Birds

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum) in an ebony-forest wetland near the Gulf of Mexico, Rancho Los Ebanos, Tepeguaje, Tamaulipas, Mexico

Barred Owl (Stryx varia), adult in old growth eastern U.S. forest with Spanish Moss, Caddo Lake, Texas, spring

Barred Owl (Stryx varia), adult in old growth eastern U.S. forest with Spanish Moss, Caddo Lake, Texas, spring

Black Skimmer (Rhynchops niger) in winter plumage fishing on the Laguna Madre near South Padre Island, Texas

Boat-billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius) perched in roost over small stream at Rancho Los Ebanos near Tepeguaje, Tamaulipas, Mexico on the Gulf of Mexico

Boat-billed Heron (cochlearius cochlearius) perched in roost over small stream at Rancho Los Ebanos near Tepeguaje, Tamaulipas, Mexico on the Gulf of Mexico

Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) male, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, May

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) diving for fish, Texas coast, winter, adult at Goose Island State Park

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), Texas gulf coast, chasing fish in Laguna Madre at South Padre Island, winter

Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) in flight, Goose Island State Park, at Rockport, Texas. Rockport motto:"Charm of the Texas coast".

Buff-bellied Hummingbird nectaring at blooms of Coral Bean on South Padre Island, Texas, spring migration, May

Buff-bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia yucatanensis) adult hovering; species is common resident of the Sabal Palm Sanctuary near Brownsville, Texas

Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) emerging from rocky cover to begin an evening hunt, Mission, Texas

Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) adult perched on large rock amid shadows at sunset, s. Texas, winter.

Resident Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) grazing on the shores of Lake Arrowhead (State Park) near Wichita Falls, Texas; spring

Caspian Tern with fish for its mate, Galveston Bay, Texas, spring
Caspian Tern, nesting colony, adult carrying fish to mate, bonding,

Clapper Rail (Rallus mexicanus) at the edge of a salt marsh, South Padre Island World Birding Center, sunset, winter

Common Black-hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus) juvenile perched on post at Rancho Los Ebanos near Tepeguaje, Tamaulipas, Mexico on the Gulf of Mexico

Couch's Kingbird (Tyrannus couchii) perched in Anacua tree in fruit, September. Bird was feeding on the ripe fruits, s. Texas

Elegant Trogon (Trogon elegans) male taking off from perch in sub-tropical woodlands near Gomez Farias, Tamaulipas, Mexico in the El Cielo Biosphere Reserve

Ferruginous Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) emereging from cavity in palm tree, Los Ebanos Ranch, Tamaulipas, Mexico

Golden-cheeked Warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia), male with insect for courting female, Texas hill country west of San Antonio

Golden-cheeked Warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia); endangered species; male in breeding territory, Texas hill country west of San Antonio, spring

Golden-cheeked Warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia); endangered species; male in breeding territory, Texas hill country west of San Antonio, spring

Great Black Hawk (Buteogallus urubitinga) perched in forest edge, Los Ebanos Ranch, Tamaulipas, Mexico

Green Jay (Cyanocorax yncas) frightened away from pond while drinking, sunset in south Texas, spring

Stork, Jabiru, juvenile, south Texas near Raymondville, August, 2008, after hurricane, native of south America, feeding with egrets and roseate spoonbills in flooded croplands

Least Grebe (Tachybaptus dominicus) with fish, a common resident of the Sabal Palm Sanctuary wetlands

Lesser Prairie Chicken (Typanuchus pallidicinctus) male landing on lek, displaying to females, Canadian, Texas, USA, April

Lineated Woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus) female near nest cavity, NE Mexico, Los Ebanos Ranch, Tamaulipas, May

Lineated Woodpecker (Dryocopus lineatus) male at nest tree, Rancho Los Ebanos near Tepeguaje, Tamaulipas, Mexico

Long-billed Thrasher (Toxostoma longirostre) challenging other birds for its place on the perch, south Texas, late winter

Mangrove Warbler (Dendroica erithacorides) male singing on territory, May, Rancho Los Ebanos, Tamaulipas, Mexico

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) flying from pond where she was drinking, sunset in south Texas, March

Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) male feeding female in courting ritual, spring, Texas, in yucca

Northern Pintails (Anas acuta) male stretching wings while female sleeps, Laguna Madre, South Padre Island, Texas

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) adult resting on a spoil island in Aransas Bay near Rockport, Texas on the Gulf of Mexico, winter

Biologist, Alastair Franke, describes capturing a young peregrine falcon on south Padre, Texas during the annual Padre Island Peregrine Falcon Survey

Bill Heinrich of the Peregrine Fund releasing peregrine falcon, female, at South Padre Island, Texas

Red-crowned Parrot (Amazona viridigenalis) pair at nest cavity in palm tree, Brownsville, Texas, May

Red-winged Blackbird male and Golden-fronted Woodpecker male fighing over position on fence post, south Texas, spring

Ringed Kingfisher in flight, Rio Grande near Brownsville, Texas.
Largest kingfisher in US and found along the lower Rio Grande.

Close view of Ringed Kingfisher, a common resident along the Rio Grande below Falcon dam to the Gulf of Mexico and the largest of the 3 kingfisher species inhabiting the lower Rio Grande near Roma Bluffs World Birding Center.

Roadside Hawk (Buteo magnirostris) with leg band, perched on dead palm tree on Rancho Los Ebanos near Tepeguaje, Tamaulipas, Mexico on the Gulf of Mexico

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) male eating lantana fruits on South Padre Island, Texas during spring migration

Roseate Spoonbill landing in mesquite trees on National Audubon Society's Green Island Sanctuary in the Laguna Madre, Texas.

Roseate Spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja) feeding and preening in the Laguna Madre at sunrise by the South Padre Island World Birding Center, Texas

Roseate Spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja) feeding and preening in the Laguna Madre at sunrise near the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge

Roseate Spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja) landing on the tidal flats of the Laguna Madre at sunrise by the South Padre Island World Birding Center, Texas

Roseate Spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja) landing near a lesser yellowlegs in the Laguna Madre at sunrise by the South Padre Island World Birding Center, Texas

Sanderling (Calidris alba) winter plumage, Boca Chica Beach near the mouth of the Rio Grande, south Texas, March. This one-legged bird was as fast as the others

Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) in flight at sunrise, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico

Evan and Alyssa Engel (12 & 9) feeding a hungry, migrating scarlet tanager on South Padre Island, Texas in April.

Evan and Alyssa Engel (12 & 9) feeding a hungry, migrating scarlet tanager on South Padre Island, Texas in April.

Scarlet Tanager (Pitanga olivacea) male feeding on Lantana berries, spring, South Padre Island, Texas

Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea), male perched in blooming Cenizo bush, South Padre Island, Texas, spring migration

Snow Geese (Chen hyperborea) pair taking off on thin ice, Bosque del Apache NWR, New Mexico, November

Social Flycatcher (Myiozetetes similis) perched in tree on mountainside, El Cielo Biosphere Reserve, Tamaulipas, Mexico

Squirrel Cuckoo (Piaya cayana) perched in the canpy, El Cielo Biosphere Reserve at Gomez Farias, Tamaulipas, Mexico.
***Two small white spots on leaves cloned out.

Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) first year male scolding other birds from blooming Cenizo bush, spring, s. Texas

Swainson's Hawk in mesquite tree, s. Texas.
Swainson's Hawk hunting from perch in mesquite tree habitat, s. Texas, spring.

Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) landing on tidal flat, Laguna Madre by South Padre Island World Birding Center

Western Tanager (Piranga olivacea) male perched in fiddlewood, South Padre Island, Texas, spring migration

Whooping Crane (Grus americana) adult flapping wings as mate approaches, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, winter

Whooping Crane (Grus americana) adult in flight over marsh at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Texas, winter

Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) adult and young (rusty) with crab caught in brackish marsh at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Texas

Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) pair feeding in early morning light, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Texas