Today's Bird: The Red-Capped Cardinal

Today's Bird is the Red-Capped Cardinal.  It's one of the few cardinal species that lives in Peru and Bolivia.  I actually found this guy and IDed him myself, which is exciting because I was pretty reliant on my bird guide for most of the trip.  I actually beat my trip mates into Bolivia because I'd come from Peru, so I spent a couple of days lingering in Santa Cruz and taking some bird walks outside of town.  I spotted this guy at the Bio Center Guembe on June 23, 2012.

Today's Bird: Piping Plover

Today's bird is an endangered species: the Piping Plover. Scientists estimate that there are about 8,000 Piping Plovers left on Earth.  They suffer from a mix of habitat encroachment and from the effects of climate change, which are altering their migration patterns and could potentially destroy even more of the beachfront where they live.  You can read more about Piping Plovers and how to help them here. 

I took this picture on October 21, 2012 at Mustang Island State Park near Corpus Christi.

Today's Bird: Green-Winged Teal

Introducing, back in the RGV for the thousandth winter in a row: The Green-Winged Teal!  They're one of the many types of ducks that choose to spend the winter with us.  Estero Llano Grande, the park I visit most frequently, is sort of a haven for these guys because they have three or four big ponds that are filled to the perfect depth for migrating and wintering ducks.  I really enjoy when they're here.  They make for easy bird watching and it's fun to watch them shed their less-exciting summer plumage and move into their "dress clothes" for winter and spring.

I took this picture today (November 3, 2012) on my afternoon bird walk at Estero Lllano Grande.

Today's Bird: Brewer's Blackbird

Lots of people have been asking me what the creepy birds are that congregate in and around Texas grocery store parking lots.  There's a variety of birds in those flocks.  Most are Great-Tailed Grackles and Bronzed Cowbirds, but every once in awhile you get one of these--a Brewer's Blackbird!  They're pretty nondescript birds but they're a welcome change from the squawking birds that creep on you when you're picking up your family groceries.  I took this picture near the border checkpoint in Sarita, Texas on October 20, 2012.

Today's Bird: Andean Flamingo!

Yesterday, I asked my friend Melissa what bird she'd like for her birthday, and she said something pink.  Turns out, I can deliver on that.  I give you the Andean Flamingo!  Happy Birthday, Melissa!

I always thought of Flamingos as swap birds.  I figured they wandered around in the Everglades and in zoos and that was about it.  It turns out that Flamingos live in high altitudes too!  There are three types in Peru and Bolivia and here's one of them. As my bird book notes, its the rarest of the Flamingos--not nearly as common as the James and Chilean, its highland counterparts.

I took this picture somewhere outside La Paz, Bolivia on July 6, 2012.

Today's Bird: The Black Vulture

In honor of posting something creepy for Halloween, today's bird is the Black Vulture!  Black Vultures are pretty common around the United States, hanging out on the sides of roads, picking up carrion to eat and nearly getting hit by cars.  You can tell them apart from Turkey Vultures because they have more rounded wing tips, gray heads, and their undersides look different.  Turkey Vultures are kind of white under their wings, but Black Vultures are only white on the tips (I call them the Vulture Hand Prints...).

While Vultures are pretty common in the states, they're also common in Peru.  I took this picture at the Villa Marshes outside Lima, Peru on June 12, 2012.

Today's Bird: The White-tailed Kite

Today's bird is the White-Tailed Kite! White-Tailed Kites are a type of bird of prey (check out the angry looking beak and legs).  They spend a lot of time "kiting" or hanging out in the sky, the way this one is in the photo.  They just sort of hang in the air catching the draft, flapping their wings once in awhile looking for delicious mice to eat.

White-tailed kites are mostly around in the Valley during the winter and spring, so I go through the summer without seeing them and then they're back!  Last weekend, I ran into two at Delta Lake in Elsa, but this picture's actually kind of an old one.  I took it on the side of the road in Mission, Texas on February 21, 2012.