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Birding Brochure & Checklist

Great Birding on and around Galveston Island, Texas

Galveston Island is one of the top locations in the country for birding because it sits astride the 95th meridian, the dead center of trans-gulf spring migration routes. More than 200 species of birds live in the area year round or pass through during their northward migration in the spring.

The Island and surrounding areas are filled with different birding habitats such as beaches and bays, bay marshes and wetlands, coastal prairies and upland wood motts.

A detailed description of top birding areas, a map and seasonal checklist of species sighted are included in the Great Birding on and around Galveston Island brochure. Click here to download it (PDF).


Bird Sightings at Galveston FeatherFest
2004 - 2009

C (Common), F (Fairly Uncommon), U (Uncommon), R (Rare), O (Occasional)

NOTE: The sighting frequency definitions best relate to the entire "Spring" period which is commonly defined as March through May. The birds listed are far more than might be observed during FeatherFest because some birds prefer habitats that might not be visited, but more importantly because FF has, since its inception, been held early in the Spring, i.e.: the first weekend that includes an April day. Therefore FF visitors will be too early to see those Neotropical birds that migrate north through the area later, and will be too late to see those Nearctic birds that have wintered on the Gulf Coast but have already moved northwards. However an accumulation of birds seen from 2004 – 2009 will give a good indication of what you could see in future years at the same seasonal time.

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

Totals:

203

200

181

184

197

202

1

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

F

 

2

Fulvous Whistling-Duck

C

 

3

Greater White-fronted Goose

U

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

Snow Goose

U

 

 

 

 

 

 

5

Canada Goose

U

 

 

 

 

 

6

Wood Duck

F

 

 

 

 

 

 

7

Gadwall

C

8

American Wigeon

C

9

Mallard

U

 

10

Mottled Duck

C

11

Blue-winged Teal

C

12

Cinnamon Teal

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

13

Northern Shoveler

C

14

Northern Pintail

U

 

 

 

 

15

Green-winged Teal

F

16

Canvasback

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

17

Redhead

U

 

 

 

18

Ring-necked Duck

F

 

 

 

 

 

 

19

Greater Scaup

R

 

 

 

 

 

20

Lesser Scaup

C

 

21

Surf Scoter

R

 

 

 

 

22

White-winged Scoter

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

23

Black Scoter

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

24

Long-tailed Duck

O

 

 

 

 

 

 

25

Bufflehead

U

 

 

 

 

 

26

Common Goldeneye

R

 

 

 

 

 

27

Hooded Merganser

R

 

 

 

 

28

Red-breasted Merganser

C

29

Ruddy Duck

U

 

30

Greater Prairie-Chicken

R

31

Northern Bobwhite

U

 

 

 

 

 

32

Pacific Loon

R

 

 

 

 

 

33

Common Loon

C

34

Pied-billed Grebe

C

35

Horned Grebe

R

 

 

 

 

 

36

Eared Grebe

F

37

Masked Booby

O

 

 

 

 

 

 

38

Northern Gannet

U

 

 

 

 

39

American White Pelican

C

40

Brown Pelican

C

41

Neotropic Cormorant

C

42

Double-crested Cormorant

C

43

Anhinga

C

44

Magnificent Frigatebird

R

 

 

 

45

American Bittern

U

46

Least Bittern

C

 

 

47

Great Blue Heron

C

48

Great Egret

C

49

Snowy Egret

C

50

Little Blue Heron

C

51

Tricolored Heron

C

52

Reddish Egret

C

53

Cattle Egret

C

54

Green Heron

C

55

Black-crowned Night-Heron

C

56

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

F

57

White Ibis

C

58

Glossy Ibis

R

 

 

 

59

White-faced Ibis

F

60

Roseate Spoonbill

C

61

Black Vulture

C

62

Turkey Vulture

C

63

Osprey

U

64

Swallow-tailed Kite

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

65

White-tailed Kite

C

66

Mississippi Kite

R

 

 

 

 

 

67

Bald Eagle

R

 

 

 

 

 

68

Northern Harrier

C

69

Sharp-shinned Hawk

U

 

 

 

70

Cooper's Hawk

U

 

71

Red-shouldered Hawk

C

 

72

Broad-winged Hawk

U

 

 

 

73

Swainson's Hawk

U

 

 

 

74

White-tailed Hawk

R

 

75

Red-tailed Hawk

U

76

Crested Caracara

U

77

American Kestrel

C

78

Merlin

U

 

 

79

Peregrine Falcon

U

80

Yellow Rail

R

 

 

81

Black Rail

R

 

 

 

 

82

Clapper Rail

C

83

King Rail

F

 

 

 

 

84

Virginia Rail

C

 

 

 

 

85

Sora

C

86

Purple Gallinule

C

 

 

87

Common Moorhen

C

88

American Coot

C

89

Sandhill Crane

U

 

 

 

 

90

Black-bellied Plover

C

91

American Golden-Plover

C

 

92

Snowy Plover

C

93

Wilson's Plover

C

94

Semipalmated Plover

C

95

Piping Plover

C

96

Killdeer

C

97

American Oystercatcher

U

98

Black-necked Stilt

C

99

American Avocet

C

100

Spotted Sandpiper

U

101

Solitary Sandpiper

U

102

Greater Yellowlegs

C

103

Willet

C

104

Lesser Yellowlegs

C

105

Upland Sandpiper

U

 

 

106

Whimbrel

C

107

Long-billed Curlew

C

108

Hudsonian Godwit

U

 

 

 

 

 

 

109

Marbled Godwit

C

110

Ruddy Turnstone

C

111

Red Knot

F

112

Sanderling

C

113

Semipalmated Sandpiper

C

114

Western Sandpiper

C

115

Least Sandpiper

C

116

White-rumped Sandpiper

C

 

 

 

117

Baird's Sandpiper

U

118

Pectoral Sandpiper

C

119

Dunlin

C

120

Stilt Sandpiper

F

121

Buff-breasted Sandpiper

U

 

 

 

 

122

Short-billed Dowitcher

C

123

Long-billed Dowitcher

C

124

Wilson's Snipe

C

125

Wilson's Phalarope

U

 

 

 

126

Laughing Gull

C

127

Franklin's Gull

R

 

128

Bonaparte's Gull

C

 

 

129

Ring-billed Gull

C

130

Herring Gull

C

131

Lesser Black-backed Gull

R

 

 

 

 

132

Glaucous Gull

R

 

 

 

133

Least Tern

C

134

Gull-billed Tern

U

 

135

Caspian Tern

C

136

Black Tern

C

 

 

137

Common Tern

C

138

Forster's Tern

C

139

Royal Tern

C

140

Sandwich Tern

C

141

Black Skimmer

C

142

Pomarine Jaeger

U

 

 

 

 

 

143

Parasitic Jaeger

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

144

Rock Dove/Pidgeon

C

145

Eurasian Collared-Dove

C

146

White-winged Dove

C

147

Mourning Dove

C

148

Inca Dove

C

149

Common Ground-Dove

R

 

 

 

 

 

150

Monk Parakeet

F

151

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

C

 

 

 

152

Black-billed Cuckoo

U

 

 

 

 

 

153

Groove-billed Ani

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

154

Barn Owl

C

 

 

 

 

155

Eastern Screech-Owl

C

 

 

 

 

 

 

156

Great Horned Owl

F

 

 

 

157

Barred Owl

F

 

 

 

 

 

158

Short-eared Owl

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

159

Lesser Nighthawk

R

 

 

 

 

 

160

Common Nighthawk

C

 

 

 

 

161

Chuck-will's-widow

F

 

 

 

 

 

 

162

Whip-poor-will

U

 

 

 

 

 

 

163

Chimney Swift

C

164

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

C

165

Black-chinned Hummingbird

R

 

 

 

 

166

Rufous Hummingbird

R

 

 

167

Belted Kingfisher

C

168

Red-headed Woodpecker

R

 

 

 

 

 

169

Red-bellied Woodpecker

C

170

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

F

171

Downy Woodpecker

C

172

Red-cockaded Woodpecker

R

 

 

 

 

 

173

Northern Flicker

O

 

 

 

174

Pileated Woodpecker

F

 

 

 

 

175

Olive-sided Flycatcher

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

176

Eastern Wood-Pewee

C

 

 

 

 

177

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

O

 

 

 

 

 

 

178

Acadian Flycatcher

C

 

 

 

 

 

 

179

Alder Flycatcher

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

180

Willow Flycatcher

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

181

Least Flycatcher

U

 

 

 

 

182

Eastern Phoebe

C

 

 

 

 

183

Vermilion Flycatcher

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

184

Ash-throated Flycatcher

R

 

 

 

 

 

185

Great Crested Flycatcher

C

 

 

186

Western Kingbird

U

 

 

 

 

187

Eastern Kingbird

C

188

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

C

189

Loggerhead Shrike

C

190

White-eyed Vireo

C

191

Bell's Vireo

O

 

 

 

 

 

 

192

Yellow-throated Vireo

C

 

 

193

Blue-headed Vireo

C

194

Warbling Vireo

U

 

 

 

 

195

Philadelphia Vireo

F

 

 

 

 

 

 

196

Red-eyed Vireo

C

 

 

197

Blue Jay

C

198

American Crow

C

 

199

Horned Lark

U

 

200

Purple Martin

C

201

Tree Swallow

C

202

N. Rough-winged Swallow

C

203

Bank Swallow

C

 

204

Barn Swallow

C

205

Cliff Swallow

C

206

Cave Swallow

U

207

Carolina Chickadee

C

 

 

 

208

Tufted Titmouse

C

 

 

 

 

209

Red-breasted Nuthatch

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

210

Brown-headed Nuthatch

C

 

 

 

 

 

 

211

Brown Creeper

R

 

 

 

 

 

212

Carolina Wren

C

213

Bewick's Wren

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

214

House Wren

C

215

Sedge Wren

C

216

Marsh Wren

C

217

Golden-crowned Kinglet

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

218

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

C

219

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

C

220

Eastern Bluebird

F

 

 

 

 

221

Veery

U

 

 

 

 

 

 

222

Gray-cheeked Thrush

U

 

 

 

 

 

223

Swainson's Thrush

C

 

 

 

 

 

224

Hermit Thrush

U

 

 

 

225

Wood Thrush

C

 

 

 

 

226

American Robin

C

 

 

 

 

 

227

Gray Catbird

C

228

Northern Mockingbird

C

229

Brown Thrasher

F

230

European Starling

C

231

American Pipit

C

 

 

 

 

 

232

Sprague's Pipit

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

233

Cedar Waxwing

C

 

 

234

Blue-winged Warbler

C

 

 

235

Golden-winged Warbler

U

 

 

 

 

 

236

Tennessee Warbler

C

237

Orange-crowned Warbler

C

238

Nashville Warbler

C

 

 

 

 

239

Northern Parula

C

240

Yellow Warbler

C

 

 

241

Chestnut-sided Warbler

C

 

 

 

 

 

242

Magnolia Warbler

C

 

 

 

 

243

Cape May Warbler

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

244

Black-throated Blue Warbler

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

245

Yellow-rumped Warbler

C

246

Blk-throated Green Warbler

C

 

 

 

247

Blackburnian Warbler

U

 

 

 

 

248

Yellow-throated Warbler

U

 

 

249

Pine Warbler

R

 

 

 

 

250

Prairie Warbler

R

 

 

 

 

251

Palm Warbler

U

252

Bay-breasted Warbler

C

 

 

 

 

 

 

253

Blackpoll Warbler

C

 

 

 

 

 

 

254

Cerulean Warbler

U

 

 

 

 

 

 

255

Black-and-white Warbler

C

256

American Redstart

C

 

 

 

 

 

257

Prothonotary Warbler

C

 

 

 

258

Worm-eating Warbler

C

 

 

 

259

Swainson's Warbler

U

 

 

 

 

260

Ovenbird

C

 

 

 

 

261

Northern Waterthrush

C

 

 

 

 

262

Louisiana Waterthrush

C

 

 

263

Kentucky Warbler

C

 

 

 

 

264

Mourning Warbler

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

265

Common Yellowthroat

C

266

Hooded Warbler

C

267

Wilson's Warbler

U

 

 

 

 

268

Canada Warbler

U

 

 

 

 

 

 

269

Yellow-breasted Chat

F

 

 

 

 

270

Summer Tanager

C

 

271

Scarlet Tanager

C

 

 

 

272

Western Tanager

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

273

Eastern Towhee

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

274

Spotted Towhee

O

 

 

 

 

 

 

275

Chipping Sparrow

F

 

 

276

Clay-colored Sparrow

R

 

 

 

 

277

Field Sparrow

U

 

 

 

 

 

278

Vesper Sparrow

U

 

 

 

 

 

279

Lark Sparrow

R

 

 

280

Savannah Sparrow

C

281

Grasshopper Sparrow

R

 

 

 

 

 

282

Henslow's Sparrow

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

283

Le Conte's Sparrow

F

 

 

 

 

284

Nelson's Sharp-tailed Spar

C

 

 

 

285

Seaside Sparrow

C

286

Song Sparrow

U

 

 

287

Lincoln's Sparrow

C

288

Swamp Sparrow

C

289

White-throated Sparrow

C

 

 

290

Harris's Sparrow

R

 

 

 

 

 

291

White Crowned Sparrow

U

 

 

 

 

 

 

292

Northern Cardinal

C

 

293

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

C

 

 

 

294

Blue Grosbeak

C

 

 

 

295

Indigo Bunting

C

296

Painted Bunting

F

 

 

 

 

 

297

Dickcissel

C

 

 

 

 

 

298

Bobolink

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

299

Red-winged Blackbird

C

 

300

Eastern Meadowlark

C

301

Western Meadowlark

R

 

 

 

 

 

302

Yellow-headed Blackbird

R

 

 

 

 

303

Common Grackle

C

304

Boat-tailed Grackle

F

305

Great-tailed Grackle

C

306

Bronzed Cowbird

U

 

307

Brown-headed Cowbird

C

308

Orchard Oriole

C

309

Baltimore Oriole

C

 

 

 

310

Purple Finch

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

311

House Finch

U

 

 

 

 

 

 

312

Pine Siskin

R

 

 

 

 

 

 

313

American Goldfinch

C

 

 

 

 

314

House Sparrow

C

 

Other bird observations

             

315

Woodstork

 

 

 

 

 

 

316

Burrowing Owl

 

 

 

 

 

 

317

Reddish Egret white morph

 

For Further Information

Email: NatureTourismGalv@juno.com
Phone: 409.392.0841 or 1-888-425-4753
Fax: 409.737.2264
Mail: Galveston FeatherFest, P.O. Box 1468,
Galveston, TX 77553-1468

FeatherFest is a project of the Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council
which supports eco-tourism and education, and promotes the value of area natural habitats.



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