Texas and the Central Flyway

What Birds are in Texas?

Chasing information about the birds of Texas and their varieties varies with the website or book you read. Back in 2020 there are 425 birds that moved through the state. Other sources say more; others say less. Finally, I came to Texasbirds.org. Below is their official count information and how they compiled it.

“The official list of bird species accepted for Texas by the Texas Bird Records Committee (TBRC) of the Texas Ornithological Society. This list totals 660 species as of 2022 and includes taxonomic and nomenclatural changes to the AOU Check-list of North American Birds.”

Back in 2013 when I started out, the totals 639 species outlined in the 54th supplement (Auk, Vol. 130, No. 3 (July 2013), pp. 558-571) to the AOU Check-list of North American Birds. (Yeah big change. Birds don’t pay much attention to our imaginary boundaries.)

To be considered a fully accepted species on the Texas list at least one of the following is required:

• An extant specimen identified by a recognized authority together with convincing evidence that the specimen was obtained within Texas.

• One or more photographs that clearly demonstrate definitive characters with convincing evidence that the photos were taken within Texas.

• An audio recording of a bird vocalization that clearly demonstrates definitive characters with convincing evidence that the recording was made within Texas.

In addition to the above, the record itself must be reviewed and accepted by the TBRC.” That’s official enough for me.

Where Do Texas Birds Come From?

There are some birds that live in Texas all the time, (our Blue Jays and Cardinals) but most move through the central flyway of North America, stopping in Texas along the way. The flyway is a vast territory running from the Arctic in the north to lower South American countries and the Antarctic continent. In Texas, you will see American Pipits that nest in Alaska and Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds which winter as far south as Panama. The long-distance record holder in the Central Flyway is the Arctic Turn which flies from the Antarctic in winter to its Arctic breeding grounds in the Spring. This puts Texas in a prime position to host a massive number of birds throughout the year.

There really isn't a bad time of year to look for birds in Texas. The spring season brings us all the central flyway migratory birds moving north, summer gives us a wide variety of tropical birds, warblers and others. In the winter, we have birds that nest as far north as Alaska and Canada coming here for the warmer climate. This includes a colony of rare, endangered Whooping Cranes. Texas is one of the few places they can be seen.

Birding Regions of Texas

Texas has a vast regional variety. The State is 800 miles from its north and south borders or east and west borders. Elevations differ from 8,000+ feet to sea level. The eight regions exhibit the ecological diversity of the state. As birds can be specialized to a particular habitat, some birds are easier to find in certain areas. The Coastal Plain will harbor both offshore birds and coastal marsh loving birds. The Trans Pacos area, in contrast, is home to birds looking for desert scrub and grasslands and higher altitudes. However, some birds aren't so specialized and can be found all over the state, such as the Great Horned Owl and Great Blue Heron.

Let's Get Started

So, now we have a good geographic understanding. We know what birds we can expect to find using the Texas Bird Records Committee. With those things we can now research individual birds and what specializations they have that will dictate where to find them. With that information, I could pretty much clock my backyard’s visitors, Yellow-rumped Warblers in Autumn, American Goldfinches in Winter and American Robins in the Spring. I also plan my road trips to Brazoria NWR to see the Storks and Sandhill Cranes. Or I head to Anahuac NWR in the Spring to catch the great migration across the Gulf of Mexico. A little research will take a birder a long way.

Happy Birding

Photography
Title image: Mixed flock of winter gulls
Upper right: Winter Bonaparte’s Gull
Illustration 1 and 2: From: Learning about Texas Birds by Mark W. Lockwood. This is a free publication from the Texas Parks and Wildlife for education. I have used it for Scouting and other educational programs.

Get Yours at: http://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_p4000_0038.pdf