BIRDs of a feather

BY: JACQUELINE GONZALEZ

Corpus Christi offers an unforgettable year-round birding experience, and with more than 200 species of birds in the area, it has been named the “Birdiest City in America” multiple years in a row by the Coastal Bend Audubon Society. The birds love our gulf beaches as much as we do, including the salt marshes and bays, woodlands, and grasslands.

Since these areas are so rich in supply of food options, a variety of species visit throughout the entire year.

For the ultimate birding adventure in the Gulf Coast Capital, we recommend planning your trip around the Birdiest Festival in America happening April 26 through April 30. Experience amazing spring migration along the Texas Gulf Coast in the busiest of U.S. flyways, with four days of keynote speakers, bird tours, workshops, a vendor trade show, and more.

Bird Island at Padre Island National Seashore is another fantastic opportunity for birdwatching, and camping sites are available for an overnight experience that you definitely won’t want to miss. The South Texas Botanical Gardens is another great option for birding.

This is a comprehensive list of the most common, and a few uncommon, birds spotted in the Coastal Bend. This checklist is perfect for family birdwatching, newbies, and avid birdwatchers alike. Can you check off all these birds by the end of the year?

BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD bronzy green / buff belly / rich iridescent blue-green throat / striking red bill with a dark tip

RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD bright emerald / golden-green on the back and crown / males have brilliant iridescent red throat

BELTED KINGFISHER stocky, large head / shaggy crest on the top and back of the head / straight, thick, pointed bill

AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN snowy white / black flight feathers visible only when the wings are spread / bill and legs are yelloworange

ROSEATE SPOONBILL white head and chest / light pink wings / darker pink fringe / long spoon-shaped bill / long pink legs

GREAT BLUE HERON largest N.A. heron / long legs / sinuous neck / shaggy appearing wing plumes / thick, daggerlike bill

BROWN PELICAN gray-brown body / yellow heads / white necks / oversized bill / during breeding neck turns reddishbrown

WHITE IBIS snowy white / bright red long legs / red bill with dark tip / bare patch of red skin around eyes / football-shaped body

SNOWY EGRET snowy white / short black bill / long black legs / bright yellow feet / patch of yellow skin at the base of the bill

REDDISH EGRET reddish brown head/conspicuously long black legs / thick long neck / daggerlike bill / shaggy appearance

GREEN JAY rich green top / pale yellow below / blue crown / black eyepatch / yellow outer tail feathers

PAINTED BUNTING males - blue heads / red underparts / green backs / females and immatures - bright yellow-green overall

HOODED ORIOLE black tail, throat, and wings / yelloworange rumps, hoods, and bellies / black mask around eyes / white wingbars

YELLOW WARBLER egg-yolk yellow overall / reddish streaks on chest / large black eyes / short black bill

SUMMER TANAGER males - bright red / females and immatures - bright yellow-green overall / short pale bills

WHOOPING CRANE tallest bird in N.A. / snowy white plumage / crimson cap / long black legs / bugling call / seven foot wingspan