South Texas Bird Species

Cyanocorax yncas

Habitat: Thornscrub, riparian woodland

One of the most sought-after birds in the U.S., found nowhere north of the Rio Grande Valley. Unmistakable with its bright green, blue, and yellow plumage; visits feeders readily.

Icterus gularis

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.

Ortalis vetula

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.

Amazilia yucatanensis

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.

Passerina ciris

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.

Platalea ajaja

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.

Grus americana

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.

Caracara plancus

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.

Parabuteo unicinctus

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.

Falco femoralis

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.

Buteo platypterus

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.

Buteo plagiatus

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.

Chondrohierax uncinatus

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.

Megaceryle torquata

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.

Chloroceryle americana

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.

Pyrocephalus rubinus

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.

Pitangus sulphuratus

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.

Tyrannus melancholicus

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.

Glaucidium brasilianum

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.

Micrathene whitneyi

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.

Tachybaptus dominicus

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.

Dendrocygna autumnalis

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.

Nomonyx dominicus

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.

Jacana spinosa

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.

Crotophaga sulcirostris

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.

Turdus grayi

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.

Toxostoma longirostre

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.

Icterus graduacauda

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.

Arremonops rufivirgatus

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.

Leptotila verreauxi

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.