Every book, even a modest volume such as this, has many authors. Over the years I have had the honor and pleasure of knowing many people who in some way, whether large or small, have contributed to this book. For their support, inspiration, and companionship, I would like to gratefully acknowledge the following people: Kuyk Logan, Frank Fisher, Jr., C. H. Ward, T. Ben Feltner, Linda Miller Feltner, Larry White, Jim Blackburn, Jr., Garland Kerr, Lynn Ashby, Ernie Williamson, Edith Masquelette, Ron Sass, Paul Harcombe, Ted Eubanks, Jr., Jim Morgan, Noel Pettingell, Ron Grimes, Mary and Edward Hannigan, and John and Princie Chapman.
Special thanks go to the editors of Rice University Press, Susan Fernandez, Susan Bielstein, and Fred von der Mehden, and to their staff for their patience and encouragement during the writing of this book.
Generous support from Phillips Petroleum Company has helped make possible the color illustrations.
I also owe a special debt of gratitude to John Tveten, who provided the excellent photographs for this guide. Johns Nature Trails column in the Houston Chronicle inspired me to create the Texas Naturalist for the Houston Post.
Furthermore, I would never have attempted nature writing if my parents, Mr. and Mrs. B. C. Robison, Jr., of Houston, had not instilled in me at an early age a respect for nature and a love of wildlife. To them I am especially grateful. Finally, to my wife, Middy Randerson, whose understanding and patience carried me through many months of writing, this book is affectionately dedicated.
Few birds are as well known or as beloved as the mockingbird, the state bird of Texas. The mockingbird is short on physical beauty but long on personality, and its crystalline singing is as natural to Texas as the armadillo or the prickly-pear cactus.
The mockingbird, formally known as the NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, is dull gray with off-white undersides, a long tail, and large white patches on the outer half of the wings. The tail has white outer feathers. In flight, the wing patches flash and, with the long tail and gray color, serve to identify the bird at a distance.
Common year round in Houston, the bird lives throughout the state in almost any kind of habitat, except in dense forests and in regions completely devoid of trees and shrubs. In the city, look for the mockingbird in parks and neighborhoods, along roadsides and woodland edges, on power lines and fences, and in trees and shrubs; you wont have to look very long.
The mockingbird often flies short distances in a gentle arc from tree to tree, feeding on berries or insects while twitching its tail, and quickly moving on.
It will sing throughout most of the year, and in the breeding season of spring and early summer the melodies of this sassy, conspicuous bird will grace the daylight hours and often late into the night. I recall once being awakened well after midnight in the spring by a boisterous songster in the back yard. High up in a large sycamore tree, in the clear bright moonlight, a mockingbird was cheerfully singing, oblivious to the late hour. The birds repertoire will often be its own call notes interspersed with sounds of mimicry of other birds. The bluejay, with its harsh jay, jay, seems to be a favorite object of imitation.
The mockingbird is not shy about showing its displeasure if intruders enter its nesting territory. This belligerent bird fears nothing; people, dogs, cats, squirrels, and other birds have at one time or another been in the sights of an angry, swooping mockingbird intent on protecting its nest and banishing the offender.
NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD |
Mimus polyglottos |
| Field Marks: | 10 in., pale gray bird with lighter underparts, moderately long tail with white outer feathers, and large white wing patches |
| Habitat: | neighborhoods, parks, roadsides, open areas with occasional trees or shrubbery |
| Occurrence: | all year |
| Behavior: | solitary, frequently sings, aggressive in spring and early summer when nesting |
1. Northern Mockingbird
I once asked my good friend Ben Feltner to name his favorite bird. Ben is a professional birder who began birdwatching as a child in his native England and who has led birding tours throughout the United States, Latin America, Europe, and Australia. He has seen more birds than most of us know to exist, and his favorite bird is the BLUE JAY.
Intelligent, handsome, and full of personality, the blue jay is unmistakable in its dashing, military blue plumage. Its back and wings are blue; the wings have white spots and black stripes. The face and underparts are grayish-white, the head is crested, and a black necklace reaches across the upper chest.
The blue jay ranges throughout the city, and it can be found every month of the year, frequently calling with its screechy jay! jay! Youll usually see the blue jay in wooded neighborhoods, where it moves about tree limbs looking for insects and small fruits. The bird will sweep in quickly, move alertly about the branches, then fly off to the next stop. The blue jay is not a modest bird. When it is in your yard, you will know it. Either you will hear its raucous call, or you will see it perched in a tree in its brilliant plumage.
BLUE JAY |
Cyanocitta cristata |
| Field Marks: | 11-12 in., crested head, blue back, head, and tail, face and underparts lighter, black necklace, large white patches on wings |
| Habitat: | neighborhoods, parks, yards |
| Occurrence: | all year |
| Behavior: | noisy, conspicuous, energetic |
2. Blue Jay
The RING-BILLED GULL is the most commonly seen gull within the Houston area. These agile, buoyant fliers gather, often in large numbers, in parking lots and landfills, where they scavenge for edible refuse.
The ring-billed gull is larger than the laughing gull and smaller than the herring gull, two other species of gulls that are common on the coast but seldom seen within the city limits. The ring-billed is usually the only Texas gull that will be found inland in large numbers in the winter, especially around freshwater lakes and waterways.
In the adult plumage its head, upper back, chest, and belly are white. The back and wings are gray. Immature birds have dark streaking over the head, neck, and underparts. When the bird is in flight, the black wingtips marked with large white spots are a good field mark. The best field mark is the black band around the upper and lower halves of the yellow beak, very close to the tip; it looks like a strip of electrical tape. The legs are yellow.
Gulls are among the most graceful of birds, and often, long before you get close to them to see any identifying features, you can recognize them in flight. A few beats of their long, powerful wings will bring them high aloft with an elegant economy of effort, and in the air they capture the wind with ease and grace.
RING-BILLED GULL |
Larus delawarensis |
| Field Marks: | 18-20 in., white head, chest, and upper back, gray wings and back, black band around tip of yellow beak |
| Habitat: | open areas where edible refuse is left, parking lots, landfills, inland lakes |
