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.

THE TRUE WINTER TEXANS

No, we're not talking about the hundreds of Mid-westerners and Canadians that flock to Central and Southern Texas to escape the harsh winters of the north. The True Winter Texans are the migratory birds that utilize Texas during the winter months as their home away from home. Birdlife in Texas is a dynamic event, as populations fluctuate from winter visitors to spring migrants to summer breeders to fall migrants back to winter visitors. Another group is the year-round residents like Carolina Chickadee, Black-crested Titmouse, Northern Mockingbird, Greater Roadrunner, and some Red-tailed Hawks, which are common throughout central Texas. More attention is given to year-round residents and summer breeders, mainly due to the higher frequency of occurrence throughout the year; and that some are brilliantly colored, or encountered yearly on a breeding bird census. Texas is unique in having subdued, warmer winter weather, and is home to an exciting and diverse population of winter bird species.

Let's paint a picture of winter birdlife in Texas. Imagine a pond surrounded by open grassland on one side and woodland on the other. Central Texas is home to 15+ species of wintering waterfowl including Redhead, Canvasback, Northern Shoveler ducks, three species of teal, and many more which can be found feeding or resting on the pond. Other winter visitors seen in association with ducks typically include American Coot, grebes, and Double-crested Cormorant, with Spotted Sandpiper and Wilson's Snipe along the shoreline.

The open pasture hosts good numbers of Eastern and Western Meadowlarks, and large swarming flocks of grackles, cowbirds, starlings, or Brewer's Blackbirds. Lucky birdwatchers may see Sandhill Cranes or geese feeding within old fields. American Kestrel, Merlin, and Northern Harrier can be seen perched on a bare limb of a tree or hunting over the open grassland, while Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks are patrolling the woodland for Northern Flickers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, or songbirds to feast on.

A Chickadee bird box awaits its winter visitor, above.

Wintering and Resident Bird Surveys are being conducted now by experienced Plateau birders. To learn more about this service, click here.

Wintering and Resident Bird Survey -- Scheduling Now!

Not only a qualifying activity, but a unique opportunity to show off your property and native wildlife -- a fun, informative (and, ultimately, tax beneficial) tour of your property before the football game!  We are scheduling surveys now to begin November 1!

In some parts of Texas, nearly half of the bird species are found only during cooler months, which is why we offer this birding survey beginning the first of November. Designed to complement our Spring Breeding Bird Census (BBC), this winter survey provides valuable information on bird population dynamics. This is a great opportunity to learn which birds are utilizing your property during the winter months. Additionally, you can use the information to identify important wintering habitats, track population trends, and create management plans for year-round use. And, like our Spring survey, the Wintering and Resident Bird Survey is a qualifying activity for your Wildlife valuation. As always, our surveys are conducted by a wildlife biologist and, of course, the landowner is invited to come along.