross hatching. The beak resembled a woodpecker peak and it had no crown like a cardinal. It was beautiful and chased off the wrens. It doesn't look at all like the blue jay pictures. Any help is appreciated. I love your site!

Lisa Murphy		08-Apr-2009 01:29
I live in Austin, and I just found a bird with a broken wing. I've put it in a box and will take it to Wildlife Rescue. At first I thought it was a purple martin, but I'm not sure. It has a small beak with some rusty brown feathers just above it's beak on it's head. The rest of the head and back are a bluish purple with dark grey wings. It's throat is the same rusty brown and it's breast is a sort of beigy colored. Any clue to what type of bird this is? Lisa M.

Jane		06-Apr-2009 15:59
Thank you! After seeing those photos I'm sure you are right. I'm especially happy to see them dueling with the sparrows, as they are so numerous here, and I've seen only one cardinal this spring.

Greg Lavaty		06-Apr-2009 15:47
Jane, I wonder if your bird might be a House Finch? http://www.pbase.com/dadas115/house_finch Greg

Jane		06-Apr-2009 14:58
Trying to identify a bird at our feeder. Smaller than a cardinal and mostly grey/brown but with red or russet head and breast. Very aggressive at the feeder. Mineral Wells, TX.

Dawn		04-Apr-2009 16:53
Mike in Cedar Park - they sound very much like barn swallows, with a forked tail, orange belly/chest, and dark wings, back and back of head. If you see them closer in the light the back may turn out to be dark blue/purple.

Mike		01-Apr-2009 03:14
I am trying to figure out the birds that were flying in an open field near my house in Cedar Park, TX...it was windy and they were loving it...They were drifting in and out of the currents....low to the ground...They had a small forked tail with a orange , salmon underside and brown to gray back....I know they were not the Scissor Tailed Flycatcher, their flight pattern resembled a swift or swallow but it was broad daylight when I saw them....Any one know what these birds are by the description that I gave....no pic because they were moving too fast.

Debbie		19-Mar-2009 15:50
My POSSIBLE little male House Finch brought his mate this morning to eat safflower seeds. She looked just like the male with the exception of the soft red markings. DOES THIS HELP WITH THE IDENTIFICATION? Thanks!!!

Debbie		18-Mar-2009 23:52
CORRECTION to my last message............its chest is a soft red (NOT on its back). I just got a better look. Also..........it LOVES safflower seeds. Please respond if you have any ideas on the identification of this bird. THANKS!!!

Debbie		18-Mar-2009 23:30
AWESOME gallery!!! I have a bird that visits each morning and evening. It looks like a sparrow, but it has soft red markings on the top of its head and a little down its back. Could it be a House Finch? Has anyone seen one of these in the McKinney area?

Colleen in San Angelo		15-Mar-2009 16:51
What a great website for identifying birds! I've been searching to ID birds at my feeders and your site is far and away the best site I've come across. Amazing and beautiful shots, very humbling to my complete ineptitude at taking wildlife photos!

Mary Louise		14-Feb-2009 14:54
We too have seen a very large blackbird. You can tell it is predatory (or flesh eating) by the beak. It was sitting on a chimney here in Katy. It is large with a thick neck and head. It also had a very small amount of red near its beak; however, not as much as a turkey vulture. Could it still be one?

sarah		17-Jan-2009 15:45
wondering if there is anything really special about a "white" grackle we have here in kingsville,tx??

Bob		15-Jan-2009 10:06
I have been snapping pictures of the birds at my feeders. Most are taken with an old Sony Camcorder through a window on full zoom but some of them came out pretty good. I would love to have some help IDing some of these guys. My feeders are crazy. I have one for the squirrels that the Doves tried to open and a "Squirrel Proof Feeder" that the squirrels found a way in quickly. Here are the pictures with the dates taken. There are some very pretty birds that I can't ID. Help. Lampasas County http://picasaweb.google.com/central.texas.usa/ Bob central.texas.usa@gmail.com

deborah		08-Jan-2009 15:11
there are a bunch of medium sized brown with yellow bellies and a black V on their throats eating chicken scratch out in my yard right now. what are they? i live in new braunfels, inbetween austin and san antonio. thank you.

Louann		28-Dec-2008 18:33
These pictures are great! Thanks for posting for the rest of us to enjoy! I grew up in N. Central Texas (Granbury) and saw a bird I had never seen there before. It looked like a HUGE dove, dull brown in color and seemed to be very at home walking on the ground in a pasture area. It was bigger than a roadrunner, but smaller than a wild turkey. It had no distinct markings, just the solid dull brown. My daughters and I tracked it in my truck for about 2 minutes and then it ambled off into the roadside bushes. I see the Plain Chachalaca above, but it has more coloring than the bird I saw. Any clue what this bird could have been?

christa		23-Dec-2008 06:00
your photography is awesome! makes this photographer quite humble in viewing your site. i work with the canon rebel xt as well, however, it's new to me and there is much to learn. recently i photographed a hawk ... he posed for about 20 minutes and then allowed a shot in flight! we live in alpine, tx and have horned owls living at the courthouse. thank you for the great work, the site and your talent! christa

Jeremy		21-Dec-2008 19:37
Thank you for your great pictures. Layout on the site makes it easy to use for identifying birds.

Charles		19-Dec-2008 05:13
This little bird decided to fight his reflection in my auto window. He did this for about 20 minutes until I drove away. He would light on my mirror then fly into the window pecking at it. When he was angry he would show a red patch of feathers on top of his head. When he wasn't angry the red went away. What kind of bird is this? He was in Navarro County Texas near Corsicana. Thanks, Charles

Jay		16-Dec-2008 20:35
The bird Jana saw was a Sparrow Hawk. You may find a photo of one if you search that name.

Jana		14-Dec-2008 00:54
Thank you for posting these pictures. Not only are they exquisite but also helpful. I need help identifying a bird that sat on our deep east texas fence last week. It resembled a smaller hawk type bird but it was a salmon color with black on its square/fan type tail. It's face was mottled white w/black. Thank you

Betty Halladay		16-Nov-2008 02:55
The pictures are magnificent. Thank you so very much, indeed, for posting them so that we all can enjoy their beauty.

Andrea H		15-Oct-2008 05:15
Your photographs are absolutely amazing. It's time for me to turn in for the night and all I can do is click on the next photo. They are addictive!!

Lisa Michelle		15-Oct-2008 00:38
Great pictures! Now I know that there's a 'warbler' living in the birdhouse on my back porch.

Deadly Furby		07-Oct-2008 18:54
RE: barbara 25-Aug-2008 00:57 "I live in Addison, Tx and last night I saw 5 or 6 birds that were crossing a street and as I drove closer they flew up into a tree. I couldn't believe what I saw. They were green! Not a parrot type bird but a regular looking bird. Does anyone know what this could be? Not irridesent, just a shade of grass green" They were probably quakers. They aren't native here but do thrive in our environment if escaped or released. I know of a family of them residing on Midway in Addison and I'm sure there are others. You can find photos online of them. However, most images I've seen aren't representative enough of just how green these birds can be. I know ours almost blends into the grass when we set her on it.

Barb		05-Oct-2008 15:37
We live on a canyon just north of Austin. I saw a very unusual bird: about the size of a small cat with a very long straight tail (less than a pheasant), very straight beak( 2-3 inches?) first sat on some rocks nearbrush on a cliff in our yard then slowly( not like a road runner) scuffled through the grass andhopped to a branch about 2 feet off the ground. His coloring made him blend in and was incredibly hard to see, but brown and white speckles. Don't think he's a turkey, not a pheastan, not a road runner. Beak and tail were so straight they looked like a branch of a tree with a bundle of foliage in the middle. What else could he/she be?

Diane		04-Oct-2008 23:17
where on the almighty internet can I find a list of birds commonly seen in the greater DFW area??????? Please!?

Guest		04-Oct-2008 23:16
where on the almighty internet can I find a list of birds commonly seen in the greater DFW area??????? Please!?

Guest		02-Oct-2008 06:56
I live in Farmersville in a rural area with some shorter trees lining a rock road to the side of my property, and I have several larger variety of trees in my front and backyard areas. As the surrounding towns grow larger, I notice that the owls I used to hear at night are coming and staying (but migrating) for a longer period each year, now lasting from August to end of October, instead of just September. I keep almost catching full view of them as they call (hoot) to each other around midnight and move from tree to tree and even an occasional telephone/electric pole, but I can't quite see them because of the darkness, and if you shine a flashlight, they clam up and you can't find them. The best view I got was when I surprised one and it flew off my satellite dish mounted on the chimney and I thought I saw a pretty large wing span (white underside). Can anyone tell me the species name so I can look them up to show my kids. They are excited and want to camp out on the weekends to see them! I think the owls are out hunting mice in the fields at night...after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, there sure seems to be a lot of mice!

barbara		25-Aug-2008 00:57
I live in Addison, Tx and last night I saw 5 or 6 birds that were crossing a street and as I drove closer they flew up into a tree. I couldn't believe what I saw. They were green! Not a parrot type bird but a regular looking bird. Does anyone know what this could be? Not irridesent, just a shade of grass green

Lin Altman		03-Aug-2008 21:14
I'm new to this, so forgive me if this is a common question. I have 2 birds at my feeder. Black heads, speckled brown and white breast and belly, brownish wings. Anyone know what this is? I'm in west Austin.

Lin Altman		03-Aug-2008 21:12
I'm new to this, so forgive me if this is a common question. I have 2 birds at my feeder. Black heads, speckled brown and white breast and belly, brownish wings. Anyone know what this is? I'm in west Austin.

Patricia Kirkland		02-Aug-2008 01:15
I am trying to indentify fours birds that have been in my back yard feeding out of my feeders, They are about the size of sparrow, dark Puprle head, very bright orange chest, the wings are yellow/green. any help? They are just beautiful I live in North Central Texas. Boyd, Wise County. Thank you for all help.

Barbara in Pinehurst, Tx.		26-Jul-2008 18:52
I finally answered my own question and have identified my little visiting bird as a male Hooded Warbler. Don't know if he was "coming or going" in our area, but very glad he stopped by.

Barbara		23-Jul-2008 22:35
I live in Pinehurst,Tx. just out of Tomball in a heavily wooded area with lots of birds. Today a bird I'd never seen before landed on the windowsill of my kitchen window and peered in for a few minutes before flying off. It was about the size of an Eastern Bluebird but had a bright yellow face around the eyes and bright yellow breast. It had a black "hood" that covered the top of it's head and came around the neck just above the breast. It's wings appeared to be greyish black striped, but it was hard to see from my vantage point. I've looked at numerous websites and a couple of books I have but haven't seen one like it. It had a definite black hood over the yellow. Can anyone offer any clues as to what it is?

wwctt		10-Jul-2008 23:38
We live in west Houston, Texas. This a.m. we viewed a small brown bird, about the size of a Sparrow, feeding on the driveway cracks.. The difference is that it had a deep red head and neck....can you tell me what this little fellow was and is he migrating or does he live here. New to us.. Thank you

Joe		30-Jun-2008 00:47
Do you know whether/how you can return a small bird to its nest I think King bird baby still being protected by parents but fell out and cannot fly - can you return to nest?

JR		29-Jun-2008 00:39
We have an unusual brown bird that we can't identify. It is about the size of a large grackle, has a dark brown body with a black head, yellow beak, yellow band around eyes, yellow legs. When it flies, it has white tips on the tail and a large white band across each of its wings. It has been "stalking" some baby mockingbirds in our yard for a couple days and we simply can't find this bird online. We are in Texas and I've tried looking up birds in this area to no avail. If someone might be able to identify it from a picture, I have fantastic photos of it. Just e-mail me. Thanks.

Mark		26-Jun-2008 19:28
Hello, I am trying to identify what kind of bird we have at our lake. We have had our lake for decades and have never seen this bird. The birds are probably twice the size of a crow. The neck is not long like a crane, but when the bird is standing, it looks similar to a Sandhill Crane, but is not that bird. The beak is not long like a Heron's. The birds have nests in the reeds in the shallowest parts of the water. The body color is dark purple. The chest is a lighter purple. Eyes have white triangle around them. The head seems to be darker blue than the body. They have tufts on the top of their heads which could be 5 to 6 inches long. Its legs are orange. The birds do swim with their young. This bird is not on this list of birds. We are wondering if these birds migrated from Mexico or South America. Thank you.

frances		16-Jun-2008 13:30
i found it, a mississippi kite, thanks for the great pics....

frances		16-Jun-2008 13:26
have a grey hawk of kite in my yard...what is it??? never saw it before. i live in southeast texas...

Miles		12-Jun-2008 07:14
Great photos...I stumbled on them quite accidentally. Just curious, but have you ever heard of the Valley Land Fund photo contest? I am from McAllen and have enjoyed watching the contest and book production grow into an amazing endeavor by photographers, landowners and the VLF. Check out www.valleylandfund.com .Good luck to you.

Pam		28-May-2008 01:54
Your pictures are absolutely beautiful. I couldn't find the name of the bird that made a nest in my planter until I viewed your website. Thanks for making it so easy :)

Guest		18-May-2008 04:58
I have a black scissor tailed sparrow with a red throat that I rescued from a cat. He has an injured wing. This birds have mud nests on my patio on the Gulf of Mexico. What do I feed him? Thanks for your help.

Ed Binkerd		17-May-2008 16:03
I live in Fort Lauderdale, FL and a few weeks ago I had a pair of Altamira Orioles visit my bird bath. They hung around for a couple of weeks. Why and how do you suppose they came to south Florida??

Ed Binkerd		17-May-2008 15:43
Paula: Muscovy Ducks abound in south Florida. They are cute when they're little but ugly as adults...kinda like some people I know. Don't encourage the duck to hang around your property - they are infamous poopers!

Paula Weathersby		16-May-2008 17:32
I found that my bird is a red faced Muscovy Duck.

Paula Weathersby		16-May-2008 16:27
There is a large bird walking around our pond today. At first I thought it was a vulture because of it's size, but it is black with white around the neck and upper breast and red on the beak/head. Any ideas of what I'm seeing? Also, I have pictures of a very large owl that was at our pond a couple of months ago. I haven't been able to find out what kind it is. it has reddish feathers around the neck and just below. Thanks!

cathy willis		16-May-2008 12:39
my mom saw a bright green bird with a bright yellow crown. not slender, kinda fat, not as small as sparrow, not as big as bluejay. wings greyish to black. she lives in ne harris cty. any ideas? i've searched all my books. she said it was bright green like 'grass' green everywhere xcept yellow crown and darker wings. she saw it twice at her feeder on 5-15-08

belle		16-May-2008 10:07
steve.. part two... go to "Ed Johnson" gallery in this website, PBase, you'll see the photo redwing bb there. Is this the most beautiful set of photos, or what?!

belle		16-May-2008 10:04
steve...redwing blackbird!

Steve		15-May-2008 17:58
Trying to identify a black bird in Central Texas. When it spreads its wings, near the armpit is a patch of bright reds and yellows. Any thoughts on what it is?

Pam Thomas		14-May-2008 02:41
I saw a bird today in Fort Worth with green on its back and a yellow breast. What kind is it? P Thomas pamsanorffn@hotmail.com

Teresa		09-May-2008 19:52
Help!!! I've moved to a house w/ alot of birds and even though I mostly watch the hummers I've spotted a varity of other birds I saw a bird that was red on the top part of the body and light green on the bottom half please help me identify it. I live in Terrell County,Texas close to the Big Bend area. Thanks-Teresa

Fred		09-May-2008 03:14
Is the Cackling goose the same as the Canadian goose?

Pat Briones		07-May-2008 19:56
Awsome pictures! A small bright yellow bird with light green under belly was at our feeder in Houston. I think it is some type of warbler, can you help? Our golden retriever, who usually let's all wildlife crawl all over her tried to ATTACK and the bird has never been back. Thanks.

Margaret		07-May-2008 03:57
Love the photograhes and was looking for a photograph of a bird that I have seen in my backyard. Disappointed that the picture of the bird was not in the photographs. Could someone tell me what the name of the bird is that's small, dusty brown with an orange beak. There is no orange is the body of the bird just the beak.

Chris		05-May-2008 01:31
Finally I found the name of the bird that I have enjoyed watching all spring near the pond outside my shop! The Scissor-tail Flycatcher. This was the first spring I recall seeing him, and he has been a delight (well, there are actually quite a few!) Thanks for being there!

EBroadwell@austin.rr.com		04-May-2008 23:50
My daughter and I were on the internet trying to find the name of a bird that is always going to our feeder. We were delighted to find that it was your website!! Great photo's. Elaina Broadwell

Wanda		03-May-2008 18:42
This week, we saw a bird about the size of a cardinal on the hummingbird feeder. I can't find a bird picture that looks like it. It was very bright yellow on it's body and very black on it's head that came down to where it's shoulders would be. There was no black in the yellow and no yellow in the black, the colors were solid. Can anyone help?

Guest		28-Apr-2008 18:38
Hi! I live in the panhandle and recently noticed a pair of birds nesting right outside our kitchen window. I have never seen any like them before and am hoping someone can help me i.d. them. (Please keep in mind I'm an EXTREME novice at birding) . They look a lot like small sparrows except that the male has rust-orange coloring on his head and throat. The beak is light brown. The nest has five light-colored eggs with small dark spots on them. Any help would be great!

Jim		18-Apr-2008 16:03
Excellent shots - where would I find photos of a "Whip-o-will" !!

Jim Hibbs		17-Mar-2008 04:30
I live east of Elgin texas and my land is very wooded. I have seen some birds that are 3.5 to 4" long. The pair I have seen one is ahas a light green back and the other has a blue to lihgt purple back. I do not know what these birds are . They nest in a small hole in a dead tree and are very elusive so it is hard to get a picture of them. Would you happen to know what type of bird they are? Your help is greatly appreciated.Thanks Jim Hibbs

deborah		09-Mar-2008 15:28
I have a bird on my feeders in the morning. Tall deep red head, white belly, but the feathers on the back side are bluish grey stripped. I cant find what he is.

Melissa		08-Mar-2008 00:19
What beautiful pics! My husband and I just bought a bird feeder for our heavily wooded backyard and the birds that are showing up are just gorgeous. We have one lil friend that comes every morning....he looks much like your "Golden Fronted Woodpecker" but his entire head is bright red and I never see or hear him making woodpecker motions.....could he still be a woodpecker and is there reason to worry about my trees (and house) if so?? thanks for the wonderful site!

Nan		19-Feb-2008 22:04
Just saw what looked like a nuthatch. Are they native to Texas?

Nancy		08-Feb-2008 23:13
I was out for a walk today and came across a dead bird on the sidewalk. It was about the size of a crow black with a partly red face and red beak. Also had green legs. i'm concerned if it might have died due to West Nile. Is there someone to call to have it tested? Would this be a concern? I'm new to the area. We live in Missouri City. Any suggestions?

Linda Barrett		10-Jan-2008 15:46
I live in North Dallas area and have recently seen white pelicans in a nearby lake. Haven't seen them in past years. Where do they come from. Where are they going? Why are they stopping here this year? Thx for any information!

Charles Holekamp		01-Dec-2007 14:26
What is the differenct between a common Snipe and the Wilsons Snipe? How common are the sightings. I have a few pictures I took in the N. Arlington Tx area that I thought were the Common Snipe. Charles

Ron		12-Nov-2007 22:01
Thank you so very much for your excellent photos! God bless.

Sandy		03-Nov-2007 14:35
I agree, all the pictures are great! I'm in the process of moving and can't find my bird book, so I've been on the net trying to identify a bird that I saw on the way home from work this week. I live in Ausitn and there was a flock of what appeared to be solid green birds (green like the lighter shade of parrot green) looking for dinner in a large patch of mowed grass beside the street that I was stuck in traffic on. They weren't small birds, but I couldn't get a good close look at them. They didn't appear to have any other color than green, maybe darker underneath the wings. I didn't realize it would be so difficult to id them, now I wish I'd figured out some way to get off the road and get a better look. Any idea of what they might have been?

lynn		22-Aug-2007 03:02
Your pictures great this is the best gallery i've seen

Mark		14-Aug-2007 16:57
Greg, "Guest Nikki" below on 06/24 is describing a bird that I have managed to get a picture of with my game camera. I have never seen this species before, and neither has anyone else that I know. I would love to figure out what it is. Please let me know where to send the picture if you are interested in helping. Thanks, Mark

Amy		20-Jul-2007 18:01
Your photos are beautiful. I especially like the Green Heron that appears to be sporting a blue mohawk! I saw my first orchard oriole today while on my lunch break. I am a proud "Bird Nerd"and I sometimes go birding in my car at lunch, especially in the winter months!

Ann		20-Jul-2007 01:47
We are stumped! There was a bird that looked like a Pyrrhuloxia at our feeder in Cedar Park, Texas, but it had a red "boa" like ring of neck feathers that was very noticable...very much like a cardinal or Pyrrhuloxia but with that fluffy red feather neck ring...do you have any idea what it was? Your photo gallery is so beautiful!

Robert E. Cherry		15-Jul-2007 15:56
Beautiful pictures, but I am looking for the name of a bird, I only caught a glimpse of at Pawnee, Texas. About the size of a dove and the distinctive tail was similar to the mocking bird except the stripes on the tail were yellow. Hope you can help me out.

Robert E. Cherry		15-Jul-2007 15:54
Beautiful pictures, but I am looking for the name of a bird, I only caught a glimpse of at Pawnee, Texas. About the size of a dove and the distinctive tail was similar to the mocking bird except the stripes on the tail were yellow. Hope you can help me out.

Kathy Rickard		02-Jul-2007 21:48
What a magnificent gallery! I can only imagine the hours of patience and the moments of ecstasy you must have enjoyed. Thank you for sharing these beautiful photos.

Greg Lavaty		25-Jun-2007 13:06
Nikki, Your bird sounds a bit unfamiliar to me. It almost sounds like a Blue Grosbeak that has been eating orange or red berries or maybe it is an exotic bird that has escaped?? Any pictures would help a lot. Greg

Guest		24-Jun-2007 16:40
Hi, I'm hoping you can help us identify a bird. It looks like a male cardinal but with no crest and the head is a shiny teal color. Orange beak. Comes for fallout sunflower seed under our feeder. Area is newly developing area in Sun City. Any ideas? Thanks, Nikki

Guest		17-Jun-2007 19:32
Patty, The birds you describe are barn swallows. They are a protected bird in Texas. They build a mud nest in the corner of the eaves of a house or barn and will often have two sets of babies each year. They fly in swooping patterns similar to purple martins.

Patty Black		05-Jun-2007 23:33
You Have a wonderful web site but I am looking for a certain bird these bird's build mud nest they are tiny birds there head are black under there beak is brown and it fades in to a light white brown there tails have like a your swallow tail kite it fans out and underneath it white If any one know what kind of bird this is please let me know thank you they can build a nest right on the side of a house and it is all made out of mud thank you for your time

Kat Levy		07-May-2007 15:49
Beautiful pictures... I found the birds that flew into my front yard, Cedar Waxwings. There was a flock of about 20 of them. What a sight, it was Feb. 20007, no leaves on the tree, so you could see them all!! Kat in Plano, TX

guest		06-May-2007 17:59
Many thanks for your page... I'm a recent transplant to the South Texas Area and all the bird calls and actions were unlike those from Oregon... so I have been enjoying learning the different birds...

GEM		24-Apr-2007 17:09
Beautiful shots! The artistry of the Creator shines through your photos. Thanks for sharing them with us, especially so we can identify these birds at our feeders!

jhctex		23-Apr-2007 23:51
Saw the painted bunting at my bird feeder in Austin, TX. I identified it from your photo and then wandered in your gallery. Thank-you very much for the peace I felt.

Mary		15-Apr-2007 13:39
Thank you so much for presenting a wonderful photo forum where I can quickly identify birds that I have mis-identified! This helps so much living in Central Texas where we see all kinds of birds all year. Thank you!

Earl Burns		11-Apr-2007 04:54
Hello my name is earl and i have a pair birds that have taken a love for my light on the fornt pouch the throst is orange the head andback is black and the brest is white can some one tell me what i am looking at.

Guest		21-Mar-2007 16:11
Some excellent work in this big gallery! Go to the head of the class Greg... Ron Green/www.avianpix.com

Dawn Pando		19-Mar-2007 19:06
Loved this gallery--beautiful photography!

VICKI		12-Mar-2007 18:22
I AM BLOWN AWAY AT THE BEAUTY YOU HAVE CAPTURED!! I WILL BE A FREQUENT VISITOR TO YOUR SITE!! I LOOKED EVERYWHERE TRYING TO IDENTIFY A BIRD IN DALLAS, YOU FINALLY CAME THROUGH FOR ME, IT IS THE "LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE"!!! THANKS, VICKI R. FROM DALLAS

Jean-Luc Rollier		06-Mar-2007 21:03
Très beau travail Bravo!

Donna Barber		06-Mar-2007 02:30
Great page! I live in south Texas and have had two birds staying together but can't find them on any sights any where. I just knew I would find them here but did not,I will keep up the serch because they were beautiful and very secertive.

Ken DeFusco		17-Feb-2007 02:41
Another fine gallery VVV

Guest		14-Feb-2007 22:54
How the heck do I pick just one when all the work is so good... inspires me to want to get back outside... JC

Marwan Habib		12-Feb-2007 17:49
This gallery is really good. Colors, sharp images, details... Good work Greg. V.

Guest		07-Feb-2007 21:20
Hi Greg, This is an outstanding gallery. My 7 year old son is crazy about birds, and I can't wait to show him all these beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing!!

jean chateauvert		04-Feb-2007 15:18
very nice gallery that you have here.

Ulla Kruys		02-Feb-2007 14:12
Brilliant collection! Interesting how you've gone in for vertical framing! Looks good!

Guest		24-Jan-2007 16:37
Vantastic gallery

Mark		20-Jan-2007 22:16
Hard to overstate the admiration I feel for the quality of your work. Yours shots are precise and tremendously lively at the same time. You know your stuff!

Guest		17-Jan-2007 03:11
Wow you have some great bird shots, very nice collection.

Guest		16-Jan-2007 19:19
tres bon travail! fantastique gallerie! belles photos ,belles lumieres ,et tres bon cadrage! bravo!!!!!!!

John Mouton		04-Dec-2006 15:31
Super photography, Greg! Tremendous talent, and patience waiting for just the right shot!

Raul Quinones		21-Nov-2006 16:47
Excellent gallery.

John Dicus		20-Nov-2006 19:29
Great gallery of Texas birds!

Guest		20-Nov-2006 14:11
enjoyed this gallery immensely...........wonderful images

Jan Wisniowski		17-Nov-2006 20:44
I have found a lot of beautiful pictures in this gallery. Thanks for sharing

Joanne Kamo		17-Nov-2006 13:15
Huge vote for variety and presentation!!!

Karen Moen		16-Nov-2006 23:07
An incredible collection of beautiful images. We don't see very many of these in central Texas. I also appreciate that you have identified each one. Well done. Voted.

osprey		13-Nov-2006 00:18
Very impressive

henrywong		11-Nov-2006 09:05
Excellent bird gallery. Voted !

Elton Scifres		06-Nov-2006 16:58
Fantastic gallery

Guest		18-Jul-2006 15:09
Many excellent shots appear here, you've done very well! Congratulaions... Ron Green/www.avianpix.com

Guest		14-Jul-2006 10:48
This is the most impressive bird gallery that I have seen on PBase. Have you thought about publishing them in a Texas bird book. The quality of your photos is outstanding.

Guest		10-Jun-2006 01:54
Impressive gallery, Greg. Bravo! I used it as a reference to identify some birds I have seen.

Guest		01-May-2006 22:37
We just spotted a painted bunting in our yard today. We live in north Texas in Collin county. The photograph you have on this page confirmed the sighting! Thank you for such a nice page!

dlynn		01-May-2006 07:06
One of the best collections of Texas bird pictures I've found.

Guest		15-Mar-2006 14:32
Wonderful! I'm wondering if you would perhaps post the EXIF data for the photos....great learning opportunity. Thanks, N. Brown Sugar Land

Guest		11-Mar-2006 15:26
Outstanding collection and quality.

Guest		10-Feb-2006 22:57
this is one of the best galleries i've stumbled upon in a while. i love the variety - they're not all full-bird shots - you have headshots, action, flight, off-center, silhouette... and everything is so clear. really good stuff :)

click on thumbnails for full image