RARE AMAZON KINGFISHER IN TEXAS

A rare Amazon Kingfisher, a species of bird never previously reported in the United States, has been sighted in Laredo, Texas home. Plateau Senior Wildlife Biologist and dedicated birder, Mark Gray, made the trip from Austin to Laredo this weekend to see the kingfisher for himself. Along with 50-60 other birders, Mark waited approximately 2.5 hours for his sighting of the green female at Rio Grande, Zacate Creek. Mark had heard that passing airboats would flush birds up the creek, so when he heard an airboat in the distance he knew the sighting could be nigh. As hoped, along with about 50 other birds, the Amazon Kingfisher flew up the creek, directly at the birders and alighted in a tree just 40 feet from Mark. The city of Laredo is happy to have their current feathered visitor and has posted helpful details on where to see the bird and viewing etiquette which you can link to here.

Do you know what birds are on your property? Plateau offers a guided bird tour of your property with a professional, expert birder. Our Breeding Bird Census (BBC) is conducted on the property during the breeding season -- approximately mid-March through early-June. These popular surveys begin at sunrise for the "morning chorus" and give you the opportunity to walk your land accompanied by a skilled birdwatcher. This is a fantastic learning experience, not only with information about birds, but you can learn more about your land as well.

And if you have not already conducted your Wintering and Resident Bird Survey, Plateau's winter bird counts are still in full swing until February 15 (just 2 more weeks!). Doing both Breeding Bird and Wintering and Resident Bird counts is an excellent way to get a year-round picture of your land's bird population. Contact Plateau for more information on our bird surveys.