South and West Texas Trip ~ April 27, 1991

Babe and George Webster and I left the A.B.E. Airport at 8:00 AM, headed for San Antonio with a layover in Pittsburgh. While waiting in Pittsburgh for our next flight, I noticed two men sitting near us that looked familiar. When one guy pulled a "Lane Guide" out of his briefcase, I walked over and found out that it was Steve Santner and his friend Morris Cox. They were also headed to Texas, but they would be doing a loop of the state in the opposite direction of our plans. After passing some information back and forth, we all got on the plane to San Antonio.

Our flight to Texas was by way of Louisiana airspace in order to avoid a huge line of severe thunderstorms that had caused hail damage, and even tornadoes, in Kansas and Oklahoma. At Allentown, we had watched file footage of a TV crew that tried to outrace a tornado in the Plains and finally had to take shelter under a bridge. We landed in San Antonio under sunny skies and piled our gear into the rental car.

We headed northwest on I-10 to the Camp Bullis Road exit where we saw at least a hundred Cliff Swallows gathering mud for nest-building under the bridge. After getting an ice chest and some 'goodies', we headed over to Friedrich Wilderness Park. We met the park ranger on his horse as he was leaving the headquarters. We told him that we were from Pennsylvania and were interested in seeing the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler. He asked Babe to hold on to his horse while he went into the headquarters, got us maps, and showed us the best place to look for the bird. We thanked him and headed up the Main Loop Trail to where the Upland Range Trail split off on the left. While on the Upland Range Trail, we ran into Steve Santner and Morris Cox. They were also looking for the bird and hadn't heard it so far. We left them and headed back to the Main Loop Trail. We searched the area of oaks and mature Ashe Junipers for about a half-hour until we finally heard one calling. There, on top of one of the junipers was a male Golden-cheeked Warbler singing away in the late afternoon.

Golden-cheeked Warbler at Friedrich Wilderness Park near San Antonio, Texas.

While at the park, we saw Sharp-shinned, Broad-winged, and Swainson's Hawk, a Scrub Jay sitting on its nest, the "Black-crested" form of Tufted Titmouse, Solitary Vireo, and Black-and-white Warbler.

Returning to San Antonio, we took Route 87 east towards Victoria. At one stop along the road, we saw Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Meadowlarks, a treetop full of Dickcissels and good numbers of Mississippi Kites streaming overhead. Just east of the town of Smiley, we saw two Crested Caracaras sitting on a corral fence right next to the road. Other birds seen on the way to Victoria included Black Vulture, Common Nighthawk, White-winged Dove, Purple Martin, Tree, Cliff, and Barn Swallow, Loggerhead Shrike, countless numbers of Great-tailed Grackles, Northern Mockingbird (on every other telephone pole), and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (on every third telephone pole). At dusk, we saw endless lines of Cattle Egrets crossing the road with a few Little Blue Herons among them. We spent the night at the Motel 6 in Victoria.

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South and West Texas Trip ~ April 28, 1991

We awoke very early in the morning in order for me to have a chance of finding Greater Prairie-Chicken on the Tivoli booming grounds. A stop along Route 239, west of Tivoli, produced Northern Bobwhite, Dickcissel, Savannah Sparrow, Crested Caracara, and my first look at an immature White-tailed Hawk perched on a snag in a brushy field. Along Highway 35, south of Tivoli, we discovered the Prairie-Chicken booming grounds---an unplowed area at the back end of a large field. There, along the edge of the grounds, was a single male Greater Prairie-Chicken of the "Attwater's" race still strutting around with its tail fanned and throat sacs inflated.

We continued on to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Although a few Whooping Cranes had stayed around later than usual, they were all gone by the time we arrived. We drove to the observation tower and found the bay socked in with fog. However, we did get Babe her 'life' Painted Bunting, a male that sang from a treetop right next to the tower. Other birds seen there included Pied-billed Grebe, Great and Snowy Egret, Ruddy Duck, Osprey, Willet, Royal and Forster's Tern, White-eyed Vireo, Blue Grosbeak, and Indigo Bunting. We also heard Clapper Rail.

Back on Highway 35, we headed south towards Corpus Christi. A stop north of Lamar produced another immature White-tailed Hawk, Cassin's Sparrow, and my first look at Golden-fronted Woodpecker.

White-tailed Hawk near Lamar, Texas.

We took the road along Fulton Beach and found the tides so high that the waves were almost up on the road, but we still managed to see Brown Pelican and Sandwich Tern. We picked up Highway 181 where, just before crossing the Nueces Bay Causeway, I found my first Reddish Egret. In Corpus Christi, we visited the apartment of Kay McCracken, the lady who wrote the book on the life of Connie Hagar. She gave us a few pointers on different birds and birding spots and we headed off towards Highway 77.

South of Sarita on Highway 77, we stopped at a bridge that had a large nesting colony of Cave Swallows. Some of the birds flew within inches of us, giving us excellent looks at their buffy throats. Our biggest 'miss' of the trip came farther south when we stopped at a rest area with Hooded Orioles and didn't know about the Tropical Parulas that were nesting nearby. Unfortunately, we found out about them five days later. Highway 77 birds included Tricolored Heron, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Black-necked Stilt, Swainson's Hawk, and our only look at an adult White-tailed Hawk.

We left Highway 77 and headed for Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. Along the first half-mile of the Bayside Tour, we found Couch's Kingbird and Long-billed Thrasher among the noisy groups of Great-tailed Grackle. At Pelican Lake, we found Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Lesser Yellowlegs, Willet, Whimbrel, and my first Wilson's Plover.

Wilson's Plover at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, Texas.

A walk along Buena Vista Road, south of the headquarters, produced my first looks at Plain Chachalaca and Olive Sparrow, although the looks at the sparrow were poor. Additional birds seen at the refuge were American White Pelican, Northern Harrier, Common Moorhen, American Avocet, Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Brown-crested Flycatcher, Curve-billed Thrasher, and a Harris's Hawk being attacked from behind by a Northern Mockingbird. On the way back towards Rio Hondo, a small impoundment along Route 106 held Mottled Duck.

We headed south towards Brownsville, hoping to reach the Red-crowned Parrot roost before dark, but we were running out of daylight. We got to the spot at dusk and did see one parrot fly out and back into the trees, but neither of us were satisfied with the look that we got. We left Brownsville and headed for the Motel 6 in McAllen.

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South and West Texas Trip ~ April 29, 1991

I opened the motel room door early this morning and saw a big thunderstorm bearing down on us. I managed to get a few things into the car before the lightning, winds, and driving rain started. Within 15 minutes, it had passed on. We later learned that we had just experienced the fringe of the storm. About five miles north, near the town of Edinburg, they had received damaging winds and grapefruit-sized hail.

We traveled over to Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park. In the "trailer loop" area, we found that most of the campers had left for the summer. There were only about three sites actually feeding the birds. Even so, we easily found Inca Dove, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Couch's Kingbird, Long-billed Thrasher, Greater Roadrunner, and my first views of White-tipped Dove and the strikingly-colored Green Jay.

Green Jay at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, Texas.

It was there that we first met Kim Eckert, leader of the Victor Emmanuel tour group. He asked us what we had seen. He then told us that they were headed up to the levee to see the Hooked-billed Kite that usually came by between 9:00 and 10:00. We decided to go there and try our luck, and sure enough, an adult male Hook-billed Kite soared by at eye level! It was here that we met three Canadian birders from British Columbia who we would run into several times later on the trip. We went with them to the resaca to check for Green Kingfisher, but to no avail.

We left the park and visited Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge.

George and Babe at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Texas.

We took the trail to Willow Lake where we saw Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Mottled Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Black-necked Stilt, Short-billed Dowitcher, Wilson's Phalarope, and my 'life' Great Kiskadee perched on a snag.

Willow Lake at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Texas.

While there, other birders told us that they had seen Buff-bellied Hummingbirds in front of the visitor center. Once again, the information paid off as we got great looks at three Buff-bellied Hummingbirds feeding on the flowers by the parking lot. We then walked down to the levee west of the visitor center, hoping to find Green Kingfisher. Although we didn't find one, we did see a brightly-colored Altamira Oriole in a tree along the levee and got much better looks at Olive Sparrow. Returning a second time to Willow Lake, we finally spotted a Green Kingfisher at the far side of the lake. It was a female just above the water on an overhanging branch. We also had a Chachalaca walk up to within eight feet of us.

Leaving Santa Ana, we headed east to Brownsville, hoping to see the Mexican Crow. When we arrived at the gate of the Brownsville Dump, we were told it was closing and we couldn't go in. After some map reading, we worked our way around to the back side of the dump where, after some searching, we saw some Mexican Crows among the Great-tailed Grackles and the larger Chihuahuan Ravens.

Farther east, we came to the Port Isabel area where we saw American Oystercatcher, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet, Willet, Ruddy Turnstone, Laughing and Franklin's Gull, Black Skimmer, Caspian, Sandwich, and Least Tern, and the "white phase" of the Reddish Egret with its powder blue legs and lores and its pink bill with a black tip.

White phase of Reddish Egret near Port Isabel, Texas.

Reversing direction, we drove back into Brownsville and stopped at the wooded area by the railroad tracks next to the intersection of Los Ebanos Boulevard and Camino del Rey. As dusk approached, we watched the flocks of
Red-crowned Parrots coming in to roost.

We buzzed back to the motel and then headed back to Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park. Along the outermost loop road in the park, we got to hear and see Common Pauraques hunting for insects. We conservatively estimated that we actually saw six or seven and heard probably a dozen more. Other observations included a calling Elf Owl, Javelinas, and a light-colored snake that crossed the road in front of the car. We finally got back to our McAllen motel around 11:00 PM.

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South and West Texas Trip ~ April 30, 1991

Our second day in the Lower Rio Grande Valley began at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. We walked to Willow Lake until the wildlife tour road opened at 9:00 AM. We had heard the rattling calls of kingfishers there but had not gotten good looks at any of them. Finally, a Ringed Kingfisher flew past the platform. After the tour road opened, we drove down to the old manager's residence. We headed down the Pintail Lake Trail where Babe spotted our first Groove-billed Ani. It sat very still as we studied every detail at no more than 15 feet away! We showed it to a nice couple from Florida whom we had met before at Willow Lake.

Groove-billed Ani at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Texas.

On the way back to the car, I noticed two birds at the top of a snag. The one was a Mourning Dove, but the other one seemed darker and almost twice its size. I also noticed a light spot on the tip of its bill. I was pretty sure what it was, but I wanted to be certain. We watched it for a few minutes before it flew down on a glide into the surrounding trees. On the glide, I noticed the two-toned pattern on the wings---purplish in front and grayish behind. There was no doubt; it was a Red-billed Pigeon!

We left Santa Ana and headed for Bentsen State Park to a spot that Kim Eckert had told us about when he had run into him again at Willow Lake. We stopped at the suggested spot and found four Least Grebes feeding along with Pied-billed Grebes and Double-crested Cormorants in a vegetated pond.

Back on Route 83, we drove through Rio Grande City and followed directions to the Santa Margarita Ranch. The Lane Guide told us to stop and pay the $1.00 fee at the small group of houses. What it didn't say was that the one house had free-roaming dogs, one of which attacked Babe when she got out of the car, biting her through her sneaker. Luckily, it had not punctured her skin, especially with the fear of rabies running through the back of our minds. After some assurance from the owner that her dogs had all of their "shots", and carefully bypassing cattle, we reached the Rio Grande River's edge. Unfortunately, water had been released upstream at Falcon Dam and the river was way above its normal height. Instead of being able to walk along the river, we could only observe from the point where the road disappeared under the water. We heard an Audubon's Oriole singing its whistled song a short distance away, but we were never able to get a good look at it. It was here that we again ran into the three Canadian guys. As the one was talking with us at the top of the hill, the other two down at the river yelled, "Muscovy Duck!" We never made it down in time to see it, but they consoled us by telling us that it had flown down the Mexican side of the river. Still, it would have been nice to see. We also saw another Green Kingfisher fly down the Mexican side.

We stopped at Salineno, finding the same high river conditions, but no Audubon's Orioles or Brown Jays. We went to the spillway at Falcon Dam looking for Olivaceous Cormorant or Muscovy Duck but could find neither. We then went into the Falcon State Recreation Area where we found Forster's Tern, Curve-billed Thrasher, a Harris's Hawk, and a Great Horned Owl on a nest shading a down-covered owlet from the hot afternoon sun.

We headed back to Rio Grande City and got some much-needed shade and sleep at the Fort Ringgold Inn.

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South and West Texas Trip ~ May 1, 1991

Early morning, we parked at the spillway at Falcon Dam and started hiking down to the famous Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl spot. Our Canadian buddies happened to catch up with us on the way down to the old Scout camp. They showed us where a lucky birder found the owl a few days before. Then, Babe took us to where she had seen it a few years before. On the way, we found a very accommodating male Audubon's Oriole singing from a treetop. It was Babe's 600th 'life bird'. A long period of searching and waiting turned up some 'pellets' and 'whitewash' but no owl. Babe had two large bees buzzing around her and, because African Killer Bees are becoming more common in the Rio Grande Valley, we didn't stay in one spot too long. The bad thing about these bees is that when an intruder gets too close to a hive, they attack in swarms instead of in small numbers like most of our bees. While in the area, we did find Groove-billed Anis, an Altamira Oriole's nest, and a Long-billed Thrasher. On the way back to the spillway, I heard a screaming call like one that I remembered studying on the tapes at home before I left. After some searching, the calls led us to a flock of Brown Jays! I got great looks at an immature with its yellow bill and long tail.

Brown Jay below Falcon Dam, Texas.

We left Falcon Dam and motored northwestward to San Ygancio. About three miles past the town, we pulled into a roadside picnic area with a sign proclaiming, "Watch for Poisonous Snakes!" Following the helpful directions of our Canadian friends, I walked down the trail from the shelter to the bluff overlooking the Rio Grande River. I faced in the 10 o'clock direction and looked for a small dead tree in the canebrakes. It was in that tree that the Canadians had seen one of our Texas target birds. The amazing part came when I looked into that very same tree and found the same male White-collared Seadeater singing his song. Further observation produced the female Seedeater and more Groove-billed Anis. Totally shocked by the ease of finding this rarity, we watched them until we had our fill.

The Rio Grande River near San Ygnacio, Texas. The canebrakes at the lower left held a pair of White-collared Seadeaters.

Back on Route 83, we passed through Laredo and headed for Del Rio. Along the way, we stopped at a small waterhole that held about 30 White-faced Ibis. We also got nice looks at Lark Sparrow, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, and males of both Painted Bunting and Vermilion Flycatcher---two of the most brilliantly-colored birds that were only a few feet apart.

Vermilion Flycatcher between Laredo and Del Rio, Texas.

Crested Caracara and Swainson's and Harris's Hawk were also seen on the way to Del Rio. At Del Rio, we checked into the Motel 6 and then drove over to Vega Verde, a large pond where Olivaceous Cormorants were supposed to be but weren't.

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South and West Texas Trip ~ May 2, 1991

We popped over to Vega Verde first thing in the morning and, this time, found four immature Olivaceous Cormorants. We then headed west on Route 90, past the huge Amistad Reservoir, and stopped at Seminole Canyon State Park. It was overcast and blustery, but we saw our first White-throated Swifts and Brewer's Sparrow for the trip at the top of the deep canyon. Close by, we stopped at the Pecos River Bridge, the highest bridge in Texas, which traverses the Pecos River gorge. While at the overlook, we saw more White-throated Swifts and a Canyon Wren visiting its nest.

The Pecos River Bridge near Comstock, Texas.

Our next stop was the Judge Roy Bean Museum in Langtry, which had a garden behind the headquarters representing the area's plant life. Many birds were attracted to this little oasis. We got good looks at Say's Phoebe, Cactus Wren, and Hooded and Scott's Oriole.

Scott's Oriole in Langtry, Texas.

The flat, scrubby desert land was becoming more and more hilly as we went farther westward.

Highway 90 near Sanderson, Texas.

While stopping at one spot for pictures, I spotted a Scaled Quail calling from the top of a brushpile. Birds seen in the stretch between Langtry and Big Bend National Park included Northern Shoveler and Wilson's Phalarope in a waterhole, Greater Roadrunner, Ash-throated and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Horned Lark, Summer Tanager, Pyrrhuloxia, Green-tailed Towhee, Clay-colored Sparrow, Lark Bunting, and Northern "Bullock's" Oriole.

Lark Bunting near Sanderson, Texas.

We passed the entrance sign for Big Bend National Park but still had over 30 miles to go to get to the Chisos Mountains section of the park. A Curve-billed Thrasher was outside the Panther Junction headquarters building. Nearby, at the beginning of Grapevine Hills Road, we birded Government Spring and found Say's Phoebe, Bell's Vireo, and White-crowned Sparrow. We then checked into the Chisos Mountains Lodge and birded the immediate area, turning up Cactus Wren, American Pipit, and Green-tailed Towhee. At the dining hall, we once again ran into Steve Santner and Morris Cox where we exchanged sightings. We headed for our room soon after so we could get an early morning start on the trail to Boot Springs.

The Chisos Mountains Lodge in Big Bend National Park, Texas.

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South and West Texas Trip ~ May 3, 1991

At the first hint of light, Babe and I headed up the Laguna Meadow Trail. We had only gone about a quarter-mile when I heard another song that I had studied at home. It was my 'life' Black-chinned Sparrow. The "spotted" form of Rufous-sided Towhee was also seen there.

Black-chinned Sparrow along the Laguna Meadow Trail in the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park, Texas.

The well-groomed trail got a little steeper and began switchbacking as we got closer to Laguna Meadow. About two miles from the lodge, we heard the song we most wanted to hear in the Chisos Mountains. It was a Chipping Sparrow-like call that ended in a different note. The bird was very close, but it took over 15 minutes before we could locate it in the thick oaks. Finally, after a lot of stalking, I got down on one knee, peered through the oaks, and found the Colima Warbler sitting perfectly still, persistently singing. Its distinctive bold eye ring and bright orange-yellow upper and undertail coverts were now easily seen. It seemed very inactive by our eastern warbler standards.

On the rest of the way up to Laguna Meadow, we heard about a half-dozen more Colimas and saw two others. Also along the way, we saw Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Cordilleran Flycatcher, "Black-crested" Titmouse, Canyon Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Hermit Thrush, Solitary Vireo, Nashville, Townsend's, "Audubon's", and Hermit Warbler, Black-headed Grosbeak, and a possible Hepatic Tanager. At Laguna Meadow, we ate lunch after finding Ash-throated Flycatcher, Gray-breasted Jay, "Black-eared" Bushtit, and Babe's first look at Hutton's Vireo.

The view from the Laguna Meadow Trail in the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park, Texas. The tan roof of the lodge is barely visible just left of the center of the photo.

We hiked back down to the lodge and found a few Black-chinned Hummingbirds and a male Blue-throated Hummingbird visiting the flowers in front of one of the buildings. We couldn't find a Lucifer's Hummingbird despite constant searching. Apparently, we were about a week too early since one of their favorite food sources, the century plant, wasn't in bloom yet.

By late afternoon, we reluctantly headed out of Big Bend and pointed the car towards the Davis Mountains. Along the roads to Alpine, we spotted Greater Roadrunner, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Loggerhead Shrike, and Lark Bunting. After a quick car and birder refueling stop in Alpine, we motored up Route 118 towards Fort Davis. Birds seen along the way included Wild Turkey, Black and Say's Phoebe, Cedar Waxwing, Phainopepla, and a pair of Montezuma Quail. The quail were standing on the shoulder of the highway about two miles south of Fort Davis. We realized how fortunate we were to see them when we entered Davis Mountains State Park and the park attendant told us that they hadn't been reported in the park for about a year.

Montezuma Quail along Route 118, south of Fort Davis, Texas.

In Davis Mountains State Park, we saw Say's Phoebe, Cassin's Kingbird, Scrub Jay, Cactus and Rock Wren, Curve-billed Thrasher, Phainopepla, and Black-headed Grosbeak. We checked into the park's Indian Lodge where a Rock Wren was present.

Rock Wren at the Indian Lodge in Davis Mountains State Park, Texas.

I went out after dark and searched the hills for Common Poorwill, a bird that I had heard several times and had seen poorly in headlights. I had no luck and move that the bird be called UNcommon Poorwill.

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South and West Texas Trip ~ May 4, 1991

Scrub Jays, Canyon Towhees, and Yellow and "Audubon's" Warblers flew around as we packed up the car at the Indian Lodge. We left the lodge, passed through the campground, and went up Skyline Drive to the overlooks that offered fantastic views of the Davis Mountains and the surrounding area. To the northwest, the white dome of the McDonald Observatory was evident. Rufous-crowned Warblers were in the shrubs near the overlooks.

A view of Davis Mountains State Park showing the Indian Lodge (the white building at left center) and the McDonald Observatory (the small white dome atop the mountain at the right edge of the photo) near Fort Davis, Texas.

A view from the end of Skyline Drive in Davis Mountains State Park, Texas.

From the park, we drove north on Route 17 towards Balmorhea. A tall set of cliffs on the west side of the road were host to a swirling mass of Cave Swallows. Other birds seen along the road included Burrowing Owl, Common Nighthawk, Pyrrhuloxia, "Bullock's" Oriole, and both Lark Sparrow and Lark Bunting.

At I-10, we headed east for the long drive to Kerrville. Almost every underpass between Balmorhea and Sonora held a colony of Cave Swallows. At the Route 290 exit, we left I-10 and went through the town of Sheffield. A short distance past Fort Lancaster State Park, we pulled into a picnic area at the top of a hill. As soon as I got out of the car, I heard a 'lifer' calling across the road. Sure enough, after a fairly short wait, a Gray Vireo came up the steep hillside to greet us.

The Gray Vireo site east of Fort Lancaster State Park, Texas.

We continued east on Route 290 and hopped back onto I-10. We had been following a huge thunderhead for many miles, but luckily, it was moving ahead of us at about the same pace. We stopped a few times to take pictures of the wildflowers blooming in the median strip of the highway. When we did finally reach Kerrville, the rain had ceased and the storm continued to move on.

We checked into the Save Inn Motel and then headed south of Kerrville to the Dewberry Hollow section. Along East Spicer Drive, Babe picked up on the call of a Black-capped Vireo. We zeroed in on the singer, but even though we were within 25 feet of the bird, it took almost an hour before we actually got to see it. The nesting area consists of thick stands of 'shin oak', an impenetrable shrub that grows to about eight feet high. The birds use it well as cover, hardly ever coming out into the open. So, hearing one is fairly easy; seeing one is a different story altogether. I was elated to get to see both of these now-endangered Texas birds (the Golden-cheeked Warbler being the other one) on my first attempts.

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South and West Texas Trip ~ May 5, 1991

Knowing that all we had to do was reach the San Antonio airport by early afternoon, we leisurely drove into downtown San Antonio and visited "The Alamo". It was interesting, but it looked totally out of place entirely surrounded by high-rise building and hotels. We then visited the Olmos Basin Park. The park had been flooded by torrential rains from the thunderstorms we had been following the day before. The caretaker of the park told us that they had seven inches of rain and that the park was under about ten feet of water! The waterline on the leaves of the trees confirmed his story. We left there after packing up most of our gear, turned in the rental car with an additional 2300 miles on it, and flew back to Allentown by way of Pittsburgh.

I ended the trip with 36 life birds out of the 198 species. Babe managed to get eight new ones, which was great considering that she had been to Texas once before with Bucks County Audubon.

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South and West Texas Trip List

1) Least Grebe*
2) Pied-billed Grebe
3) American White Pelican
4) Brown Pelican
5) Double-crested Cormorant
6) Olivaceous Cormorant*
7) Least Bittern
8) Great Blue Heron
9) Great Egret
10) Snowy Egret
11) Little Blue Heron
12) Tricolored Heron
13) Reddish Egret*
14) Cattle Egret
15) Green-backed Heron
16) White-faced Ibis
17) Fulvous Whistling-Duck
18) Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
19) Canada Goose
20) Mottled Duck*
21) Mallard
22) Blue-winged Teal
23) Northern Shoveler
24) Ruddy Duck
25) Black Vulture
26) Turkey Vulture
27) Osprey
28) Hook-billed Kite*
29) Mississippi Kite
30) Northern Harrier
31) Sharp-shinned Hawk
32) Harris's Hawk
33) Red-shouldered Hawk
34) Broad-winged Hawk
35) Swainson's Hawk
36) White-tailed Hawk*
37) Red-tailed Hawk
38) Crested Caracara*
39) American Kestrel
40) Merlin
41) Plain Chachalaca*
42) Greater Prairie-Chicken* ("Attwater's" race)
43) Wild Turkey
44) Montezuma Quail*
45) Northern Bobwhite
46) Scaled Quail
47) Clapper Rail
48) Common Moorhen
49) American Coot
50) Wilson's Plover*
51) Killdeer
52) American Oystercatcher
53) Black-necked Stilt
54) American Avocet
55) Lesser Yellowlegs
56) Solitary Sandpiper
57) Willet
58) Spotted Sandpiper
59) Whimbrel
60) Ruddy Turnstone
61) Short-billed Dowitcher
62) Long-billed Dowitcher
63) Wilson's Phalarope
64) Laughing Gull
65) Franklin's Gull
66) Caspian Tern
67) Royal Tern
68) Sandwich Tern
69) Least Tern
70) Black Skimmer
71) Rock Dove
72) Red-billed Pigeon*
73) White-winged Dove
74) Mourning Dove
75) Inca Dove
76) White-tipped Dove*
77) Red-crowned Parrot*
78) Black-billed Cuckoo
79) Yellow-billed Cuckoo
80) Greater Roadrunner
81) Groove-billed Ani*
82) Great Horned Owl
83) Elf Owl
84) Burrowing Owl
85) Common Nighthawk
86) Common Pauraque*
87) Chimney Swift
88) White-throated Swift
89) Buff-bellied Hummingbird*
90) Blue-throated Hummingbird
91) Black-chinned Hummingbird
92) Broad-tailed Hummingbird
93) Ringed Kingfisher*
94) Green Kingfisher*
95) Acorn Woodpecker
96) Golden-fronted Woodpecker*
97) Ladder-backed Woodpecker
98) Cordilleran Flycatcher
99) Black Phoebe
100) Eastern Phoebe
101) Say's Phoebe
102) Vermilion Flycatcher
103) Ash-throated Flycatcher
104) Brown-crested Flycatcher
105) Great Kiskadee*
106) Couch's Kingbird*
107) Cassin's Kingbird
108) Western Kingbird
109) Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
110) Horned Lark
111) Purple Martin
112) Tree Swallow
113) Bank Swallow
114) Cliff Swallow
115) Cave Swallow
116) Cave Swallow*
117) Barn Swallow
118) Green Jay*
119) Brown Jay*
120) Scrub Jay
121) Gray-breasted Jay
122) American Crow
123) Mexican Crow*
124) Chihuahuan Raven
125) Tufted "Black-crested" Titmouse
126) Common "Black-eared" Bushtit
127) Cactus Wren
128) Rock Wren
129) Canyon Wren
130) Carolina Wren
131) Bewick's Wren
132) Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
133) Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
134) Eastern Bluebird
135) Hermit Thrush
136) Northern Mockingbird
137) Long-billed Thrasher*
138) Curve-billed Thrasher
139) American Pipit
140) Cedar Waxwing
141) Phainopepla
142) Loggerhead Shrike
143) European Starling
144) White-eyed Vireo
145) Bell's Vireo
146) Black-capped Vireo*
147) Gray Vireo*
148) Solitary Vireo
149) Hutton's Vireo
150) Philadelphia Vireo
151) Nashville Warbler
152) Colima Warbler*
153) Yellow Warbler
154) Yellow-rumped "Audubon's" Warbler
155) Townsend's Warbler
156) Hermit Warbler
157) Black-throated Green Warbler
158) Golden-cheeked Warbler*
159) Black-and-white Warbler
160) Common Yellowthroat
161) Summer Tanager
162) Northern Cardinal
163) Pyrrhuloxia
164) Rose-breasted Grosbeak
165) Black-headed Grosbeak
166) Blue Grosbeak
167) Indigo Bunting
168) Painted Bunting
169) Dickcissel
170) Olive Sparrow*
171) Green-tailed Towhee
172) Rufous-sided "Spotted" Towhee
173) Canyon Towhee
174) White-collared Seedeater*
175) Cassin's Sparrow
176) Rufous-crowned Sparrow
177) Chipping Sparrow
178) Clay-colored Sparrow
179) Brewer's Sparrow
180) Black-chinned Sparrow*
181) Lark Sparrow
182) Black-throated Sparrow
183) Lark Bunting
184) Savannah Sparrow
185) White-crowned Sparrow
186) Red-winged Blackbird
187) Eastern Meadowlark
188) Great-tailed Grackle
189) Common Grackle
190) Bronzed Cowbird
191) Brown-headed Cowbird
192) Hooded Oriole
193) Altamira Oriole*
194) Audubon's Oriole*
195) Northern "Bullock's" Oriole
196) Scott's Oriole
197) House Finch
198) House Sparrow

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