Birdlife of Houston, Galveston, and the Upper Texas Coast

Ted L. Eubanks, Robert A. Behrstock, Ron J. Weeks

Texas A&M University Press, Oct 3, 2006 - Nature - 287 pages

In the last thirty years, the Upper Texas Coast has become a “must go” destination for birders around the globe. This book will serve as an essential companion to the customary field guide and pair of binoculars for all visitors to Houston, High Island, Galveston, Freeport, or any of the area’s other exciting birding spots. It also places the birdlife of the region, a seven-county area with a larger bird list than forty-three states, into historical and ecological contexts.

Authors Eubanks, Behrstock, and Weeks—all recognized authorities on the migrant and resident birds of this region—present a thorough introduction to the area’s history, physiography, and avifauna. Then, in generous discussions of bird families and species, they synthesize years of records, tracking the comings and goings of more than 480 birds and incorporating their own lifetimes of experience to create an “ornithological mosaic” of lasting significance.

Contents

• HISTORY: 1
• GEOLOGY CLIMATE AND HABITATS: 4
• DIVERSITY: 16
• NESTING AND MIGRATION: 18
• EXOTIC AND DETRIMENTAL SPECIES: 28
• HAZARDS FOR BIRDS: 29
• FORMAT OF THE SPECIES ACCOUNTS: 32
• ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE TEXT: 34
• Waterfowl: 37
• Upland Game Birds: 54
• Loons and Grebes: 57
• Tubenoses: 61
• Pelicans and Allies: 65
• Large Wading Birds: 71
• Storks Vultures and Flamingo: 79
• Raptors: 82
• Rails Gallinules Coot and Cranes: 97
• Shorebirds: 103
• Jaegers Gulls Terns and Skimmer: 133
• Pigeons and Doves: 149
• Parakeets: 153
• Cuckoos: 154
• Owls: 157
• Nighthawks and Nightjars: 161
• Swifts: 164
• Hummingbirds: 165
• Kingfishers: 173
• Woodpeckers: 174
• Flycatchers: 180
• Shrikes: 190
• Vireos: 191
• Jay Nutcracker Crows and Ravens: 197
• Horned Lark: 200
• Chickadee Titmouse Nuthatches and Creeper: 204
• Wrens: 206
• Bulbul Kinglets and Gnatcatcher: 209
• Thrushes: 210
• Catbird Mockingbird and Thrashers: 215
• European Starling: 217
• Waxwings: 218
• Warblers: 219
• Tanagers: 239
• Cardinals Sparrows and Allies: 241
• Blackbirds Orioles and Allies: 256
• Finches and Allies: 264
• House Sparrow: 267
• BIRDING AND ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS ON THE UPPER TEXAS COAST: 269
• PLANTS MENTIONED IN THE TEXT: 270
• BIBLIOGRAPHY: 273
• INDEX: 279

About the author

TED L. EUBANKS JR. is president of Fermata Inc., a nature tourism, national trails, and wildlife-watching consulting business. A resident of Galveston, he is a recipient of the Roger T. Peterson Excellence in Birding Award.ROBERT A. BEHRSTOCK is an Arizona-based biologist, writer, photographer, and nature tour leader.RON J. WEEKS is a chemical engineer at Dow Chemical Company in Lake Jackson and a subregional editor for North American Birds.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Birdlife of Houston, Galveston, and the Upper Texas Coast; Volume 10 of Gulf Coast Books, sponsored by Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi; Issue 10 of Gulf Coast books; Issue 10 of Gulf Coast studies
• Authors: Ted L. Eubanks, Robert A. Behrstock, Ron J. Weeks
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Texas A&M University Press, 2006
• ISBN: 158544510X, 9781585445103
• Length: 287 pages
• Subjects: Nature / Animals / Birds; Nature / Birdwatching Guides; Nature / General