Birdlife of Houston, Galveston, and the Upper Texas CoastIn the last thirty years, the Upper Texas Coast has become a “must go” destination for birders around the globe. This book will serve as an essential companion to the customary field guide and pair of binoculars for all visitors to Houston, High Island, Galveston, Freeport, or any of the area’s other exciting birding spots. It also places the birdlife of the region, a seven-county area with a larger bird list than forty-three states, into historical and ecological contexts. Authors Eubanks, Behrstock, and Weeks—all recognized authorities on the migrant and resident birds of this region—present a thorough introduction to the area’s history, physiography, and avifauna. Then, in generous discussions of bird families and species, they synthesize years of records, tracking the comings and goings of more than 480 birds and incorporating their own lifetimes of experience to create an “ornithological mosaic” of lasting significance. |
Contents
HISTORY | 4 |
GEOLOGY CLIMATE AND HABITATS | 4 |
DIVERSITY | 16 |
NESTING AND MIGRATION | 18 |
EXOTIC AND DETRIMENTAL SPECIES | 28 |
HAZARDS FOR BIRDS | 29 |
FORMAT OF THE SPECIES ACCOUNTS | 32 |
ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE TEXT | 33 |
Kingfishers | 173 |
Woodpeckers | 174 |
Flycatchers | 180 |
Shrikes | 190 |
Vireos | 191 |
Jay Nutcracker Crows and Ravens | 197 |
Horned Lark | 200 |
Chickadee Titmouse Nuthatches and Creeper | 204 |
Waterfowl | 37 |
Upland Game Birds | 54 |
Loons and Grebes | 57 |
Tubenoses | 61 |
Pelicans and Allies | 65 |
Large Wading Birds | 71 |
Storks Vultures and Flamingo | 79 |
Raptors | 82 |
Rails Gallinules Coot and Cranes | 97 |
Shorebirds | 103 |
Jaegers Gulls Terns and Skimmer | 133 |
Pigeons and Doves | 149 |
Parakeets | 153 |
Cuckoos | 154 |
Owls | 157 |
Nighthawks and Nightjars | 161 |
Swifts | 164 |
Hummingbirds | 165 |
Wrens | 206 |
Bulbul Kinglets and Gnatcatcher | 209 |
Thrushes | 210 |
Catbird Mockingbird and Thrashers | 215 |
European Starling | 217 |
Waxwings | 218 |
Warblers | 219 |
Tanagers | 239 |
Cardinals Sparrows and Allies | 241 |
Blackbirds Orioles and Allies | 256 |
Finches and Allies | 264 |
House Sparrow | 267 |
BIRDING AND ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS ON THE UPPER TEXAS COAST | 269 |
PLANTS MENTIONED IN THE TEXT | 270 |
273 | |
279 | |
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Common terms and phrases
abundant American appear areas arrive Bayou beach birders birds Black Bolivar breeder breeding coast coastal common counts dates DISCUSSION ducks early east eastern edge fall feeding fields flats flocks Flycatcher forests Freeport CBC frequently Galveston grounds Gulf Gull HABITAT Hawk High Island Houston Hummingbird increase individuals Island Lake land late least less linger locally located male marshes Mexico nesting Northern noted numbers observed occasionally occur Park Pass plantings Point ponds population prairie present range rare rare winter recent records region remain reported represent resident residential rice River sand Sandpiper seen shorebirds sightings Sparrow species spring summer TBRC Terns Texas throughout transient migrant trees uncommon United usually Vireo visitor Warbler western winter terminal migrant Wood woodlands young