A Field Guides Birding Tours Report
Texas's Big Bend & Hill Country 2024
April 20-29, 2024 with Chris Benesh and Alex Sundvall guiding
Texas is famous for its huge size and heat, but for birders, it's the wide range of habitats that makes it one of the premier locations for birding in the United States. Every year birders make the pilgrimage to Texas to see the unique species that call the Lone Star State home. Thankfully this trip was made to see a great many of them! Not only did we get to encounter some of these species, we also got a good taste of that Texas heat and size! We had some long days with long hikes and far drives but it was all worth it in the end to see some of the rarest and most sought after species in the US. As a group, we decided on 24 different species of favorite birds for the trip; which just shows the sheer number of quality birds and experiences we had on the trip! Of these, four of them set themselves apart from the rest as our top birds. Montezuma Quail ran away with the show, with the incredible experience we had with a pair just feet away from us at Davis Mountains State Park. Then there was a three-way tie between the three major targets for the trip: Black-capped Vireo, and Colima and Golden-cheeked Warblers. And what marvelous experiences we had with those! The Colima Warbler behaved beautifully, singing below us on bare exposed branches in a mostly open tree for what seemed like forever (long and well enough for me to digibin a video of it!). Lost Maples was also very kind to us: the weather held off and we stayed dry for our whole hike and managed wonderful views of multiple pairs of Black-capped Vireos and Golden-cheeked Warblers throughout the morning. To top it all off, we had a picnic dinner at the Frio Bat Cave, watching millions of bats erupt out of their cave into the sunset.
From Chris, myself, and all of us at Field Guides, we thank you for taking this journey of Texas with us. You were a fantastic group to travel with: everyone was kind, courteous, and patient. You made long days and hikes enjoyable; I wish I could take this group everywhere with me! We hope you enjoyed your time in Big Bend and the Hill Country as much as we did, and we look forward to hopefully seeing everyone again on the birding trail sometime again soon!
Here is a breakdown of our nine days of birding together:
Day 1: After a midday pickup in the San Antonio Airport, we headed towards Del Rio and the border by way of US Route 90. We stopped at a nice rest area about mid way through where we had our only Common Grackles and Bullock's Orioles for the trip, as well as our first Lark Sparrow and a couple stray Cave Swallows. From there the high winds kept us from doing any other birding and after dinner we went to the hotel for the night. Unfortunately due to some flight issues, Barry, Bernie, and Chris were unable to join us on our drive from San Antonio. Thankfully they all arrived at some point the next morning and were able to join us on the rest of the trip!
Day 2: We started the morning birding some of the parks around Del Rio. The first was the Rotary Park in the hopes of finding one of the resident Clay-colored Thrushes at the far northern edge of their range. While we did, it unfortunately proved to be a bit too shy for most of the group to really get eyes on it. We did however get great views of some of the big charismatic flycatchers there: Great Kiskadees, Brown-crested Flycatchers, and a Couch's Kingbird all were wonderfully cooperative! Continuing on our Clay-colored Thrush quest, we headed down the San Felipe Creek to the Tardy Dam area which was significantly more birdy. Not only did we get some fantastic views of the Thrush: we spooked a couple Yellow-crowned Night Herons off a roost, had a flyby Green Kingfisher scouring the creek for fish, a pair of stunning Hooded Orioles were on the opposite bank from us, and had our only Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks for the trip. After a successful walk, we still were missing a few of the species we were looking for so we headed to the thickets at the start of Vega Verde Road to see if we could clean up on what we were missing. And clean up we did! As soon as we got there: Long-billed Thrashers were chasing each other, Bell's Vireos and Yellow-breasted Chats were singing away, and some secretive Olive Sparrows perched up on the edge of the road checking us out. A Wild Turkey strutted across the road and a pair of Mexican Ducks flew overhead. Now with all the birds we were hoping for, we made a quick detour to the duck ponds in town to see if anything interesting or unusual was around. While the Purple Martins were nice, the local domestic geese blew our eardrums out so we left pretty quickly and started our long drive out to Big Bend National Park. We had two major birding stops on the way to the park; the first was the grand Pecos River Overlook. Here we had a stunning vista of the Pecos River from very high up. As we scanned the distant river, we were able to pick out a variety of shorebirds scuttling around the muddy banks. The best among these were a pair of Stilt Sandpipers, rare for the location. A Rock Wren came and checked us out, but its Canyon Wren cousin decided to just sing from the other side of the steep river canyon from us. Our other stop was at the Judge Roy Bean Museum and Wayside. Here our highlights were a continuing nesting pair of Phainopeplas, a nice flock of Yellow-headed Blackbirds, and some raucous Cactus Wrens. After a quick rest and a stretch of our legs, we returned to the vans and continued to the Chisos Mountain Lodge of Big Bend National Park: our home base for the next few days.
Day 3: Today was a big day! Normally we like to ease into doing the big hike up to Boot Spring by putting it later into our stay in the park, starting out with some easier hikes the first few days. Unfortunately, keeping an eye on the forecast we realized that there was some great potential for it to get incredibly hot later in the week and we bit the bullet and did the hike on our first day in the park. And we are all so grateful that we made this decision! What a beautiful day for a hike it was. It started out cool enough for folks to need jackets to keep warm, and it stayed reasonably cool the whole day only getting to the mid 70s, filtered clouds, and a light breeze. The rest of our stay was up near 100 degrees with full sun so we really picked the best day to do this 11 mile trek up to the spring! Our main target was the unique Colima Warbler. It has a wider range within Mexico, but it only exists high up in Big Bend National Park in the United States. And thankfully the Colima Warbler was very cooperative for us that day! We had fantastic views all to ourselves of this sweet little warbler at about the 3 mile mark of our hike. We also had great looks at a Band-tailed Pigeon, Rufous-crowned Sparrows, a Gray-headed Junco, and big groups of Mexican Jays following us along the trail (especially around our lunch stop!) After the Colima, the group split up with a few going back down with Chris and the more adventurous half of the group continuing with me all the way to the top and over to Boot Spring. Those that made that trek had incredible scenery and wonderful views of another Colima Warbler, multiple Dusky Flycatchers, and a stunning male Blue-throated Mountain-gem catching gnats in the pool of water left behind by the spring. Unfortunately the Painted Redstart remained a heard only for us as we hiked back down the mountain to make it back in time for dinner. While the next few days will be hotter, thankfully they will also be easier on the legs!
Day 4: We started off the morning birding Daniels Ranch and Rio Grande Village, both situated right on the banks of the Rio Grande on the border of Texas and Mexico. Our big target here was a pair of continuing Common Black Hawks that have nested in the area for years now. They had the whole lawn area roped off with signage for these birds. Thankfully unlike last year, the hawks were right by the nest and we got wonderful looks! From there we headed down into the campground where the resident and somewhat tame Greater Roadrunners greeted us! These can be a bit of a pain elsewhere in the country, but these Roadrunners are always so cooperative it's very nice for folks who might have struggled to see them before. Golden-fronted Woodpeckers flew about the trees and power poles, a mixed flock of sparrows were getting grit on the roads and paths, and a Plumbeous Vireo sang in the trees near the vans. Next we walked down to the river proper to see if there was anything along the waters edge. A small squadron of Blue-winged Teals and a Black Phoebe were all that were patrolling the water. On our walk back to the vans we found a wayward Yellow-throated Vireo, a calling Western Wood-Pewee, and a very vocal Gray Hawk carrying food. After a break for lunch and the heat, we walked down to the water treatment ponds for the Chisos Basin. This has over the years become a reliable spot for Varied Buntings coming own to the water. After some persistence and waiting out in the heat, we finally got great looks of a gorgeous male. We also enjoyed a handful of Wilson's Warblers, a pair of Scaled Quail, Pyrrhuloxia, Lincoln's Sparrow, Canyon and Green-tailed Towhees, and a lingering Pink-sided Junco. From there, we headed back to the Lodge for an early night and prepared for an early morning of birding!
Day 5: Today we arranged for the group to go birding at the nearby Christmas Mountains Oasis, where Lucifer Hummingbirds often visit the feeders. On the drive into the Christmas Mountains we had multiple coveys of Scaled Quails skittering across the road (the people in my van can contest that I was giggling the entire time.) When we first arrived at the Oasis, a bright male Painted Bunting briefly alighted in the tree behind the feeders, never to return again. While we waited for the hummingbirds to come around, we enjoyed a slew of other birds visiting the seed feeders. Some of the highlights were two different flavors of White-crowned Sparrows (the pale-lored Gambel's and the dark-lored Tillman's), Black-throated Sparrow, Lark Bunting, Green-tailed Towhee, and Curve-billed Thrasher. Eventually both Black-chinned and a couple Lucifer Hummingbirds visited the feeders and perched giving us some great extended views. As we left the Oasis, we stopped on the side of the road for a brief encounter with a group of Black-tailed Gnatcatchers in the desert scrub. Back in Big Bend, after some lunch and a break from the 106 degree heat, we visited the dinosaur exhibit and took a still very hot walk around the Dugout Wells. Due to the still raging afternoon heat, it was fairly quiet with just a few more Scaled Quail and a Cassin's Kingbird hiding from the intense sun. Some of the group went on a post dinner walk looking successfully for some Bark Scorpions and unsuccessfully listening for owls. Otherwise it was another early night in preparations for our day tomorrow.
Day 6: Today it was time to leave Big Bend behind! We packed up our things and headed to the Cottonwood Campground for our morning of birding. It wasn't particularly birdy there, and we failed a second time trying to get everyone on the elusive Lucy's Warbler. It was nice however to see the returning nesting Gray Hawks flying around the campground. From here, we headed north towards the Davis Mountains making a lunch stop in the town of Alpine. On our way out of Alpine we birded along the side of the highway picking up some grassland specialties like Chihuahuan Meadowlark, Horned Lark, and our first Scissor-tailed Flycatchers. Our evening birding took us to the nearby Davis Mountains State Park where we hoped to see some Montezuma Quails. While looking for the quails, we saw our first Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays and Pine Siskins. After a couple minutes of waiting, the quail came in to the feeders. It was an absolutely magical experience watching these quail forage just feet from us! Certainly moments none of us are likely to forget any time soon. To finish off the night, we watched a pair of Elf Owls at their nest hole.
Day 7: This was mostly a travel day as we had to get all the way from SW Texas where we were to the Hill Country of central Texas where we needed to be tomorrow. However, we had two incredible birding stops along the way. Our first was actually a picnic breakfast up in Madera Canyon (no not the one in SE AZ) where we had great views of our only Gray Flycatcher, as well as the Interior West White-breasted Nuthatch, Black-headed Grosbeak, Western Tanager, and more Woodhouse's Scrub-Jays, Cassin's Kingbirds, and Acorn Woodpeckers. Our next stop was the famous Lake Balmorhea. As one of the largest lakes in west Texas, it attracts a ton of different water birds. Here we added a number of ducks, both Western and Clark's Grebes, a few different species of shorebird including Snowy Plovers and Black-necked Stilts, Ospreys, and Chihuahuan Ravens to our list. Funnily enough, the rarest birds we had at the lake were the group of Canada Geese, which are actually rare in this part of the world! Fun to visit a place where Clark's Grebes outnumber the Westerns, and Canada Geese are uncommon! It's always a place we wish we could spend hours at, but unfortunately we had a 4 hour drive across Texas ahead of us and had to leave after just an hour. By nightfall we had made it to Utopia and the Hill Country.
Day 8: We started our birding day at our main birding attraction in the Hill Country, the famous Lost Maples State Natural Area. Lost Maples is an incredible hodgepodge of species all meeting at the fringes of their ranges. There were eastern species like Louisiana Waterthrush, Orchard Oriole, Carolina Chickadee, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, and Acadian Flycatcher all meeting western species like Vermilion Flycatcher, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Canyon Wren, and Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, again all meeting southern species like White-tipped Dove, Olive Sparrow, Crested Caracara, Black-crested Titmouse, and our three targets for the morning: Golden-cheeked Warbler, Black-capped Vireo, and Tropical Parula. With impending rain, we quickly walked out to the end of the trail where we had cracking views of both Golden-cheeked Warblers and a pair of Black-capped Vireos. On our way back towards the vans, we paused at the creek crossing where we heard and then later had stunning up close views of a shiny male Tropical Parula, with no signs of the hybridization that often plagues the Parulas of south Texas. This successful morning at Lost Maples actually produced the highest number of species of any location on the tour. After such a wonderful morning, we spent the afternoon birding around Utopia along Cornelius Road. Here we had our only Field Sparrows and a surprise of a pair of Prothonotary Warblers. We also finally got our cooperative Painted Buntings after a bunch of fleeting glimpses. That evening we had the fastest owling session ever to see the resident McCall's Screech-Owl around the cabins of the Utopia River Retreat.
Day 9: Our final day of birding, we started the morning heading out towards Fort Clark Springs making a few birding stops along the sides of the road as we went. Our first road stop was to watch a couple pairs of Cassin's Sparrows displaying in roadside field with Vermilion and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers. Next was a quick stop for a nice male Lark Bunting, a young Bullock's Oriole, a lone Yellow-headed Blackbird, and some Dickcissels. We made another pit-stop north of Brackettville in a place that sometimes has Gray Vireos. Unfortunately there were no Gray Vireos around, though we did have another cooperative pair of Black-capped Vireos. Our afternoon was spent birding around the quirky community of Fort Clark Springs. Here we had a wonderful encounter with a Green Jay at the north edge of their range and a nice push of migrants including Black-throated Green Warblers, Eastern Wood-Pewees, a Least Flycatcher, and a gorgeous male Golden-winged Warbler. We ended the afternoon a little early to head back to Utopia and to get ready for our final evening together at the Frio Bat Cave. This cave is home to over 7 million Brazilian Free-tailed Bats. It is truly one of the greatest spectacles in the United States and was a fitting end to this incredible tour of Texas.
KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant
Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl)
BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK (Dendrocygna autumnalis)
A couple mixed in with the domestic ducks on our walk along the San Felipe Creek in Del Rio.
CANADA GOOSE (Branta canadensis)
This part of Texas is one of the few places in the US where Canada Geese are rare! We had a trio at Lake Balmorhea.
BLUE-WINGED TEAL (Spatula discors)
A small group along the Rio Grande at Daniel's Ranch in Big Bend. On both sides of the border!
NORTHERN SHOVELER (Spatula clypeata)
A quick flyover at Rio Grande Village, and then a small group at Lake Balmorhea.
GADWALL (Mareca strepera)
A group of these "black-butts" at Lake Balmorhea.
MEXICAN DUCK (Anas diazi)
A quick flyby of two while birding Vega Verde Road.
RUDDY DUCK (Oxyura jamaicensis)
Fun to see a good sized raft way out on Lake Balmorhea.
Odontophoridae (New World Quail)
SCALED QUAIL (Callipepla squamata)
We loved seeing coveys of these running around the sides of roads in the back country around Big Bend, in particular on our way out to the Christmas Mountain Oasis.
MONTEZUMA QUAIL (Cyrtonyx montezumae)
Absolutely incredible views of a pair of these strikingly plumaged quail coming to feeders at Davis Mountains State Park.
Phasianidae (Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies)
WILD TURKEY (Meleagris gallopavo)
Not the most common bird, and we actually saw two different subspecies! M. g. intermedia in Del Rio and Fort Clark Springs, and M. g. merriami in the Davis Mountains.
Podicipedidae (Grebes)
PIED-BILLED GREBE (Podilymbus podiceps)
One actively diving and fishing in the San Felipe Creek.
WESTERN GREBE (Aechmophorus occidentalis)
We were able to pick out two grebes at Lake Balmorhea that had pale yellow bills and black extending below the eye.
CLARK'S GREBE (Aechmophorus clarkii)
Lake Balmorhea is a rather unique place where Clark's Grebes far outnumber the Westerns! Neat to get good comparisons of facial patterns and flank and bill coloration between the two.
Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves)
ROCK PIGEON (Columba livia) [I]
Only seen around Del Rio.
BAND-TAILED PIGEON (Patagioenas fasciata)
Both heard and seen along the Pinnacles Trail. Nice to see a native pigeon in native habitat!
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE (Streptopelia decaocto) [I]
Seen nearly every day, except for our day on the Pinnacles Trail. Not so long ago they weren't in Texas at all...
INCA DOVE (Columbina inca)
One right at the entrance of Lost Maples SNA.
COMMON GROUND DOVE (Columbina passerina)
One of the vans saw a handful at Rio Grande Village, and then we all caught up with them along the entrance road to the bat cave.
WHITE-TIPPED DOVE (WHITE-TIPPED) (Leptotila verreauxi angelica)
As far north as this species gets, we saw and heard at least two at Lost Maples SNA.
WHITE-WINGED DOVE (Zenaida asiatica)
We saw these every day, truly everywhere!
MOURNING DOVE (Zenaida macroura)
Seen nearly every day, not nearly as present as their invasive cousins.
Cuculidae (Cuckoos)
GREATER ROADRUNNER (Geococcyx californianus)
It was a real treat to see so many of these (and so well!) in the campgrounds along the Rio Grande in Big Bend.
YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO (Coccyzus americanus)
Briefly at Fort Clark Springs.
Caprimulgidae (Nightjars and Allies)
LESSER NIGHTHAWK (Chordeiles acutipennis)
Seen flying around hawking for insects early in the morning along the roads at Big Bend.
COMMON NIGHTHAWK (Chordeiles minor)
Flying around the fields on our way down to Fort Clark Springs.
CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW (Antrostomus carolinensis) [*]
Heard only on our way back to our cabins after our bat cave experience.
Apodidae (Swifts)
CHIMNEY SWIFT (Chaetura pelagica)
Seen in the cities around Del Rio and Utopia.
WHITE-THROATED SWIFT (Aeronautes saxatalis)
We saw these zipping around the rocky outcrops around Big Bend.
Trochilidae (Hummingbirds)
BLUE-THROATED MOUNTAIN-GEM (Lampornis clemenciae)
Those of us that hiked all the way to Boot Spring were treated to a wonderful show of a male catching bugs low over what water remains from the spring.
LUCIFER HUMMINGBIRD (Calothorax lucifer)
The star of the Christmas Mountain Oasis! We made a special trip to see these and were dazzled by two males visiting feeders.
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD (Archilochus colubris)
A single male visiting the feeders at the Utopia River Retreat.
BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD (Archilochus alexandri)
Mostly females, all visiting various hummingbird feeders.
Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots)
AMERICAN COOT (Fulica americana)
Singles around, with a bigger group at Lake Balmorhea.
Recurvirostridae (Stilts and Avocets)
BLACK-NECKED STILT (Himantopus mexicanus)
Good scope views of these lanky shorebirds at Lake Balmorhea.
AMERICAN AVOCET (Recurvirostra americana)
Very distant heat shimmery views at Lake Balmorhea.
Charadriidae (Plovers and Lapwings)
KILLDEER (Charadrius vociferus)
Our first was patrolling the banks of the Pecos River.
SNOWY PLOVER (Anarhynchus nivosus)
Hazy scope views of a pair running around the mudflats at Lake Balmorhea.
Scolopacidae (Sandpipers and Allies)
LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER (Limnodromus scolopaceus)
There was some debate on the ID of these at Lake Balmorhea, but thankfully Short-billed weren't coming through yet and these were the only option!
SPOTTED SANDPIPER (Actitis macularius)
We had one fun sighting on the Mexican side of the river while we were at Daniel's Ranch at Big Bend.
STILT SANDPIPER (Calidris himantopus)
A pair of these at the Pecos River overlook tripped the filter. They were difficult to see due to the angle and distance, but everyone that looked was able to see the identifying marks.
BAIRD'S SANDPIPER (Calidris bairdii)
A big group of these long-winged peeps on the mudflats at the Pecos River.
LEAST SANDPIPER (Calidris minutilla)
Mixed in with the Baird's at the Pecos River Overlook.
Laridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
FRANKLIN'S GULL (Leucophaeus pipixcan)
Some distant dark headed gulls out with the Avocets at Lake Balmorhea.
RING-BILLED GULL (Larus delawarensis)
Out on a sand spit mixed in with the Franklin's at Lake Balmorhea.
Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants and Shags)
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT (Nannopterum auritum)
Seen by some of the group down on the river while crossing Lake Amistad.
NEOTROPIC CORMORANT (Nannopterum brasilianum)
We had to be very careful where we stood around a group of these roosting along the San Felipe Creek in Del Rio...
Pelecanidae (Pelicans)
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos)
A lone bird at Lake Balmorhea.
Ardeidae (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON (Nyctanassa violacea)
Great views of a pair along the San Felipe Creek in Del Rio.
SNOWY EGRET (Egretta thula)
Our first was fishing on top of the dam along the San Felipe Creek.
WESTERN CATTLE EGRET (Bulbulcus ibis)
A trio flying along the Rio Grande when we were at Daniel's Ranch.
GREAT EGRET (Ardea alba)
We only had these big white waders at Lake Balmorhea.
GREAT BLUE HERON (Ardea herodias)
A flyover at the Cottonwood Campground in Big Bend was a real surprise!
Threskiornithidae (Ibises and Spoonbills)
WHITE-FACED IBIS (Plegadis chihi)
A handful on the opposite side of Lake Balmorhea.
Cathartidae (New World Vultures)
BLACK VULTURE (Coragyps atratus)
About half as common as their cousins, and especially uncommon at Big Bend.
TURKEY VULTURE (Cathartes aura)
More than twice as common as Black Vultures, and present everywhere we went.
Pandionidae (Osprey)
OSPREY (Pandion haliaetus)
We saw a few of these fishing at Lake Balmorhea. When Osprey fly, they'll always orient the fish head first for aerodynamics.
Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
MISSISSIPPI KITE (Ictinia mississippiensis)
Unfortunately only one van saw this guy zip past our lunch spot one day, thanks to some sharp spotting by Bernie!
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (Accipiter striatus)
One flew over the Cottonwood Campground at Big Bend.
COOPER'S HAWK (Accipiter cooperii)
Seen while in transit towards Fort Clark Springs.
COMMON BLACK HAWK (Buteogallus anthracinus) [N]
A pair returned to the traditional nesting spot at Daniel's Ranch in Big Bend. Just don't pay attention to the birds on the signage (they were Zone-tailed Hawks, ha!)
HARRIS'S HAWK (Parabuteo unicinctus)
A pair hunting the bat tornado. These have gotten harder in the region in recent years so it's always nice to see them!
GRAY HAWK (Buteo plagiatus)
Great to see the continuing nesting pair at the Cottonwood Campground at Big Bend!
SWAINSON'S HAWK (Buteo swainsoni)
These beautiful raptors were only seen in transit, one on the way to Big Bend and the other on the way to Fort Clark Springs.
RED-TAILED HAWK (Buteo jamaicensis)
A familiar raptor for everyone in the US, the ones we saw here in Texas were mostly the "fuertes's" form, sometimes called a subspecies and sometimes just referring to the palest extreme of the western calurus subspecies.
Strigidae (Owls)
EASTERN SCREECH-OWL (MCCALL'S) (Megascops asio mccallii)
The unique McCall's Screech-Owl is the form we had on the campus of the Utopia River Retreat during the world's shortest owling session. Some authors split this species as it is genetically distinct and lacks the famous whinny vocalization of other Eastern Screech-Owls.
GREAT HORNED OWL (Bubo virginianus)
One perched up across the valley at the bat cave.
ELF OWL (Micrathene whitneyi)
Heard nightly at the Chisos Mountain Lodge, and then seen coming to its nest hole in the Davis Mountains.
Alcedinidae (Kingfishers)
GREEN KINGFISHER (Chloroceryle americana)
A lucky flyby of one down the San Felipe Creek in Del Rio! Thankfully it flew by twice so Barry could see it after his long uber ride from San Antonio.
Picidae (Woodpeckers)
ACORN WOODPECKER (Melanerpes formicivorus)
Common along the upper parts of the Pinnacles Trail at Big Bend, and then also in the Davis Mountains for the whole group.
GOLDEN-FRONTED WOODPECKER (Melanerpes aurifrons)
We had these around Del Rio and along the Rio Grande while in Big Bend. Our most common woodpecker!
LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKER (Dryobates scalaris)
Seen most days, but often only singles and heard only. Most common in Big Bend.
NORTHERN FLICKER (Colaptes auratus)
A single bird dropped in at the Christmas Mountains Oasis. This was the western Red-shafted form.
Falconidae (Falcons and Caracaras)
CRESTED CARACARA (Caracara plancus)
Our first of these large strange falcons was a flyover at our first stop of the tour at the Rest Area along US90. We caught up with a few more in the Hill Country in various spots.
AMERICAN KESTREL (Falco sparverius)
Only seen in transit.
Tyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)
WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE (Contopus sordidulus)
We discussed the visual characteristics of a silent bird at Daniel's Ranch: the duskier gray tones, the weaker upper wingbar, etc.
EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE (Contopus virens)
We had these in the Hill Country and at Fort Clark Springs. Fun to have a tour with both!
ACADIAN FLYCATCHER (Empidonax virescens)
A couple of calling birds on territory at Lost Maples. Unfortunately I think it was a heard only for most people.
LEAST FLYCATCHER (Empidonax minimus)
A migrant on our walk in Fort Clark Springs high up in a tree.
GRAY FLYCATCHER (Empidonax wrightii)
One on territory at the Madera Canyon picnic area during our field breakfast there.
DUSKY FLYCATCHER (Empidonax oberholseri)
Only on the Pinnacles Trail in Big Bend. I know the folks who went up to Boot Spring saw a couple, I'm not sure if those who went down early did.
BLACK PHOEBE (Sayornis nigricans)
One of the few birds we had on both sides of the border along the Rio Grande at Daniel's Ranch.
EASTERN PHOEBE (Sayornis phoebe)
We started running into these once we got to the Hill Country, with one right on the campus of the Utopia River Retreat.
SAY'S PHOEBE (Sayornis saya)
A couple around the Chisos Mountain Lodge.
VERMILION FLYCATCHER (Pyrocephalus rubinus)
Our most common flycatcher, seen almost every day. Most common along the Rio Grande in Big Bend.
ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER (Myiarchus cinerascens)
We mostly had these at Big Bend, but a few bled over into the Hill Country. We talked about the ID points of this species being the overall paler coloration and the dark outer webs of the tail feathers coming across the end of the tail for a dark tail tip.
BROWN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER (Myiarchus tyrannulus)
A pair in Del Rio. The ID points of these were the somewhat more saturated coloration and heavier bills, and the dark outer webs of the tail feathers do not create a dark tail tip. These are the cooperi subspecies, which are smaller built than the big magister subspecies in Arizona.
GREAT KISKADEE (Pitangus sulphuratus)
A couple pairs along the San Felipe Creek in Del Rio.
COUCH'S KINGBIRD (Tyrannus couchii)
A couple at the edge of their range in Del Rio and Fort Clark Springs. Confirmed by vocalizations.
CASSIN'S KINGBIRD (Tyrannus vociferans)
These were all around the Davis Mountains with their darker gray heads, white tipped tails, and white throat that did not extend behind the eye.
WESTERN KINGBIRD (Tyrannus verticalis)
The default kingbird for the trip, seen most days.
SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER (Tyrannus forficatus)
Wonderfully common in the fields around the Hill Country. I will never tire of seeing this species, truly one of the best in the US.
Vireonidae (Vireos, Shrike-Babblers, and Erpornis)
BLACK-CAPPED VIREO (Vireo atricapilla)
One of the Hill country specialties! A US endemic breeder and one of the major targets for the trip. We got marvelous looks at multiple pairs at Lost Maples.
WHITE-EYED VIREO (Vireo griseus)
Very vocal but difficult to get eyes on. Most common during the second half of the tour in the Hill country.
BELL'S VIREO (Vireo bellii)
Our most common vireo for the trip, often heard only. We did get great looks at our first ones along Vega Verde Road in Del Rio.
HUTTON'S VIREO (Vireo huttoni)
I'm not sure how many people ended up seeing these. We only had them in two places so there wasn't a lot of opportunities. A few up along the upper parts of the Pinnacles Trail and a couple in Lost Maples.
YELLOW-THROATED VIREO (Vireo flavifrons)
We had these a few places, but most excitingly we had one in Big Bend where it's a rarity! They are at the far western part of the migratory range out there.
PLUMBEOUS VIREO (Vireo plumbeus)
After a couple of less than satisfying encounters with this species, we had some nice views of one during our morning picnic in Madera Canyon.
WARBLING VIREO (Vireo gilvus)
A single bird in the Cottonwood Campground in Big Bend. I'm not sure if this was an Eastern or Western Warbling Vireo should they ever get split...but it was probably western by range.
RED-EYED VIREO (Vireo olivaceus)
A few of these familiar eastern Vireos in Lost Maples. Another bird more often heard than seen.
Laniidae (Shrikes)
LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE (Lanius ludovicianus)
Seen while in transit around Big Bend National Park.
Corvidae (Crows, Jays, and Magpies)
GREEN JAY (Cyanocorax yncas)
Exciting to see this incredibly beautiful corvid at the northern parts of its range in Fort Clark Springs!
WOODHOUSE'S SCRUB-JAY (Aphelocoma woodhouseii)
Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay is in an interesting place taxonomically. It currently comprises at least two if not three species. The two well documented species are Woodhouse's and Sumichrast's Jays, with Sumichrast's being in southern Mexico. However, in a recent paper they also found out that the birds in the Texas Hill Country are also just as taxonomically distinct! On this tour, we saw both the nominate woodhouseii in the Davis Mountains, and then the potential new split texana in Lost Maples. More study is needed, but the potential is exciting!
MEXICAN JAY (COUCH'S) (Aphelocoma wollweberi couchii)
Two distinct groups of Mexican Jays: one in Arizona and western Mexico, and one in eastern Mexico that just barely extends into Big Bend. These in Big Bend are noticeably more vibrant and contrasting than the Arizona birds. Like most corvids they were very curious and followed us along the Pinnacles Trail.
CHIHUAHUAN RAVEN (Corvus cryptoleucus)
Not a bird we get on every tour anymore, we had a pair fly by at Lake Balmorhea.
COMMON RAVEN (Corvus corax)
Very common, seen daily.
Paridae (Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice)
CAROLINA CHICKADEE (Poecile carolinensis) [E]
We only had these US endemics at the southern edge of their range at Lost Maples.
BLACK-CRESTED TITMOUSE (Baeolophus atricristatus)
Seen and heard most days, very common around the cabins and Chisos Mountain Lodge.
Remizidae (Penduline-Tits)
VERDIN (Auriparus flaviceps)
A handful of these cuties around the campgrounds at Big Bend.
Alaudidae (Larks)
HORNED LARK (Eremophila alpestris)
Only seen in transit, not sure how many people ended up seeing these. A handful around Big Bend and north of Alpine.
Hirundinidae (Swallows)
BANK SWALLOW (Riparia riparia)
One seen at Lake Balmorhea.
PURPLE MARTIN (Progne subis)
A handful around the Duck Ponds in Del Rio. We loved hearing their watery calls.
NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)
A few at the Pecos River Overlook.
BARN SWALLOW (Hirundo rustica)
Our most common swallow for the trip, with the most being at Lake Balmorhea and the Pecos River.
CLIFF SWALLOW (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)
Only at the Pecos River Overlook.
CAVE SWALLOW (Petrochelidon fulva)
The preshow at the bat cave! Swarms of these were at the mouth of the cave at dusk before the bats came out.
Regulidae (Kinglets)
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET (Corthylio calendula)
Like mini Hutton's Vireos, seen along the Pinnacles Trail.
Sittidae (Nuthatches)
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH (INTERIOR WEST) (Sitta carolinensis tenuissima)
Along the Boot Spring Trail for those that did the full hike, and around the Madera Canyon Picnic area during our breakfast. All were this Interior West form with distinct vocalizations and thin crown stripes.
Polioptilidae (Gnatcatchers)
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (Polioptila caerulea)
Another bird with at least two possible cryptic species. On this tour we saw both the western form in Big Bend and the eastern form around Lost Maples.
BLACK-TAILED GNATCATCHER (Polioptila melanura)
A quick stop on the side of the road for these on the way back from the Christmas Mountains.
Troglodytidae (Wrens)
ROCK WREN (Salpinctes obsoletus)
We saw one around the Judge Roy Bean museum and wayside.
CANYON WREN (Catherpes mexicanus)
We mostly only heard its incredible song, although the group that made the full hike got some nice views of one around Boot Spring.
CAROLINA WREN (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
A few singing around Del Rio and the Hill Country, mostly heard only.
BEWICK'S WREN (Thryomanes bewickii)
Often heard only, reminiscent of a Spotted Towhee song in this part of its range. We did see a few well along the Pinnacles Trail.
CACTUS WREN (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus)
These big raucous wrens were nesting around the Judge Roy Bean museum and wayside.
Sturnidae (Starlings)
EUROPEAN STARLING (Sturnus vulgaris) [I]
Wonderfully uncommon on this tour, only seen in more populated areas like Del Rio.
Mimidae (Mockingbirds and Thrashers)
CURVE-BILLED THRASHER (CURVIROSTRE GROUP) (Toxostoma curvirostre curvirostre)
Seen around Big Bend and the Christmas Mountains. All individuals were of the expected western nominate group should this species get split in the future.
LONG-BILLED THRASHER (Toxostoma longirostre)
Great views of this southern specialty along Vega Verde Road.
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD (Mimus polyglottos)
Very common, seen every day.
Turdidae (Thrushes and Allies)
EASTERN BLUEBIRD (Sialia sialis)
A nice male seen in Del Rio, a somewhat uncommon bird for this trip.
CLAY-COLORED THRUSH (Turdus grayi)
This southern species is continuing to expand its range in Texas! It used to be quite the rarity even in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, and now extends all the way up into Del Rio regularly. We had two in different locations actively singing, with much better views of the second bird.
Ptiliogonatidae (Silky-flycatchers)
PHAINOPEPLA (Phainopepla nitens)
A continuing pair of these "desert cardinals" nesting around the Judge Roy Bean museum and wayside.
Passeridae (Old World Sparrows)
HOUSE SPARROW (Passer domesticus) [I]
Another refreshingly uncommon invasive species on this tour. Only seen around populated areas, in particular Del Rio and Utopia.
Motacillidae (Wagtails and Pipits)
AMERICAN PIPIT (Anthus rubescens)
A small flock along the shores of Lake Balmorhea.
Fringillidae (Finches, Euphonias, and Allies)
HOUSE FINCH (Haemorhous mexicanus)
Very common, seen daily. Fun to see this Mexican species in habitat around Big Bend and the Christmas Mountains.
PINE SISKIN (Spinus pinus)
A few lingering migrants around Big Bend and visiting feeders at Davis Mountains State Park.
LESSER GOLDFINCH (Spinus psaltria)
Seen around the Hill Country, including right on the campus of the Utopia River Retreat.
Passerellidae (New World Sparrows)
CASSIN'S SPARROW (Peucaea cassinii)
One of my favorite songs of all North American birds, we had quite the show of a few doing display flights in a field on the way to Fort Clark Springs.
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW (Ammodramus savannarum)
Great views of a couple on the driveway into the Utopia River Retreat.
OLIVE SPARROW (Arremonops rufivirgatus)
We got wonderful views of a couple along Vega Verde Road in Del Rio, and also got to experience them at the northern fringes of their range at Lost Maples!
CHIPPING SPARROW (Spizella passerina)
Very common, seen daily. Most common in the campgrounds around Big Bend.
CLAY-COLORED SPARROW (Spizella pallida)
Some wonderful comparisons of these with Chipping Sparrows in Del Rio and around Big Bend!
FIELD SPARROW (Spizella pusilla)
A small group of singing birds around Utopia, with one perching up for nice views!
BREWER'S SPARROW (Spizella breweri)
Surprisingly common around Big Bend with some fantastic side by side comparisons with Clay-colored and Chipping Sparrows.
BLACK-THROATED SPARROW (Amphispiza bilineata)
One of my favorite North American Sparrows, we had great looks at one in the Christmas Mountains and again at Davis Mountains State Park.
LARK SPARROW (Chondestes grammacus)
One of the first birds we saw of the trip, we had great scope looks at the rest area along US90 as we left San Antonio.
LARK BUNTING (Calamospiza melanocorys)
We stopped for a gorgeous male on the side of the road on the way to Fort Clark Springs.
DARK-EYED JUNCO (PINK-SIDED) (Junco hyemalis mearnsi)
A lingering migrant on the path down to the water treatment area in the Chisos Basin.
DARK-EYED JUNCO (GRAY-HEADED) (Junco hyemalis caniceps)
Fun to have two different flavors of Dark-eyed Junco on this trip! A different lingering migrant on the Pinnacles Trail.
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
A nice group of both the pale-lored Gambel's and our newly named dark-lored Tillman's forms at the feeders of the Christmas Mountains Oasis.
VESPER SPARROW (Pooecetes gramineus)
A handful along the Rio Grande in Big Bend.
LINCOLN'S SPARROW (Melospiza lincolnii)
A lone bird visiting the drip at the water treatment area of the Chisos Basin.
CANYON TOWHEE (Melozone fusca)
Our first of these former "brown towhees" was running around the paths of the Judge Roy Bean museum and wayside.
RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW (Aimophila ruficeps)
Mostly heard, but we did get views of a couple while hiking the Pinnacles Trail.
GREEN-TAILED TOWHEE (Pipilo chlorurus)
A trio of theses big pretty sparrows were visiting the feeders at the Christmas Mountains Oasis.
SPOTTED TOWHEE (Pipilo maculatus)
Heard and seen around Big Bend, both along the Pinnacles Trail and the trail down to the water treatment area.
Icteriidae (Yellow-breasted Chat)
YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT (Icteria virens)
We had some incredible views of this often shy species! Many were giving display flights and perched up in the open singing.
Icteridae (Troupials and Allies)
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus)
We saw a big flock of these banana-heads across the street from the Judge Roy Bean museum and wayside.
CHIHUAHUAN MEADOWLARK (Sturnella lilianae lilianae)
The former Lilian's Meadowlark, we had one of these along the side of the highway north of Alpine and wonderful views of a singing bird at Lake Balmorhea.
ORCHARD ORIOLE (Icterus spurius)
Primarily around the eastern portions of the trip around Del Rio and the Hill Country.
HOODED ORIOLE (Icterus cucullatus)
Wonderful views of a pair along the banks of the San Felipe Creek in Del Rio.
BULLOCK'S ORIOLE (Icterus bullockii)
Our main target when we stopped at the rest area along US90 on our way down to Del Rio. We had a pair of adult males flying around on the opposite side of the highway.
SCOTT'S ORIOLE (Icterus parisorum)
Commonly singing around the Chisos Mountain Lodge, with a few seen.
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (Agelaius phoeniceus)
A good sized flock of these familiar blackbirds around Lake Balmorhea.
BRONZED COWBIRD (Molothrus aeneus)
There was usually a couple around the storage units next to the Utopia River Retreat. These were the eastern Bronzed Cowbirds, with noticeably darker females, almost approaching the color of the males.
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD (Molothrus ater)
Seen in small groups nearly every day.
BREWER'S BLACKBIRD (Euphagus cyanocephalus)
A fairly common western Blackbird at the fringes of its range in SW Texas, we stopped for a flock on the side of the road on our way into Big Bend.
COMMON GRACKLE (Quiscalus quiscula)
An uncommon bird in this part of Texas! We made sure to point out the group at the rest area on US90 as those were the only ones the group saw all trip.
GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE (Quiscalus mexicanus)
Not super common on this tour, a handful around Del Rio is really all we saw.
Parulidae (New World Warblers)
LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH (Parkesia motacilla)
A couple on territory along the creek through Lost Maples. Mostly heard only with only glimpses as they flew up and down the creek.
GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER (Vermivora chrysoptera)
A stunning male in Fort Clark Springs! Always a great bird to see.
BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER (Mniotilta varia)
A couple migrants in Big Bend, mostly around the Hill Country.
PROTHONOTARY WARBLER (Protonotaria citrea)
The Golden Swamp-Warbler! A couple late migrants of this large pretty warbler around Utopia.
TENNESSEE WARBLER (Leiothlypis peregrina)
A single late migrant seen along San Felipe Creek in Del Rio.
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER (Leiothlypis celata)
A couple late migrants around Del Rio and again in Lost Maples.
COLIMA WARBLER (Leiothlypis crissalis)
The star of the trip! What a relief it was to get one right around the normal spot on the Pinnacles Trail. It put on a fantastic show for us, singing constantly below us on exposed bare branches. The group that did the full hike also got a second bird!
LUCY'S WARBLER (Leiothlypis luciae)
An absolute pain of a bird! Constantly flying between perches and never stopping for long. Not sure how many of the group actually got eyes on it, but we did certainly all hear it!
NASHVILLE WARBLER (Leiothlypis ruficapilla)
All individuals were of the Eastern group in case of a future split in this species.
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT (Geothlypis trichas)
One on both sides of the border along the Rio Grande in Big Bend.
NORTHERN PARULA (Setophaga americana) [*]
One at Lost Maples near the Tropical Parula. Often singing with the Tropical, but the song ended on an upward note.
TROPICAL PARULA (NORTHEAST MEXICO) (Setophaga pitiayumi nigrilora)
Stunning views of a territorial male in Lost Maples. No signs of hybridization.
YELLOW WARBLER (Setophaga petechia)
A familiar bird pretty much everywhere in the US, we only had one on the side of the road driving to Fort Clark Springs.
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (AUDUBON'S) (Setophaga coronata auduboni)
A handful around Big Bend. All were of the western Audubon's group with gray heads, yellow throats, and large white wing patches.
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER (Setophaga dominica)
A few singing high up in the trees around Lost Maples. We struggled for great views there and ended up getting slightly lower and closer views around Utopia.
BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER (Setophaga nigrescens)
A single bird during our walk around Daniel's Ranch in Big Bend.
TOWNSEND'S WARBLER (Setophaga townsendi)
I know the group of us that did the full hike up to Boot Spring saw a couple of these, I'm not sure if the rest of the group got on any on their way back down.
GOLDEN-CHEEKED WARBLER (Setophaga chrysoparia)
Lost Maples came through again! We had some stunning looks at multiple birds during our walk there. Another US Breeding endemic and one of the major targets of the tour.
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER (Setophaga virens)
A couple of migrants during our walk around Fort Clark Springs.
WILSON'S WARBLER (Cardellina pusilla)
A few migrants around Big Bend, our best views were around the Chisos Basin WTP.
PAINTED REDSTART (Myioborus pictus) [*]
An unfortunate heard only at Boot Springs for the folks that made the full hike. Try as we might, we never could get a glimpse of the singing bird.
Cardinalidae (Cardinals and Allies)
SUMMER TANAGER (Piranga rubra)
Wonderfully common, seen most days in forested riparian areas. Often singing and often seen well.
WESTERN TANAGER (Piranga ludoviciana)
Only a couple of these pretty tanagers, one at the Christmas Mountains Oasis and another during our picnic breakfast in Madera Canyon.
NORTHERN CARDINAL (Cardinalis cardinalis)
Always a fun bird for folks to see, especially if they're from out west. Seen most days, particularly common around Del Rio and in the Hill Country.
PYRRHULOXIA (Cardinalis sinuatus)
We had some great looks of these true desert cardinals around the Chisos Basin WTP.
BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK (Pheucticus melanocephalus)
After hearing a couple along the Pinnacles Trail, we got wonderful views of one during our picnic breakfast in Madera Canyon.
BLUE GROSBEAK (Passerina caerulea)
Great views of a singing male at Lost Maples.
INDIGO BUNTING (Passerina cyanea)
A couple of singing males around Lost Maples. Smaller and lacking the chestnut in the wing of the similar Blue Grosbeak.
VARIED BUNTING (Passerina versicolor)
After some persistence and patience in the 96 degree heat, we finally got great views of a nice shiny male at the Chisos Basin WTP. What a bird!
PAINTED BUNTING (Passerina ciris)
Everyone's favorite bird that looks like it was colored by a toddler! Shockingly patterned, big blocks of bright gaudy colors put together into one mind melting little bird. Wonderfully common around the Hill Country, we got some fantastic looks around Utopia.
DICKCISSEL (Spiza americana)
The bird that makes everyone giggle a little, we stopped for a few on the side of the road on the way out to Fort Clark Springs.
MAMMALS
BRAZILIAN FREE-TAILED BAT (Tadarida brasiliensis)
NINE-BANDED ARMADILLO (Dasypus novemcinctus)
EASTERN COTTONTAIL (Sylvilagus floridanus)
DESERT COTTONTAIL (Sylvilagus audubonii)
SPOTTED GROUND SQUIRREL (Spermophilus spilosoma)
ROCK SQUIRREL (Spermophilus variegatus)
FOX SQUIRREL (Sciurus niger)
GRAY FOX (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)
COYOTE (Canis latrans)
BLACK BEAR (Ursus americanus)
WILD BOAR (Sus scrofa) [I]
COLLARED PECCARY (Tayassu tajacu)
SPOTTED DEER (Axis axis) [I]
MULE DEER (Odocoileus hemionus)
WHITE-TAILED DEER (Odocoileus virginianus)
PRONGHORN (Antilocapra americana)
BLACKBUCK (Antilope cervicapra) [I]
BARBARY SHEEP (Ammotragus lervia) [I]
Totals for the tour: 199 bird taxa and 18 mammal taxa