We Love Birds Bulletin

 

 

Posts from Bexar Audubon
South Central Texas:
birding and conservation articles, programs, webinars, classes, and other newsworthy items for BAS members.

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January 7, 2026

Birding Fuels Eco-Tourism
in San Antonio

Nature, Birds, Romance, 
and a bit of Spice from Author Maeve Kim

Just A Simple Love Affair has just been released, the third in the series Love Stories of the Burlington Bird Club. One reader described the books as “the happiest blend of nature, birds, dilemmas, and characters I’d like to meet - well-written, thoughtful, with endings that leave me smiling”.

Check out Maeve Kim's website for more books in the series. Books can be ordered through most independent bookstores or online, paperbacks and e-books.

October 9, 2025

Bat Recorded Catching and Eating a Songbird in Midair

Scientists suspected that Europe’s largest bats snack on migrating songbirds when they can, but a stunning newly published observation proves it.

The bat—a greater noctule (Nyctalus lasiopterus)—was equipped with a high-tech tag recording its behavior. And from one particular recording, researchers were able to reconstruct a story with both cinematic drama and scientific value. That’s because the tag captured the bat pursuing, killing and eating a migrating European robin (Erithacus rubecula)—all in midair and while echolocating to navigate.

Greater noctules are among the largest and most endangered bats in Europe. Their usual fare is meatier insects—beetles and moths and the like. But in previous work, scientists analyzing the DNA found in bat poop had been surprised to find evidence of greater noctules feasting on songbirds—which are much larger than insects—during spring and fall migrations, when birds are active at night instead of during the day.

Holy Bird Eating, Batman!

 

September 3, 2025

International Hawk Migration Week:
Sept. 12-21

Last year 113 Hawk Count sites tallied more than 700,000 migrating raptors, such as the Broad-winged Hawk in the photo, during International Hawk Migration Week.

Experience the excitement of raptor migration by visiting one of the more than 100 hawk watch sites across North America as birders celebrate International Hawk Migration Week (IHMW) from September 13 to 21. Broad-winged Hawk Migration is at its peak during this period.

Even if you can’t make it to a Hawk Count site (such as the one at Hazel Bazemore Park in Corpus Christi, Texas) during the peak week, count sites continue their work into early November, and you can always check the Hawk Count website (HawkCount) to see how the raptor migration is progressing at individual locations during this peak period of the fall flights.

For more information about International Hawk Migration Week, refer to the Hawk Migration Association’s webpage at International Hawk Migration Week – Hawk Migration Association

August 13, 2025

Kites & Hawks
Begin Migration

Mississippi Kite

Although migration south is in its earliest stages, the August flights of kites, especially Swallow-tailed Kites, was already going strong by August 3rd. And the first Mississippi Kites are beginning to migrate too.

To keep in touch with the many raptor monitoring sites that will be operating in earnest from September to November, see daily totals coming in from Canada to the United States, Mexico to Costa Rica and Panama, and even Colombia as some raptors enter South America, especially Swainson’s Hawks and Broad-winged Hawks. Now you can observe the daily totals for August provided by the Florida Keys HawkWatch at HawkCount along with daily totals for Braddock Bay in August at HawkCount. 

Corpus Christi HawkWatch in Texas is also starting to see early migrants, including 47 Mississippi Kites during Sunday’s observations and 27 Swallow-tailed Kites on Monday.

To access monthly counts for individual raptor count sites, click on the name of the site, then click on “Monthly” in the left column; and one more click on the “Go” button. The HawkCount Raptor Migration Database is provided by the Hawk Migration Association, as it has been for 50 years!

To read the entire article, click HERE.

August 6, 2025

AviList: A Unified Global Checklist of the World’s Birds is Now Available

AviList, a unified global checklist of birds that provides the most current and authoritative taxonomy of birds around the world, was released today by experts in taxonomy, nomenclature, and bioinformatics including researchers from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, American Ornithological Society, BirdLife International, International Ornithologists’ Union, and Avibase. The new checklist recognizes 11,131 species of birds in the world, classified within 252 families.

The AviList team worked for four years to harmonize the global checklist of birds with the aim of providing a single list of species names making it easier to compile and share information on bird species to improve conservation outcomes.

To read more click HERE.

Watch the AviList Webinar from Birds of the World

Watch the Birds of the World team talk about how AviList will affect scientific progress, address problems, and impact tools such as eBird.

Watch HERE.

eBird Now Allows Birders to Upload Photos that are
NOT of Birds!

Feature Photos
and Reorder Media on Your eBird Checklists

Highlight and organize your media in eBird like never before! These new tools let you showcase your best photos and recordings more effectively.

Choose a standout image—whether it’s your favorite bird photo, a great habitat shot, or a key moment—and display it prominently at the top of your checklist. Just click “Choose Featured Image” below the checklist effort details (distance, duration, etc.). You can feature your own media or, if the checklist is shared, a photo uploaded by another person on the checklist. Look for featured images to appear in more places across eBird in the future!

Want your media to display in a different order? Now you can drag and rearrange photos and audio within each species or checklist media category. Plus, your media will always appear first when you view your own checklist, making it easier to see what you’ve uploaded.

View a Walk Through Here.

July 23, 2025

Moving Water Attracts
More Summer Birds

A Bullock's Oriole enjoys the spray of a birdbath attachment.

Water attracts a greater variety of birds than all the bird foods combined – and it’s essentially Free for you to provide fresh water every day. During summer, most birds are feeding on the abundance of insects, including larvae such as caterpillars, and spiders. Therefore, with many birds getting their food from sources beyond your feeders, water becomes an even more important magnet to attract birds to your yard.

With new birds on the move after the nesting season, it’s a great time to attract recent fledglings and birds on the move from their nesting territories. Also, some birds will begin migrating south soon, but they may spend extra time during an extended stopover period where they find a dependable water source – and that can be your birdbath or water feature. Once located, water can keep birds in the area similar to providing a food source at your feeding station.

How can we help birds find the water sources we provide?
Read on Here.

July 22, 2025

All About Bird Anatomy

Did you know . . .
- The featherless, tough skin on each foot is called the "podotheca." It's often hardened and scaly.
- Unlike humans, birds always stand on their toes! These, "digits of the foot" are made up of a series of smaller bones, including one for each claw.
- Birds typically have four toes on each foot. The rear-facing toe, or "hallux," is similar to a big toe for a human. This specialized toe allows many birds to grasp, grip, and balance.

Discover more about fascinating bird  anatomy with the All About Bird Anatomy interactive. Explore and learn about their feathers, muscles, skeletons and more, then test what you've learned when you turn on Flashcard Mode. 

July 2, 2025

View the Atlantic Puffin
Live Cams

Have you ever seen a downy puffin nestling in a nesting burrow? National Audubon can show them to you! The live puffin cams give you glimpses inside and outside a puffin burrow, where puffins nest and loaf during the breeding season. You can also view nearby loafing areas where Atlantic Puffins, sometimes joined by Razorbills or Common Murres, hang out when they're not out fishing. Makes a birder want to hop on a flight to Maine!

To read more and see more photos, please click HERE.

June 28, 2025

Greater Bird-of-Paradise© Macaulay Library

Transform Your Perspective of Birds with Ornithology: Comprehensive Bird Biology, and save $100 for a limited time!

Regular Price: $239.99
NOW $139.99
Until August 11, 2025

Don't miss out on this incredible summer discount from Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Bird Academy. This self-paced, online, university-level course will help you see birds in a whole new way. Incorporating the Handbook of Bird Biology, 3rd Edition and covering everything from anatomy and behavior to ecology and conservation of birds worldwide, this course will give you a strong foundation in all things avian.

Spend some of  the HOT TEXAS SUMMER indoors increasing your bird knowledge.

Enroll Here using your
eBird Username and Password and your Credit Card.

June 18, 2025

AviList: 11,131 Bird Species Worldwide on One List!

The main goal of AviList has been to combine the independent taxonomy lists for birds. In response, a new list of the world's bird species was released last week, with the official global bird total listed at 11,131 species. AviList is a multi-year effort to combine the previous taxonomic bird species lists into a single list that all parties agreed to thereby combining the previous primary world bird lists used: The American Ornithological Society Checklist and the eBird-Clements Checklist, the IOC (International Ornithological Congress) World Bird List, and the BirdLife International List. Future revisions are planned to be released once a year hereafter.

Read the whole article Here. Read more about AviList Here.

May 27, 2025

An Illinois Building Was a Bird Killer. A Simple Change Made a World of Difference.

Researchers have estimated that hundreds of millions of birds die hitting buildings every year in the United States. These strikes are believed to be one of the factors behind an almost 30 percent drop in North American birds since 1970.

Chicago is one of the most dangerous cities in the country for migrating birds, according to research by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. And no building was known to be more lethal than McCormick Place’s Lakeside Center. All that has changed now.

Read the whole story HERE.

May 21, 2025 BOOK REVIEWS

Turning to Birds: The Power and Beauty of Noticing

by Lili Taylor

Eye-opening essays about searching for peace in the cacophony of birds and discovering a world of meaning in small moments—from award-winning actor Lili Taylor.

“By turns introspective, inquisitive, and funny, the book is a love letter to nature and the solace it can provide.”—The New Yorker

Most people don’t really know birds—or rather, they aren’t aware of them. Lili Taylor used to be one of those people. She knew birds existed. She thought about them, maybe even more than the average person. But she didn’t know them. And then something happened.

During a much-needed break from her work as an actor, Lili sought silence and instead found the bustling, symphonic world of birds that had always existed around her. Since then, she has kept a keen eye pressed to her binoculars in search of vivid stories that elevate the everyday, if only one pays attention.

Taylor's lyrical prose and thoughtful meditations on both the art we make and the art we discover around us create a sense of intimacy and wonder, inviting readers to see the world through new eyes and to find joy in the most unexpected places.

With birding more popular than ever, this clever pocket-sized guide is a unique gift that celebrates the obsession with hilarious definitions and witty illustrations of terms that birders know and love. 

Acclaimed science communicator and Bird and Moon cartoonist Rosemary Mosco offers a clever, humorous “dictionary” that’s perfect for any birder. The Birding Dictionary is filled with hilarious and informative definitions for more than 200 birding terms, plus over 50 witty full‑color illustrations. Terms range from bird species, anatomy, and behaviors to the insider jargon that all birders know and speak fluently, from “alpha code” to “zygodactyl.” With equal parts quirky humor and accessible science, it’s a delightful gift for every bird enthusiast.

Here's one example:

field mark/noun: A distinguishing physical characteristic used to help identify a bird. Field guides often indicate field marks with small arrows or bits of text, but be aware that these words and arrows are rarely found on birds in the wild.

May 14, 2025

FeederWatch Data Inform Lesser Goldfinch Range Expansion Research

New research published in the journal Ornithology shows that Lesser Goldfinches are expanding their range northward through the Pacific Northwest at an unprecedented rate, providing insights into how species adapt to environmental change. Mason Maron from Washington State University collaborated with Emma Greig, former FeederWatch project leader, and Cornell Lab Research Associate Jordan Boersma to analyze data from Project FeederWatch and eBird. The researchers found that Lesser Goldfinch populations increased dramatically in Washington (110.5%), Idaho (66.3%), and Oregon (16.9%) between 2012 and 2022.

Read the abstract from the paper and find a link to the full publication on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website.

April 29, 2025

Creekside at the Cibolo Podcast

The Cibolo means so much to Boerne...the research that happens from butterflies to wildlife and native plants and wildflowers...the learning with kids at the Nest Nature School, Cibolo Summer Camps and Field Trips, plus the rich history of the Herff Farm - memories of the past and new memories made daily.  Creekside At The Cibolo celebrates it all every day on the campus, and every week with this radio show and podcast as heard on Boerne Radio 103.9FM.

Recently, Tom and Patsy Inglet joined Craig Hensley and host Brian Davenport for a discussion on nature conservation and birding. Dive into engaging stories about birding adventures, explore the impact of conservation efforts, and discover how you can get involved with the Cibolo Center for Conservation in Boerne, Texas.

To listen to this and other interesting conversations, click HERE.

April 23, 2025

ATTENTION BIRD PHOTOGRAPHERS!

Macaulay Library Adds a Unique Bird Photo/Video Tag

Some of the most interesting bird sightings include albino, partial-albino, and melanistic birds we encounter. To help study such unique characteristics, the Cornell Lab’s Macaulay Library now features an “Aberrant Individual” tag for eBird users to add to photos and videos of birds that have unusual physical traits including leucism, melanism, bill deformities, and other physical properties that aren't injury related.

This feature makes it easier for anyone to study these traits and how they influence bird biology and behavior, including researchers who are investigating these features in birds.

As indicated by the photograph of the albino Northern Mockingbird illustrating this article, anyone will be surprised to see the collection of bird photos already filed in this interesting new category of birds found within the expansive Macaulay Library at Media Search - Macaulay Library and eBird

To read the whole article, click HERE.

April 20, 2025

Using Bird Migration Monitoring Aids

As spring migration progresses through April and May, be sure to take advantage of the kinds of birding resources that enhance our spring birding experiences and help us to better understand the surges and pauses in migration flights of birds. Using such novel advancements as enhanced weather radar as well as good ole-fashioned counts of birds as they fly by count stations, birders can learn more about the exciting period of spring migration we have entered. By referring to the BirdCast and HawkCount websites regularly you will experience a more continental understanding of birds and bird migration.

Help Prevent Bird Collisions:
Treat Glass by Day, Dim Lights at Night

View and share this short video about the collision hazards that migratory birds face and what we can do about them.

Great News! A Simple Action Drastically Reduced Bird Collisions at an Infamous Windy City Building

In autumn 2023, nearly 1,000 birds died in a single night at a single building along Chicago's waterfront. In 2024, after the building's owners applied simple white markers to the windows, collisions were down by 95% over previous years. Window treatments really do work: read the inspiring story.

April 17, 2025

Bloom Service!
Six Native Plants that Steal the Spotlight

Did you know that April is designated as National Native Plant Month?

Texas has over 5,000 native plant species that can be found in incredibly diverse habitats throughout the state. The San Antonio River Basin comprises many ecosystems where these diverse plant communities thrive and contribute to clean, safe, and enjoyable creeks and rivers. The River Authority’s Sustainable Landscape Ecologist Lee Marlowe helps us take a closer look at six native plants with incredible spring blooms!

Read the whole article and see photos of the plants HERE.

February 19, 2025

Are You Up For
Building a Birdhouse?

It’s getting close to the point in late winter and early spring where our attention turns toward preparing for cavity nesting birds that will be looking for just the right woodpecker cavity, nest box, or birdhouse. Some of our most familiar backyard birds nest in cavities, including chickadees, wrens, bluebirds, purple martins, owls, and more. In fact, 88 species of cavity nesting birds across North America rely to some extent on dedicated birders who provide birdhouses to bolster the number of natural cavities that can be used.

Read more HERE about whether to build your own birdhouses or to purchase them, a topic that will be explored in more detail later.

February 5, 2025

The Epic Migrations
of Blackpoll Warblers

During the past decade, a dedicated group of researchers has been studying the migration complexities of Blackpoll Warblers, small but extraordinary songbirds renowned for their incredible migrations from their nesting range that spans the boreal forest of North America to tropical forests in South America – and back – flying thousands of miles each year.

Despite their remarkable abilities, Blackpoll Warblers are experiencing population declines from threats to habitats at key stopover and wintering sites, particularly in South America. The researchers’ long-term work underscores the urgency of conserving habitats along the Blackpoll Warbler’s migratory routes, including safeguarding stopover sites, restoring degraded habitats, and addressing continuing threats such as deforestation.

The Blackpoll Warbler’s long-distance migrations are a testament to a species’ resilience and complexity. With concerted efforts, we can ensure this species continues to thrive and inspire future generations across the Western Hemisphere. Read more HERE.

You can also refer to the original Birds Canada article at Unveiling the Blackpoll Warbler’s Epic Migration - Birds Canada | Oiseaux Canada

January 29, 2025

Identifying Owls
A New Online Guide

All 19 of the owl species native to the United States and Canada are featured in the new online Owl ID Guide, provided by the Owl Research Institute. And it’s much more than just an ID Guide, because each species’ range, size, behaviors, calls, and preferred habitats are listed – all of which help with species identification – along with their foods, nest sites, clutch sizes, incubation period, conservation status, and many helpful ID tips that experienced field biologists find out. Illustrated with ID-helpful photographs and range maps.

Access the complete Owl ID Guide on the Owl Research Institute’s website at Owl ID Guide I Owl Research Institute

January 17, 2025

Bird City Texas Certifies
Five New Cities
& Their First High-Flyer

Audubon Texas and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) are excited to announce College Station, Denton, Kerrville, San Marcos and Wimberley have joined the Bird City Texas flock, while Galveston has become its first High-flyer.

This three-year certification program, a partnership between Audubon Texas and TPWD, recognizes cities’ efforts to ensure birds, wildlife and people thrive in their communities.

High-Flyer status is a distinguished designation that recognizes a community’s deep continued commitment to bird and habitat conservation efforts by achieving over 27 actions related to habitat, threats, and education. Galveston first achieved Bird City Texas status in January 2021, making 2025 their fifth year in the program.

Read more HERE.

January 1, 2025

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Thought to Start the New Year:

"You cannot begin to preserve any species of animal unless you preserve the habitat in which it dwells. Disturb or destroy that habitat and you will exterminate the species as surely as if you had shot it. So conservation means that you have to preserve forest and grassland, river and lake, even the sea itself. This is not only vital for the preservation of animal life generally, but for the future existence of humanity -- a point that seems to escape many people."

Gerald Durrell, naturalist and author (7 Jan 1925-30 Jan 1995)

Thanks to member Ed Rogers

How Great Gray Owls
Hunt in Deep Snow

Great Gray Owls prowl the wintry north, punching through deep snow to catch hidden prey. In this article from Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Living Bird, you'll dive into a world of silent owls, stealthy voles, and "acoustic mirages" to find out how they do it.

Denver Holt, our featured speaker for the January meeting, will reveal more of the fantastic adaptions of owls. Sign up to attend in person on the Meetings and Events page.

December 24, 2024

Bald Eagle
Now Officially the
U.S. National Bird 

The Bald Eagle is now officially the national bird of the U.S. after President Biden signed into law legislation amending a code to formally recognize the previously unofficial American emblem.

Read why it matters and more, HERE.

December 18, 2024

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The last post for 2024 is a link to a great list of Backyard Birding Resources from The Birding Wire, which gathered information from a multitude of sources.

Read, Enjoy, Learn, Practice!

October 30, 2024

Female Bird Photos – Audubon’s Best

Many times, photographers overlook female birds as photo subjects, so to emphasize that female birds are stunning in their behaviors and activities, the Audubon Bird Photography Awards introduced the Female Birds category in 2021. By creating a space for photographers to intentionally focus on females, Audubon’s aim was to draw more attention to female birds as photo subjects. In a new collection of 10 Female Bird photos, the story behind the image is provided, along with a tip about how you can more easily identify a female of that species.

See the results for yourself HERE.

 

September 4, 2024

Hawk Migration Week:
September 14 to 22

Help celebrate International Hawk Migration Week by visiting a hawk count site near you from Saturday September 14th to Sunday the 22nd. This particular week in September is one of the best to see the highest daily counts of migrating raptors across North America. Last year, 113 sites across Canada, the United States, and Mexico tallied more than 700,000 migrating raptors during International Hawk Migration Week! This year more than 50 raptor migration monitoring sites will be celebrating with special raptor events, workshops, demonstrations, and festivals.

Throughout the fall migration period, now through November, you can monitor numbers of birds of prey migrating above raptor count sites across North America. In some cases you can see live updates of the number of eagles, falcons, hawks, and kites being seen, all provided at the HawkCount website, operated by the Hawk Migration Association of North America’s (HMANA). It’s also possible to see totals for each month, and to compare numbers with past years’ count totals. Even now, on peak days hundreds of raptors are being counted – even thousands!

Check out our closest Hawk Watch International site at Hazel Bazemore Park in Corpus Christi at this LINK.

August 21, 2024

Exemplary Avian Olympians

The Olympics showcased the world’s best athletes with their speed, agility, endurance, strength, and keen abilities. But even beyond the most impressive human records, some birds are capable of extraordinary physical records. For example, the annual 50,000 mile marathon that Arctic Terns endure while flying from the Arctic to the Antarctic and returning annually, or the 80 mile per hour sprinting flight of a Red-breasted Merganser. How about the longest non-stop flight, documented recently by a young Bar-tailed Godwit (photo) that flew 8,435 miles nonstop over 11 days, flying from Alaska to Tasmania in south Australia!

Learn more about avian Olympians in an interesting Audubon article online at These 5 Birds Are All Winners in the Migration Games | Audubon

Birds included in the article include Northern Pintails, Red Knots, American Golden Plovers, Sooty Shearwaters, Harlequin Ducks, Scripps’s Murrelets, Gray-cheeked Thrushes, Pacific Golden Plovers, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Whimbrels, Common Murres, and Blackpoll Warblers.

August 3, 2024

Two books to check out and
add to your birding library.

Tracking the natural beauty that surrounds us, The Backyard Bird Chronicles maps the passage of time through daily entries, thoughtful questions, and beautiful original sketches. With boundless charm and wit, author Amy Tan charts her foray into birding and the natural wonders of the world.

In 2016, Amy Tan grew overwhelmed by the state of the world: Hatred and misinformation became a daily presence on social media, and the country felt more divisive than ever. In search of peace, Tan turned toward the natural world just beyond her window and, specifically, the birds visiting her yard. But what began as an attempt to find solace turned into something far greater—an opportunity to savor quiet moments during a volatile time, connect to nature in a meaningful way, and imagine the intricate lives of the birds she admired.

Buy the original flexibound version
to get the look and feel of a
personal  nature journal.

Renowned naturalist Kenn Kaufmanexamines the scientific discoveries of John James Audubon and his artistic and ornithologist peers to show how what they saw (and what they missed) reflects how we perceive and understand the natural world.

Raging ambition. Towering egos. Competition under a veneer of courtesy. Heroic effort combined with plagiarism, theft, exaggeration, and fraud. This was the state of bird study in eastern North America during the early 1800s, as a handful of intrepid men raced to find the last few birds that were still unknown to science.

The most famous name in the bird world was John James Audubon, who painted spectacular portraits of birds. But although his images were beautiful, creating great art was not his main goal. Instead, he aimed to illustrate (and write about) as many different species as possible, obsessed with trying to outdo his rival, Alexander Wilson. George Ord, a fan and protégé of Wilson, held a bitter grudge against Audubon for years, claiming he had faked much of his information and his scientific claims. A few of Audubon’s birds were pure fiction, and some of his writing was invented or plagiarized. Other naturalists of the era, including Charles Bonaparte (nephew of Napoleon), John Townsend, and Thomas Nuttall, also became entangled in the scientific derby, as they stumbled toward an understanding of the natural world—an endeavor that continues to this day.

Despite this intense competition, a few species—including some surprisingly common songbirds, hawks, sandpipers, and more—managed to evade discovery for years. Here, renowned bird expert and artist Kenn Kaufman explores this period in history from a new angle, by considering the birds these people discovered and, especially, the ones they missed. Kaufman has created portraits of the birds that Audubon never saw, attempting to paint them in that artist’s own stunning style, as a way of examining the history of natural sciences and nature art. He shows how our understanding of birds continues to gain clarity, even as some mysteries persist from Audubon’s time until ours.

Available in Hardback and Kindle.

August 2, 2024

Help Birds Beat the Heat

Many people love a cool dip on a hot August day, and birds love it, too.
A simple birdbath makes a big difference, especially with recent scorching temperatures. Provide fresh water for cooling off, bathing, and drinking with a birdbath! Putting a birdbath in your yard may attract birds that don’t eat seeds and wouldn’t otherwise come to your feeders.

Be sure your birdbath gets the "Birds Prefer" Seal of Approval.
Shallow is Better! Birds don't like to get completely submerged in a bird bath (that would make it too difficult to escape a predator). If you have a deep bird bath, put a flat rock in it to life the birds above the water.
Place the bird bath near cover so that birds can quickly fly away and hide to continue their preening safe from harm. Would YOU like to bathe in the middle of a bare yard?

When you get a bird bath, be sure to keep filled and clean it regularly to help prevent the spread of disease. And the sound from dripping water really brings in the hot, thirsty feathered crowds. A plastic bottle with a pin hole in the bottom will do the trick, or invest in a dripper that attaches to your water supply.

For more information on providing water for birds, please see and download the free PDF brochure about providing water for birds from Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
SPLISH SPLASH!