TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE BIRDS. of the BY BRUSH FREEMAN OAKS & PRAIRIES AND OSAGE PLAINS. OF TEXAS A Field Checklist

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1 TEXAS PARKS AD ILDLIFE IRDS of the OAKS & PRAIRIES AD OSAGE PLAIS OF TEXAS A Field Checklist Y RUSH FREEMA

2 Cover: Illustration of Dickcissel and Red-headed oodpecker by Rob Fleming. This checklist is dedicated to Rob who died before this checklist was printed. His artwork has graced many of the department s bird publications for years. He will be missed.

3 irds of the Oaks and Prairies and Osage Plains of Texas: A Field Checklist ITRODUCTIO The areas covered in this checklist include a rich birdlife from the western edge of the more eastern forested areas gradually changing to a more western grassland influence (Fig. 1). These two ecoregions are commonly known by other names; for example, the Oaks and Prairies refer to both the Post Oak elt or Post Oak Savannah and the lackland Prairie (including the Grand Prairie). The Osage Plains is commonly referred to as the (estern) Cross Timbers. Examples of some of the subregions in this coverage area include The Lost Pines, a variety of smaller prairies including the Grand Prairie, Fayette Prairie, and San Antonio Prairie. For a brief yet excellent description of the major plant communities, please see pages in Texas ildscapes: Gardening for ildlife by oreen Damude and Kelly Conrad ender published in 1999 by Texas Parks and ildlife Press (IS: ). A total of 471 species has been documented within the two combined areas. Since these areas lie almost in the middle of Texas and extend mostly in a northsouth fashion, the avifauna is truly diverse. This checklist is the first of its kind for the coverage area and uses ecological boundaries instead of political ones. The checklist follows the nomenclature and taxonomy as published in the 7th edition of the A.O.U. Check-list of orth American irds (1998) and its supplements. Osage Plains Oaks and Prairies Lamar Clay Red River Montague Cooke Grayson Fannin aylor Archer Delta Jack ise Denton Collin Hunt Hopkins Haskell Throckmorton Young Rockwall Rains ood Shackelford Stephens Van Palo Parker Tarrant Dallas Pinto Kaufman Zandt Hood Johnson Ellis Eastland Somervell Callahan Erath Henderson avarro Hill Comanche osque Anderson Coleman Freestone rown Hamilton McLennan Limestone Coryell Falls Leon Franklin ell Robertson Madison Oaks and Prairies Osage Plains illiamson Travis Milam razos urleson Grimes Lee ashington Adjacent ecoregions Hays astrop Austin Comal Caldwell Fayette Colorado Guadalupe Gonzales Lavaca aller Deitt Figure 1. Coverage area of this checklist Goliad 1

4 There is no shortage of open water in the region due to a large number of manmade reservoirs. There are dozens of such impoundments, most of which occur in the north-east part of the coverage area. These bodies of water have produced some of the most surprising records in the region; products of an altered ecosystem. A number of species in this checklist are considered very local or confined to either a southern or northern extreme. For example, rown-crested Flycatchers will only be found in the southern portion of the coverage area, while American Tree Sparrows or Horned Grebes are primarily found in the northern part. It is also important to understand that most birds show preferences for specific habitat types; a good working knowledge of these preferences will provide the observer the ability to master the birds of the area. A wide variety of published material was used to construct this booklet, including local bird checklists, published materials, records published in AA s orth American irds (formerly Field otes), the Texas On-line Clearinghouse many personal communications with other area-experts, and information provided by the Texas ird Records Committee. Almost 35 years of birding experience in the region by the author was also used to develop this checklist. The abundance codes for some species are subjective evaluations where published data were insufficient. ACKOLEDGMETS This is the fifth ecoregional bird checklist for Texas in a series initiated by Texas Partners in Flight under the direction of Cliff Shackelford at Texas Parks and ildlife Department. The following reviewers commented on an early version of this checklist: Fred Collins, ert Frenz, Cliff Shackelford, and Ken Steigman. Also of great assistance in the development of this checklist were Keith Arnold, Kelly Cotten, Tim Fennell, Jeff Hanson, Mark Lockwood, illie Sekula, and Matt hite. e thank the Migratory ird Office, Region 2 of the U.S. Fish and ildlife Service for support. LEGED Abundant Common Uncommon. Rare Very rare to casual Accidental or single occurrence Lingering single occurrence. reeds or has bred in area covered by this checklist? reeding suspected or questionable I Introduced Primarily found only in the northern portion of region S Primarily found only in the southern portion of region Primarily found only in the western portion of region Primarily found only in the northwestern portion of region L Found or breeds very locally H Historic records apply 2

5 CHECKLIST Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct ov Dec Red-throated Loon Pacific Loon Common Loon Least Grebe Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Eared Grebe estern Grebe lue-footed ooby American hite Pelican rown Pelican eotropic Cormorant Double-crested Cormorant Anhinga Magnificent Frigatebird American ittern Least ittern Great lue Heron Great Egret Snowy Egret Little lue Heron Tricolored Heron Reddish Egret Cattle Egret Green Heron lack-crowned ight-heron Yellow-crowned ight-heron hite Ibis S L Glossy Ibis? hite-faced Ibis Roseate Spoonbill ood Stork lack Vulture Turkey Vulture S L

6 Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct ov Dec lack-bellied histling-duck Fulvous histling-duck Greater hite-fronted Goose Snow Goose Ross s Goose Canada Goose rant Tundra Swan ood Duck Gadwall Eurasian igeon American igeon American lack Duck Mallard Mottled Duck lue-winged Teal Cinnamon Teal orthern Shoveler orthern Pintail Green-winged Teal Canvasback Redhead Ring-necked Duck Lesser Scaup Greater Scaup Surf Scoter hite-winged Scoter lack Scoter Long-tailed Duck ufflehead Common Goldeneye arrow s Goldeneye Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Common Merganser Masked Duck Ruddy Duck Osprey S S L

7 Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct ov Dec Swallow-tailed Kite SH Mississippi Kite hite-tailed Kite ald Eagle orthern Harrier L Sharp-shinned Hawk? Cooper s Hawk orthern Goshawk Harris s Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk road-winged Hawk Swainson s Hawk hite-tailed Hawk Zone-tailed Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Ferruginous Hawk Rough-legged Hawk Golden Eagle Crested Caracara American Kestrel Merlin Peregrine Falcon Prairie Falcon Ring-necked Pheasant ild Turkey Scaled Quail orthern obwhite Yellow Rail lack Rail King Rail Virginia Rail Sora Paint-billed Crake Purple Gallinule Common Moorhen American Coot Sandhill Crane hooping Crane L S L S L IL L L L L L S 5...

8 Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct ov Dec lack-bellied Plover American Golden-Plover Snowy Plover. ilson s Plover Semipalmated Plover Piping Plover Killdeer Mountain Plover lack-necked Stilt American Avocet orthern Jacana Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Spotted Redshank Solitary Sandpiper illet Spotted Sandpiper Upland Sandpiper himbrel Long-billed Curlew Hudsonian Godwit Marbled Godwit Ruddy Turnstone Red Knot Sanderling Semipalmated Sandpiper estern Sandpiper Least Sandpiper hite-rumped Sandpiper aird s Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper Dunlin Curlew Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper uff-breasted Sandpiper Ruff

9 Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct ov Dec Short-billed Dowitcher Long-billed Dowitcher ilson s Snipe American oodcock ilson s Phalarope Red-necked Phalarope Red Phalarope Pomarine Jaeger Parasitic Jaeger Long-tailed Jaeger Laughing Gull Franklin s Gull Little Gull lack-headed Gull onaparte s Gull Mew Gull Ring-billed Gull California Gull Herring Gull Thayer s Gull Lesser lack-backed Gull Glaucous Gull lack-legged Kittiwake Sabine s Gull Gull-billed Tern Caspian Tern Royal Tern Sandwich Tern Roseate Tern Common Tern Forster s Tern Least Tern Sooty Tern lack Tern lack Skimmer Rock Dove Eurasian Collared-Dove hite-winged Dove L I I

10 Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct ov Dec Mourning Dove Inca Dove Common Ground-Dove hite-tipped Dove Monk Parakeet lack-billed Cuckoo Yellow-billed Cuckoo Greater Roadrunner Groove-billed Ani arn Owl Eastern Screech-Owl Great Horned Owl Snowy Owl urrowing Owl arred Owl Long-eared Owl Short-eared Owl. Saw-whet Owl Lesser ighthawk Common ighthawk Common Pauraque Common Poorwill Chuck-will s-widow S IL S H S? S hip-poor-will? Chimney Swift hite-throated Swift Green Violet-ear road-billed Hummingbird uff-bellied Hummingbird lue-throated Hummingbird Ruby-throated Hummingbird lack-chinned Hummingbird Anna s Hummingbird Calliope Hummingbird road-tailed Hummingbird Rufous Hummingbird Allen s Hummingbird S? Ringed Kingfisher?

11 Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct ov Dec elted Kingfisher Green Kingfisher Lewis s oodpecker Red-headed oodpecker Acorn oodpecker Golden-fronted oodpecker Red-bellied oodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-naped Sapsucker illiamson s Sapsucker Ladder-backed oodpecker Downy oodpecker Hairy oodpecker orthern Flicker Pileated oodpecker Olive-sided Flycatcher estern ood-pewee Eastern ood-pewee Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Acadian Flycatcher Alder Flycatcher illow Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Hammond s Flycatcher estern Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe lack Phoebe Say s Phoebe Vermilion Flycatcher Ash-throated Flycatcher Great Crested Flycatcher rown-crested Flycatcher Great Kiskadee Couch s Kingbird Cassin s Kingbird estern Kingbird Eastern Kingbird Scissor-tailed Flycatcher S S L L S? S S S? S

12 Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct ov Dec Fork-tailed Flycatcher Loggerhead Shrike orthern Shrike hite-eyed Vireo ell s Vireo lack-capped Vireo Yellow-throated Vireo Plumbeous Vireo lue-headed Vireo Hutton s Vireo arbling Vireo Philadelphia Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Yellow-green Vireo lue Jay Green Jay estern Scrub-Jay American Crow Fish Crow Chihuahuan Raven Common Raven Horned Lark Purple Martin Tree Swallow Violet-green Swallow orthern Rough-winged Swallow ank Swallow Cliff Swallow Cave Swallow arn Swalow Carolina Chickadee Tufted Titmouse lack-crested Titmouse Verdin ushtit Red-breasted uthatch hite-breasted uthatch Pygmy uthatch S? S? S L

13 Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct ov Dec rown-headed uthatch rown Creeper Cactus ren Rock ren Canyon ren Carolina ren ewick s ren House ren inter ren Sedge ren Marsh ren American Dipper Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet lue-gray Gnatcatcher Eastern luebird estern luebird Mountain luebird Townsend s Solitaire Veery Gray-cheeked Thrush Swainson s Thrush Hermit Thrush ood Thrush Clay-colored Robin American Robin Varied Thrush Gray Catbird orthern Mockingbird Sage Thrasher rown Thrasher Long-billed Thrasher Curve-billed Thrasher European Starling American Pipit Sprague s Pipit ohemian axwing Cedar axwing S?? L L S

14 Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct ov Dec Phainopepla lue-winged arbler Golden-winged arbler Tennessee arbler Orange-crowned arbler ashville arbler orthern Parula Yellow arbler? Chestnut-sided arbler Magnolia arbler Cape May arbler lack-throated lue arbler Yellow-rumped arbler lack-throated Gray arbler Golden-cheeked arbler lack-throated Green arbler Townsend s arbler lackburnian arbler Yellow-throated arbler Pine arbler L Prairie arbler? Palm arbler ay-breasted arbler lackpoll arbler Cerulean arbler lack-and-white arbler American Redstart Prothonotary arbler orm-eating arbler Swainson s arbler Ovenbird orthern aterthrush Louisiana aterthrush Kentucky arbler Connecticut arbler Mourning arbler MacGillivray s arbler Common Yellowthroat?H H L L L L L

15 Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct ov Dec Hooded arbler L ilson s arbler Canada arbler Red-faced arbler Yellow-breasted Chat Hepatic Tanager Summer Tanager Scarlet Tanager estern Tanager Olive Sparrow Green-tailed Towhee Eastern Towhee Spotted Towhee Canyon Towhee achman s Sparrow Cassin s Sparrow Rufous-crowned Sparrow American Tree Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Clay-colored Sparrow rewer s Sparrow Field Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Lark Sparrow lack-throated Sparrow Lark unting Savannah Sparrow aird s Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow L S? L S L Henslow s Sparrow L. Le Conte s Sparrow elson s Sharp-tailed Sparrow L. Fox Sparrow Song Sparrow Lincoln s Sparrow Swamp Sparrow hite-throated Sparrow Harris s Sparrow 13

16 Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct ov Dec hite-crowned Sparrow. Golden-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco McCown s Longspur Lapland Longspur Smith s Longspur Chestnut-collared Longspur Snow unting orthern Cardinal Pyrrhuloxia Rose-breasted Grosbeak lack-headed Grosbeak lue Grosbeak Lazuli unting Indigo unting Painted unting Dickcissel obolink Red-winged lackbird Eastern Meadowlark estern Meadowlark Yellow-headed lackbird Rusty lackbird rewer s lackbird Common Grackle Great-tailed Grackle Shiny Cowbird ronzed Cowbird rown-headed Cowbird Orchard Oriole Hooded Oriole Audubon s Oriole altimore Oriole ullock s Oriole Scott s Oriole Pine Grosbeak Purple Finch House Finch S S

17 Species Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct ov Dec Red Crossbill Common Redpoll Pine Siskin. Lesser Goldfinch American Goldfinch Evening Grosbeak House Sparrow L I.. LEGED Abundant Common Uncommon. Rare Very rare to casual Accidental or single occurrence Lingering single occurrence. reeds or has bred in area covered by this checklist? reeding suspected or questionable I Introduced Primarily found only in the northern portion of region S Primarily found only in the southern portion of region Primarily found only in the western portion of region Primarily found only in the northwestern portion of region L Found or breeds very locally H Historic records apply 15

18 The following two Review Species were reported in the region prior to the creation of the Texas ird Records Committee or were never submitted to this committee for review. Some of these reports likely represent valid records. Trumpeter Swan (undocumented report in 1867) lack-billed Magpie (undocumented reports in 1946, 1954, 1973, and 1990) The following list includes Hypothetical Species that may appear in the region or have previously been reported without supporting documentation. A number of these species have occurred adjacent to the coverage area of this checklist. Clark s Grebe Common lack-hawk and-tailed Pigeon Vaux s Swift Dusky Flycatcher Gray Flycatcher Cassin s Vireo Clark s utcracker Tropical Parula Hermit arbler lack-chinned Sparrow Varied unting oat-tailed Grackle Cassin s Finch Extinct or extirpated species from the checklist area: Greater Prairie-Chicken Lesser Prairie-Chicken Eskimo Curlew Passenger Pigeon Carolina Parakeet Red-cockaded oodpecker Ivory-billed oodpecker 16

19 OTES

20 4200 Smith School Road Austin, Texas Texas Parks and ildlife Department PD K (8/03) In accordance with Texas Depository Law, this publication is available at the Texas State Publications Clearinghouse and/or Texas Depository Libraries.