South Texas Bird Species

Altamira Oriole

Icterus gularis

Resident

Habitat Riparian forest, shade trees

The largest oriole in the U.S., this brilliant orange-and-black bird weaves a distinctive foot-long hanging nest. A reliable feeder visitor at Bentsen SP and Santa Ana NWR.

Rec. Étienne Leroy · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Bentsen SP Resaca de la Palma

Plain Chachalaca

Ortalis vetula

Resident

Habitat Dense brush, woodland edges

The only member of its tropical family found in the U.S. Groups erupt into deafening choruses at dawn. Commonly seen at feeders throughout the Valley.

Rec. Max Noack · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Buff-bellied Hummingbird

Amazilia yucatanensis

Resident

Habitat Woodland edges, gardens

The only hummingbird that regularly breeds in South Texas, identified by its red bill and rufous tail. Unique among U.S. hummingbirds in moving northward after breeding season.

Rec. Manuel Grosselet · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Quinta Mazatlan Nat'l Butterfly Ctr

Painted Bunting

Passerina ciris

Winter visitor / migrant

Habitat Brushy edges, weedy fields, gardens

The male is arguably the most colorful bird in North America — a mosaic of red, blue, and green. Winters in South Texas in good numbers and visits feeders offering millet.

Rec. Sue Riffe · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

South Padre Island

Roseate Spoonbill

Platalea ajaja

Resident

Habitat Shallow coastal bays, resacas, wetlands

A shocking splash of flamingo-pink in the Texas wetlands. Feeds by sweeping its spoon-shaped bill side to side through shallow water. Nests colonially along the coast.

Rec. Manuel Grosselet · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Estero Llano Grande Laguna Atascosa

Whooping Crane

Grus americana

Winter visitor

Habitat Salt marshes, tidal flats

North America's tallest bird and one of conservation's greatest comeback stories. The entire wild flock winters at Aransas NWR; best viewed from guided boat tours out of Rockport.

Rec. Sue Riffe · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Crested Caracara

Caracara plancus

Resident

Habitat Open pastures, brushlands, roadsides

A bold, long-legged falcon of open country with a striking black-and-white pattern and bright orange face. Often seen walking on the ground or perched on fence posts and utility poles.

Rec. JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Harris's Hawk

Parabuteo unicinctus

Resident

Habitat Brushy desert, thornscrub, open woodland

The only hawk in the world known to hunt cooperatively in family groups. Rich chestnut shoulders and thighs contrast with a dark body; a common and charismatic sight across South Texas.

Rec. Franco Vushurovich · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Aplomado Falcon

Falco femoralis

Resident (reintroduced)

Habitat Open coastal prairie, brushy flats

Once extirpated from the U.S., reintroduced at Laguna Atascosa NWR starting in the 1990s. Slender and elegant, with a bold facial pattern; one of the great conservation success stories.

Rec. Fernando Fávaro · CC BY-NC-ND 2.5

Found at

Broad-winged Hawk

Buteo platypterus

Migrant

Habitat Woodland, open skies during migration

Unremarkable for most of the year, but in September the skies above Hazel Bazemore County Park fill with hundreds of thousands streaming south — one of birding's great spectacles.

Rec. Denis Dujardin · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Bentsen SP

Gray Hawk

Buteo plagiatus

Resident

Habitat Riparian woodland along the Rio Grande

A finely gray-barred hawk of the river corridor, reaching the northern edge of its range in the Rio Grande Valley. Its loud, drawn-out call is a characteristic sound of the riparian zone.

Rec. Richard E. Webster · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Bentsen SP

Hook-billed Kite

Chondrohierax uncinatus

Rare resident

Habitat Riparian forest

One of the rarest regularly occurring raptors in the U.S., best looked for soaring over the riparian forest from the hawk watch platform at Bentsen-Rio Grande SP.

Rec. Manuel Sánchez-Nivicela · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Found at

Salineño Estero Llano Grande

Ringed Kingfisher

Megaceryle torquata

Resident

Habitat Rivers, resacas, large water bodies

The largest kingfisher in the Americas, barely reaching the U.S. in South Texas. A noisy, rattling presence along the Rio Grande and its oxbow lakes; much larger than the familiar Belted Kingfisher.

Rec. JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Green Kingfisher

Chloroceryle americana

Resident

Habitat Clear streams, resacas, irrigation channels

The smallest of the three kingfisher species in the Valley, barely larger than a sparrow. A secretive gem that perches low over clear water, diving for tiny fish.

Rec. Jacob Wijpkema · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Salineño Estero Llano Grande

Vermilion Flycatcher

Pyrocephalus rubinus

Resident / winter visitor

Habitat Open areas near water, parks, brushy fields

The male's blazing red crown and breast make it one of the most eye-catching birds in Texas. Perches conspicuously on exposed branches and wire fences while hunting insects.

Rec. María Emilia Pérez · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Quinta Mazatlan

Great Kiskadee

Pitangus sulphuratus

Resident

Habitat Open woodland, resacas, gardens

Loud, bold, and almost impossible to miss: this yellow-bellied flycatcher announces itself constantly with its namesake "KISS-ka-dee" call. One of the most conspicuous birds in any RGV park.

Rec. Frank Lambert · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Found at

Resaca de la Palma Bentsen SP

Tropical Kingbird

Tyrannus melancholicus

Uncommon resident

Habitat Open areas near water, woodland edges

Nearly identical to the more common Couch's Kingbird — the call (a rapid, twittering pip) is the safest way to tell them apart. Look for a notched rather than forked tail.

Rec. Manuel Sánchez-Nivicela · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Found at

Salineño Santa Ana NWR

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl

Glaucidium brasilianum

Resident

Habitat Dense thornscrub, woodland

Tiny but ferocious, this diurnal owl is a prized find in the Valley's dense brush. It often responds to imitations of its whistle, and draws in scolding songbirds.

Rec. Franciel da Silva Lima · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Found at

Elf Owl

Micrathene whitneyi

Summer resident

Habitat Riparian woodland, thornscrub

The world's smallest owl by weight, barely larger than a sparrow. Arrives in spring to nest in old woodpecker cavities; its puppy-like yipping calls reveal it at dusk along the Rio Grande.

Rec. Paul Marvin · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Bentsen SP

Least Grebe

Tachybaptus dominicus

Resident

Habitat Ponds, resacas, slow streams

The smallest grebe in the Western Hemisphere, barely larger than a tennis ball. Common on resacas and ponds throughout the Valley; golden eyes give it a surprisingly intense expression.

Rec. Manuel Grosselet · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

Dendrocygna autumnalis

Resident

Habitat Ponds, resacas, flooded fields

A colorful, long-necked duck with a candy-orange bill that has dramatically expanded its range into Texas. Often seen in large flocks perched in trees or grazing in grassy fields.

Rec. Leonardo Guzman Hernandez · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Masked Duck

Nomonyx dominicus

Rare resident

Habitat Densely vegetated ponds and resacas

One of the most sought-after rarities in Texas, lurking in thick emergent vegetation. Estero Llano Grande SP is perhaps the most reliable site in the U.S. for this otherwise secretive stiff-tail.

Rec. Fernando Igor de Godoy · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Northern Jacana

Jacana spinosa

Rare resident

Habitat Floating vegetation on ponds and resacas

Walks on floating lily pads on absurdly long toes, earning the nickname "lily-trotter." A tropical species that barely reaches the U.S.; Estero Llano Grande SP is the most consistent spot.

Rec. Homero Bennet · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Estero Llano Grande Quinta Mazatlan

Groove-billed Ani

Crotophaga sulcirostris

Summer resident

Habitat Brushy fields, woodland edges, pastures

A gangly, all-black cuckoo with a bizarre grooved bill and a loose, floppy flight. Moves through low brush in noisy, cooperative family groups; becomes scarce in the Valley by late fall.

Rec. Étienne Leroy · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Clay-colored Thrush

Turdus grayi

Rare resident

Habitat Dense riparian thickets, shaded gardens

The national bird of Costa Rica barely reaches the U.S. in South Texas. Plain brown but a superb singer; a few pairs have established in the Valley, most reliably at Bentsen SP.

Rec. Bill Pyle · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Santa Ana NWR Resaca de la Palma

Long-billed Thrasher

Toxostoma longirostre

Resident

Habitat Dense thornscrub, brushy woodland

A South Texas endemic with a strongly curved bill and rich, varied song. Skulky but vocal; sings persistently from within dense brush in spring and can be drawn to the open with patience.

Rec. Joren van Schie · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Santa Ana NWR Salineño

Audubon's Oriole

Icterus graduacauda

Resident

Habitat Dense thornscrub, riparian thickets

A secretive oriole with a black hood and bright yellow body that rarely ventures to feeders. Heard more often than seen; its rich, slow whistles carry through the brush at Bentsen SP.

Rec. Manuel Grosselet · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Salineño Bentsen SP

Olive Sparrow

Arremonops rufivirgatus

Resident

Habitat Dense thornscrub undergrowth

A drab but characteristic bird of the Valley's dense brush, rarely venturing far from cover. Its dry, accelerating trill is a background sound of any thornscrub walk — but seeing one takes patience.

Rec. Manuel Grosselet · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Santa Ana NWR Salineño

White-tipped Dove

Leptotila verreauxi

Resident

Habitat Dense thornscrub, shaded woodland floor

A plump, ground-hugging dove that walks beneath feeders at Valley nature centers. Its low, hollow hoot — like blowing across the top of a bottle — is one of the signature sounds of the RGV.

Rec. Frank Lambert · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Found at

Santa Ana NWR Salineño

Reddish Egret

Egretta rufescens

Resident

Habitat Coastal bays, tidal flats, salt lagoons

Among the rarest herons in North America and a Texas coastal specialty. Feeds with a spectacular lunging, wing-spreading display — sprinting and spinning to startle fish into the open. Occurs in both a dark morph and a scarce white morph.

Rec. Isain Contreras Rodríguez · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

South Padre Island Laguna Atascosa

Tricolored Heron

Egretta tricolor

Resident

Habitat Coastal marshes, estuaries, resacas

The only U.S. heron with a white belly contrasting sharply against slate-blue upperparts. An agile, fast-running forager that chases prey at a sprint rather than stalking. Common in coastal marshes and tidal flats from Corpus Christi south.

Rec. Paul Driver · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Neotropic Cormorant

Nannopterum brasilianum

Resident

Habitat Resacas, ponds, rivers, coastal bays

Smaller and longer-tailed than the familiar Double-crested Cormorant, identified by its tan facial skin bordered in white. Abundant at Estero Llano Grande and other Valley resacas; often nests colonially in the same trees as herons and spoonbills.

Rec. Guillermo Treboux · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

White-tailed Hawk

Geranoaetus albicaudatus

Resident

Habitat Coastal prairie, open brushland

A large, striking raptor found in the U.S. only in South Texas. Adults show clean white underparts, rusty shoulder patches, and a white tail with a single narrow black band. Perches prominently on utility poles and fenceposts across the open prairies between Corpus Christi and the coast.

Rec. JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

White-tailed Kite

Elanus leucurus

Resident

Habitat Open grasslands, agricultural fields, roadsides

A ghostly white kite that hunts by hovering in place over open fields — a behavior unique among North American raptors. Black shoulder patches and red eyes give the perched bird a striking look. Often seen on roadsides and near farm fields wherever rodents are plentiful.

Rec. José María Loaiza B. · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Quinta Mazatlan Nat'l Butterfly Ctr

Swallow-tailed Kite

Elanoides forficatus

Migrant

Habitat Open sky, woodland edges, river corridors

Arguably the most graceful bird in North America. Migrates through South Texas in spring and fall, often in loose groups, effortlessly banking on its impossibly long forked tail. Watch overhead at Valley hotspots from late April through May and again in August.

Rec. Mateus Gonçalves Santos · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Couch's Kingbird

Tyrannus couchii

Resident

Habitat Woodland edges, roadsides, towns, parks

The default large yellow kingbird of the Rio Grande Valley — nearly identical to the Tropical Kingbird but told by its slightly thicker, forked tail and distinctive call: a rolling, nasal breeeer. Found in almost any park, garden, or open area in the Valley.

Rec. Manuel Grosselet · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Tyrannus forficatus

Summer resident

Habitat Open country, pastures, roadsides, fencelines

One of the most eye-catching birds in Texas: a pale gray flycatcher with salmon-pink sides and an extraordinary forked tail that can exceed its own body length. Arrives in spring and is conspicuous on utility wires throughout South Texas. The state bird of Oklahoma.

Rec. Terry Davis · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

South Padre Island

Rose-throated Becard

Pachyramphus aglaiae

Rare resident

Habitat Riparian forest, dense riverside growth

One of the most sought-after rarities in the Rio Grande Valley, barely reaching the U.S. The male's rose-pink throat is stunning against its gray plumage. Builds a large, shaggy ball-shaped nest of grass and plant fiber hanging from a branch tip — the nest is often easier to spot than the bird.

Rec. Max Noack · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Santa Ana NWR

Red-billed Pigeon

Patagioenas flavirostris

Resident

Habitat Riparian forest along the Rio Grande

A large, dark wine-colored pigeon of the river corridor that barely reaches the U.S. in South Texas. Most reliably seen flying over the Rio Grande at dawn from Bentsen SP's hawk watch platform. Its deep, resonant cooing fills the riparian mornings before most other birds have warmed up.

Rec. Richard E. Webster · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Bentsen SP Salineño

Inca Dove

Columbina inca

Resident

Habitat Urban parks, gardens, roadsides, feeders

A small, intricately scaly dove of towns and gardens, immediately identified by its squeaky two-note no hope call and the bright rufous wing flash in flight. One of the most common birds at feeders and picnic areas throughout the Valley — easy to overlook, but charming on close inspection.

Rec. Manuel Grosselet · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Quinta Mazatlan Nat'l Butterfly Ctr

Greater Roadrunner

Geococcyx californianus

Resident

Habitat Thornscrub, brushy desert, roadsides

The iconic ground-dwelling cuckoo of the Southwest — a fast, fearless predator that takes lizards, snakes, scorpions, and even small birds. More often heard (a series of descending, mournful coos) than seen sprinting across the road. Encountered throughout thornscrub habitats across South Texas.

Rec. Mark McClelland · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

American Oystercatcher

Haematopus palliatus

Resident

Habitat Sandy beaches, shell reefs, tidal flats

Unmistakable with its bold black-and-white plumage, massive orange-red bill, and far-carrying piping calls. Pries open oysters and mussels by stabbing its laterally flattened bill into the shell gap. Resident along the Texas coast; the barrier island beaches south of Corpus Christi hold good numbers.

Rec. William Whitehead · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Green Parakeet

Psittacara holochlorus

Resident (naturalized)

Habitat Urban trees, palm groves, parks

A naturalized population descended from escaped cage birds has established throughout the lower Rio Grande Valley, especially around McAllen. Noisy flocks roost communally in city trees and announce themselves with loud screeching. Considered one of the two naturally-occurring wild parakeets in the continental U.S.

Rec. Manuel Grosselet · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Red-crowned Parrot

Amazona viridigenalis

Resident (naturalized)

Habitat Urban neighborhoods, palm trees, orchards

A charismatic bright-green parrot with a scarlet crown established in Brownsville and McAllen. Paradoxically, the feral Texas population now rivals or exceeds the remaining wild birds in Mexico — making the RGV an unexpected stronghold for this critically endangered species.

Rec. Manuel Grosselet · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

White-collared Seedeater

Sporophila morelleti

Rare resident

Habitat Weedy fields, Carrizo cane, tall grass near the Rio Grande

One of the most sought-after birds on the U.S. list, found only in a narrow stretch along the Rio Grande near Zapata. A tiny, round finch — the male striking in black and white — that lurks in tall weeds and cane. Patient visitors stake out known sites at dawn for the best chance.

Rec. Bobby Wilcox · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Tropical Parula

Setophaga pitiayumi

Rare resident

Habitat Spanish moss-draped oaks, riparian forest

A tiny warbler nearly identical to the Northern Parula but lacking the dark breast band. Rare but regular in the Valley; closely tied to Spanish moss, which it uses as nesting material. Most reliably found at Bentsen SP and Santa Ana NWR in late spring and summer.

Rec. Marcos E. Sosa · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Resaca de la Palma

Mottled Duck

Anas fulvigula

Resident

Habitat Coastal marshes, prairie ponds, bays

The only dabbling duck that breeds year-round along the Gulf Coast. It closely resembles a Mallard but has a bright yellow bill and darker, unmarked plumage; hybridization with feral Mallards is an ongoing conservation concern. Common in coastal marshes from Corpus Christi south.

Rec. Paul Marvin · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Found at

Piping Plover

Charadrius melodus

Winter visitor

Habitat Sandy beaches, tidal flats, shell reefs

One of North America's most endangered shorebirds, but the Texas coast winters a significant share of the global population. Small and pale as dry sand, it blends into the beach almost perfectly. Padre Island National Seashore and the barrier islands of the Coastal Bend are among the most important wintering sites in the country.

Rec. William Whitehead · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Found at