Birding with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

09/17/2026

09/17/2026

Think you know your jays? Texas might surprise you!

If you love jays, this is a pretty incredible place to be. Of the 11 species of jays found in the United States, seven have been recorded in Texas.

That number starts to make sense when you look at the state itself. Texas is enormous, and the habitats change dramatically from one end to the other.

Blue Jays fill the forests of East Texas and woodlots of the Panhandle. Green Jays belong to the subtropical thornscrub of South Texas. Head to the hills and you’ll find Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jays, while Mexican Jays and Steller’s Jays are right at home in the high mountain forests of the Trans-Pecos.

Why do you think Texas doesn’t have the other four species on its list yet? 🤔

09/16/2026

What will you miss if you don’t come to Birding the Coast?

Maybe it’s a:

1️⃣ Lifer, like Seaside Sparrow
2️⃣ Sunrise over the Texas Coast
3️⃣ Behavior you’ve never seen before
4️⃣ Field skill like shorebird ID
5️⃣ Fascinating coastal ecology story
6️⃣ New birding family

That is the thing about birding. The birds are a huge part of why you come, but they are rarely the only thing you remember.

A new place. A new skill. A new appreciation. A new connection.

MEET US AT THE COAST!

09/15/2026

The Devils River region is truly a place unlike anywhere else.

Where the Edwards Plateau, Chihuahuan Desert, and South Texas Brush Country overlap, they create a landscape that almost feels like an ecoregion of its own, with plants, wildlife, and scenery that you simply do not find together anywhere else.

At the center of it all is the Devils River, spring-fed, pristine, and winding through some of the most rugged and scenic country in Texas. Surrounding it is an incredible patchwork of habitats: limestone canyons and bluffs, juniper and oak woodlands, desert scrub, grasslands, rocky slopes, and lush riparian corridors along the river itself.

As you can imagine, this diversity of habitats creates an exciting mix of wildlife. Birds and other animals and plants associated with the Hill Country, West Texas, and South Texas can all occur within the same region. Any visitor here will tell you it’s a place unlike any other.

This country is remote, and much of it is privately owned. But during Birding the Border, our spring birding event, you can add yourself to the lucky few who have visited these places. And you are not just gaining access, you are exploring these places with guides who know the region, its birds, and its hidden corners from years of experience.

The Devils River region is easily one of the most iconic landscapes in the state - you really have to see for yourself!

09/13/2026

MEET US AT THE COAST!

How can a mudflat support so many different kinds of shorebirds at the same time?

Look at the bills for a clue!

Coastal Habitat: Mudflats

Mudflats are full of worms, clams, crustaceans, and other invertebrates, but they are not all living in the same place. Some are right at the surface. Others are buried several inches down.

That is where all those different bill shapes come in!

Tiny sandpipers pick at the top. Dowitchers probe deeper. Curlews can reach prey even farther below the surface.

Once you start noticing how each species is using the habitat, a chaotic flock becomes organized chaos! Practice this skill and more at Birding the Coast!

https://wildlife.tamu.edu/birding-the-coast-2026/

MEET US AT THE COAST!

09/12/2026

How much can color tell you about a bird?

For today’s Making the Case clue, forget shape, habitat, behavior, range, and everything else. You only get the colors.

Maybe it is a combination you recognize instantly. Maybe several completely different birds come to mind. That is part of the point.

Color can be one of the first things we notice on a bird, but it can also be surprisingly tricky. Light changes it. Plumage changes with age and s*x. Some colors are obvious, while others only show up on one tiny part of the bird. What’s the difference between sooty and slaty anyway?

Take a look at today’s colors and tell us what bird comes to mind first!

09/11/2026

WANT YOUR OCTOBER MEMORIES TO LOOK LIKE THIS?

Birding the Coast is five days of exploring the Upper Texas Coast with experienced birders and ornithologists, learning in the field, visiting some of the region’s best birding locations, and experiencing fall birding as it happens.

You do not have to plan the route, figure out where the birds are, or wonder if you are missing something.

Just show up ready to bird!

Make some October memories with us…

MEET US AT THE COAST!

https://f.mtr.cool/yf2mn9blxm

09/10/2026

MEET US AT THE COAST!

Birding the coast is not just about shorebirds - we will be tracking down migrating songbirds as they pass through the woodlots, grasslands, and marshes.

Meet a Target Bird: Dickcissel!

What if a bird roost was also an information network?

Dickcissels spend the summer scattered across the grasslands of North America, but winter is a completely different story. In the Venezuelan llanos, they gather densely into enormous communal roosts that can number well into the millions.

And those roosts may help them find food.
Researchers have found that Dickcissels leave their roosts along different flightlines toward productive feeding areas. As those food sources change, the flightlines change too, and birds that were less successful learn from others at the roost where to find better places to feed.

Before heading north again, Dickcissels rely on this sharing of resources to fuel up. They can add roughly one-third to one-half of their body weight in preparation for spring migration!

That little Dickcissel passing through the Texas coast this fall is headed toward an impressive avian social network.

Expand your own birding social network and join us for a long weekend Birding the Coast next month! Details in comments.

MEET US AT THE COAST!