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Birds of Aransas NWR Complex
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South Texas birds do not recognize traditional calendar seasons: fall migration often begins in August, and wintering birds arrive from October through December. Therefore, seasonal designations for species, intended as general guidelines, are treated as follows on the checklist:
Painted Bunting
Spring March
-
 May
Summer June
-
 July
Fall August
-
 November
Winter December
-
 February

Federally endangered or threatened species are listed in italics.

(I) after the species name denotes an introduced species.
*
 after the species name denotes a regularly nesting species on, or in close proximity to, the refuge. It does not necessarily indicate that a certain species nests every year.
^
after the species name denotes a species which has nest at Aransas in past years, but is not currently believed to be nesting.
Abundance
C
 Common; suitable habitat is widespread; should not be missed during appropriate season
U
 Uncommon; present, but in moderate numbers; not seen on every visit during season
O
 Occasional; present, observed only a few times per season
R
 Rare; observed only every 3 to 5 years
L
 Casual; a species out of its normal range, but the proximity to the range increases the chance that it will continue to occur
X
 Accidental; a species considerably out of its regular range
Habitat (Hbt) - These codes are used to describe a species general habitat preference.
Q
 Found in aquatic areas - lakes, ponds, open bays, open gulf, etc
B
 Found in brushland - areas of mixed brush and grasses
F
 Found in forest - woodlands, oak mottes
G
 Found in grasslands
M
 Found in marsh areas - freshwater and/or saltwater
I
 Found at Matagorda Island

2004 Christmas Bird Count

Whooping Crane Latest Update

Weekly
Bird
Census

Whitmire
Bird
Census
 
Sp
Su
F
W
Habitat
Loons
Red-throated Loon
Accidental
Common Loon
U
R
U
Q
Grebes
Least Grebe*
O
O
O
O
M,Q
Pied-billed Grebe*
C
O
U
U
M,Q
Horned Grebe
O
M,Q
Red-necked Grebe
Accidental
Eared Grebe
U
U
C
Q
Western Grebe
R
R
Q
Shearwaters
Sooty Shearwater
Accidental
Tropicbirds
White-tailed Tropicbird
Accidental
Boobies and Gannets
Masked Booby
Accidental
Brown Booby
Accidental
Northern Gannet
R
R
Q
Pelicans
American White Pelican^
C
O
C
C
Q
Brown Pelican*
C
C
C
C
Q
Cormorants
Neotropic Cormorant
U
U
U
U
M,Q
Double-crested Cormorant
C
O
C
C
M,Q
Darters
Anhinga
U
O
O
O
M
Frigatebirds
Magnificent Frigatebird
O
U
U
R
Q
Bitterns, Herons and Egrets
American Bittern
U
R
U
U
M,Q
Least Bittern^
U
U
U
R
M,Q
Great Blue Heron*
C
C
C
C
M,Q
Great Egret*
C
C
C
C
M,Q
Snowy Egret*
C
C
C
C
M,Q
Little Blue Heron*
C
U
C
U
M,Q
Tricolored Heron*
C
C
C
C
M,Q
Reddish Egret*
U
U
U
U
M,Q
Cattle Egret*
C
C
C
O
M,Q,G
Green Heron*
U
U
U
O
M,Q
Black-crowned Night Heron*
U
U
U
U
M,Q
Yellow-crowned Night Heron*
U
O
U
R
M,Q
Ibises and Spoonbills
White Ibis*
C
C
C
C
M,Q
White-faced Ibis*
U
U
U
U
M,Q
Roseate Spoonbill*
C
U
C
C
M,Q
Storks
Wood Stork
R
U
U
M,Q
Vultures
Black Vulture*
C
C
C
C
F,G,B
Turkey Vulture*
C
C
C
C
F,G,B
Flamingos
Greater Flamingo
Accidental
 
Sp
Su
F
W
Hbt
Ducks, Geese and Swans
Black-bellied Whistling Duck*
U
C
U
O
M,Q
Fulvous Whistling Duck*
O
O
O
R
M,Q
Greater White-fronted Goose
O
U
C
M,Q,G
Snow Goose
U
U
C
M,Q,G
Ross' Goose
O
O
M,Q,G
Canada Goose
O
L
C
C
M,Q,G
Brant
Accidental
Barnacle Goose
Accidental
Tundra Swan
L
Q
Wood Duck^
O
O
O
O
M,Q,G,F
Gadwall^
C
R
U
C
M,Q
American Wigeon C R C C
M,Q
American Black Duck
L
L
M,Q
Mallard^
O
L
O
O
M,Q
Mottled Duck*
C
C
C
C
M,Q
Blue-winged Teal^
C
O
C
C
M,Q
Cinnamon Teal
O
O
O
M,Q
Northern Shoveler
C
R
U
C
M,Q
Northern Pintail
C
O
C
C
M,Q
Green-winged Teal
U
X
U
C
M,Q
Canvasback
U
R
O
U
M,Q
Redhead
U
R
U
C
M,Q
Ring-necked Duck
O
O
O
M,Q
Greater Scaup
R
Q
Lesser Scaup
C
R
U
C
M,Q
Harlequin Duck
Accidental
Surf Scoter
X
R
White-winged Scoter
R
Q
Black Scoter
Accidental
Long-tailed Duck
L
Q
Bufflehead
C
O
C
Q
Common Goldeneye
O
X
O
U
Q
Hooded Merganser
O
O
U
M,Q
Common Merganser
R
R
R
Q
Red-breasted Merganser
U
O
C
Q
Masked Duck
L
L
M,Q
Ruddy Duck
C
R
O
C
Q
Hawks, Kites and Eagles
Osprey
U
R
C
C
M,Q
Swallow-tailed Kite
O
F,G,B
White-tailed Kite*
U
O
U
U
G,B
Mississippi Kite
O
O
G,B
Bald Eagle^
R
R
R
R
G,B,Q
Northern Harrier
C
C
C
M,G,B
Sharp-shinned Hawk
U
R
U
U
F,B
Cooper's Hawk
O
R
U
U
F,B,G
Harris' Hawk
R
R
G,B
Red-shouldered Hawk
U
L
U
C
F,B
Broad-winged Hawk
U
O
O
F,B
Swainson's Hawk
U
O
R
G,B
White-tailed Hawk*
C
C
C
C
G,B
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