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Houston Gulf Coast Area State of the Birds
Introduction
Establishing Conservation Priorities and Restoring Habitat in the Greater Houston Region
The State of the Birds reports, developed and published by the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI), have been a fixture of the avian conservation field since their inception in 2008. The NABCI uses the latest monitoring data to assess the population status and health of all bird species in North America. In addition to presenting the data, these reports promote the use of birds as indicators of the health of our ecosystems, and provide an opportunity for the public to learn more about birds and our connection to them.
The State of the Birds reports give an overview of how the birds and ecosystems of our entire, diverse, and incredible continent are doing - a huge region to cover. But much of conservation happens at a much finer scale. So what is the state of our birds here along the upper Texas coast, in the Houston-Galveston region, where more than 500 species of birds occur?
Whether it's resident waterbirds or the migrating songbirds passing through, this region is critically important for an incredible diversity of avian species. The Houston Gulf Coast Area State of the Birds report is aimed at understanding the health of our bird population and, consequently, the environments in which we all live.
This regional State of the Birds report that follows has assembled existing data describing land use, land cover types, and bird population trends to identify priorities for conservation and restoration activities for the region. Much of these data comes from people like you - the trends you see here are provided by eBird and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which runs on community scientists' observations. This newly-available fine-scale trend data provides an opportunity to better understand the state of our local birds.
In this map, as with all the maps included below, you can use the plus/minus buttons in the bottom right of each map to zoom in and out, use the double arrow button in the top right to expand the map to full screen, click on the supporting data to learn more, and open the legend by clicking on the icon in the bottom left of each species map. This map also includes a slider so you can explore the land cover change in the region between 1996-2016.
The following StoryMap features six iconic species that call our region home. Some are doing well thanks to ongoing conservation actions. Others are doing poorly after facing human-induced challenges like habitat loss. Here, you can learn more about each species and see how they’re doing in your backyard. Each species also has an associated call to action, which outlines what you can do at home to support their continued survival. These six species represent a suite of similar birds that are facing the same challenges and require the actions listed to ensure their long-term survival here in the greater Houston-Galveston region.
Eastern Meadowlark
“Supporting grassland conservation is imperative to the continuation of many iconic Texas bird species.”
The melodious, flute-like song of the Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) has long been characteristic of grasslands in the eastern United States. Although it’s a member of the blackbird family, the Eastern Meadowlark sports bright yellow plumage along its chest, making it easy to spot throughout its range, which includes the coastal prairies prevalent across the Houston region.
Eastern Meadowlarks are rapidly declining across almost the entirety of their range, according to multiple sources. Recent trend data analyzed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology shows Eastern Meadowlarks' populations have declined by as much as 63% over the last 15 years within the greater Houston area. These negative trends are primarily due to habitat loss, with less than 1% of Texas’s native prairie ecosystems remaining. Additionally, insecticide and monocultural farmlands contribute to a loss of the insect populations that Eastern Meadowlarks rely on for prey. Meadowlarks are also very sensitive to human disturbance and will abandon nesting attempts with the slightest disruption.
Partner Highlight: Coastal Prairie Conservancy, pocket prairie plantings (Ronald McDonald House).
To help the Eastern Meadowlark, support grassland conservation in our region by volunteering for or donating to organizations that work to conserve and restore our native prairies, such as the Coastal Prairie Conservancy. You can also bring grassland habitat to your own home by planting native grasses and flowers in your space. To increase food for the Eastern Meadowlark, support local farmers that diversify their crops and minimize pesticide use.
Support grassland conservation to protect our remaining prairies
Additional Resources:
Eastern Bluebird
“When we are intentional with our efforts, we can make a difference.”
Bluebirds are iconic, easily distinguishable songbirds that range across the continent. In the Houston region, we are privileged to host the Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) year-round in our parks and backyards. The bright blue and orange plumage of the male, and subtle plumage on the females, is striking within the prairie and suburban landscapes they inhabit.
The Eastern Bluebird has an interesting and complex conservation story. As a cavity nester, Eastern Bluebirds rely on small, woodpecker-excavated cavities in old growth forests to nest within and produce young. With heavy deforestation occurring during the 1800s, bluebird populations began to decline. Thanks to nest-box campaigns in the 1960s and 1970s, Eastern Bluebird populations rebounded, particularly across the eastern coast of the U.S.. In our region, Eastern Bluebird populations are still increasing within urban areas, from The Woodlands down to Lake Jackson, and serve as a testament to how important the community can be to restoring a declining species. These increases still appear to be tied to the availability of man-made nest-boxes, which you can find in many Houston parks and private backyards. However, outside of urban areas, the Eastern Bluebird is still decreasing across the western two-thirds of its range. These declines are likely due to reasons affecting a lot of our birds that use grasslands, like increased pesticide usage and subsequent declines in insect populations, as well as the continued lack of suitable nesting cavities in rural areas.
Partner Highlight: HAS Bird-Friendly Spaces Program and Natives Nursery.
Eastern Bluebirds prefer open habitats, such as oak savannahs and fire-maintained pinewood forests. You can help them by supporting prairie conservation efforts and prescribed burns in your area, while opposing the use of pesticides that reduce insects, the main food source of Eastern Bluebirds. You can also attract bluebirds to your space by strategically placing nest-boxes for them, so long as you are taking efforts to make your yard as bluebird-friendly as possible by reducing threats such as window collisions, free-roaming cats, and pesticide use.
Say yes to nesting boxes and no to pesticides
Additional Resources:
Northern Cardinal
“Creating bird-friendly spaces is vital for protecting our beloved backyard birds.”
The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is one of the most distinctive backyard birds in the U.S., spanning much of the eastern half of the North American continent. Males are a striking bright red with black around their beak, whereas the females are a more muted tan with red accents. They can be found in nearly every park and neighborhood throughout Houston and frequently come to bird feeders.
Unfortunately, new eBird trends from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, along with Breeding Bird Survey and Christmas Bird Count data, indicate that this common bird is declining across the southern half of its range. In the Houston region, Cornell calculated significant declines in Northern Cardinal populations ranging between 9% and 22% over the last 15 years. This decline in Northern Cardinal populations is decidedly occurring within the southern portion of their range. Issues like climate change, causing warming and consequently timing mismatches in plant seed production and traditional bird breeding schedules, and invasive predators such as cats are especially prevalent across the south and may be contributing to this decline. Northern Cardinals have also been documented to be sensitive to certain pesticides, like organophosphates, and prone to building window collisions.
Partner Highlight: ABC’s Cats Indoors.
You can help the Northern Cardinal by employing bird-friendly actions in your own backyard! Keeping your bird feeders clean, reducing window collisions with UV-tape, planting native plants, and keeping your cats indoors can all increase the survival of your local Northern Cardinal population.
Loves native plants and indoor cats
Additional Resources:
Carolina Chickadee
“It’s hard to be a chickadee.” Or “Historical community conservation efforts can be replicated to help other declining species.”
The Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) is a cavity-nesting bird that can commonly be found in both urban and rural forested environments. Overall a tan and gray bird, they have black caps and throats with bright white cheeks. Chickadees are tiny, and often heard before they are seen; their distinctive “chick-a-dee” call can be heard throughout the Houston region year-round.
Despite how common Carolina Chickadees may seem, they are declining across the entirety of their range. Recent trend data from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology show the relative abundance of Carolina Chickadees declining as much as 28% over the last 15 years in the Greater Houston area. Carolina Chickadees are facing adversity from all fronts. Like the Eastern Bluebird, chickadees are cavity nesters, and ongoing deforestation has reduced the number of available tree cavities that the Carolina Chickadee needs to nest. This loss of forest habitat has also increased edge habitats, resulting in an increased interaction between chickadees and other birds and organisms that practice nest parasitism and predation. Insect declines due to pesticide use have reduced the amount of prey available for chickadees and their young, while invasive cavity nesters (such as House Sparrows) and introduced predators (like feral cats) have made urban areas increasingly risky for chickadees.
Partner Highlight: HPARD nature preserve ordinance and restoration plantings.
Just as there are many factors contributing to the decline of the Carolina Chickadee, there are many actions we can take to help them. Similar to Eastern Bluebirds, you can establish smaller nest-boxes built for chickadees within your own backyards and neighborhood parks. More widely, supporting the conservation of forest habitats, especially old growth forests with healthy woodpecker populations, is vital to preserving the Carolina Chickadee. You can also help by planting native grasses and flowers in your space while minimizing pesticide use to increase local insect populations for the birds. It can take more than 300 caterpillars a day to raise a brood of young chickadees!
Conserve native forests of all sizes
Additional Resources:
Great Egret
“Protecting the integrity of breeding habitat and nesting sites is key to conserving our colonial waterbird species.”
Great Egret (Ardea alba) is a large, charismatic heron that can be found across most of the world. It forages in freshwater, brackish, and marine habitats. This species is easily identified thanks to its white plumage, orange beak, and large size. This species is a year-round resident in our region, and often the first to initiate nesting in mixed-species nesting colonies.
Great Egrets have made an incredible recovery from a 95% population loss driven by the early 20th century feather trade. Despite this recovery, data show that Great Egrets in the Houston Gulf Coast Region have declined up to 43% in the last 15 years. And on a greater scale, these birds are declining across the entirety of their North American range. The species is contending with loss of suitable nesting habitat and foraging areas along with increased disturbance from use of coastal environments by the Houston Gulf Region’s growing human population. Though conservation of waterbirds has largely been considered a success in the U.S., declines of species like the Great Egret demonstrate that there is still much work to be done to ensure the long-term success of our waterbirds and the wetland habitats they need.
Partner Highlight: Audubon Texas rookery islands (also Smith Oaks Rookery and Armand Bayou NC).
In the Houston Gulf Region, conserving and restoring habitat is critical for supporting Great Egrets and other wetland-dependent species. Protecting valuable breeding habitat from loss, degradation, and human disturbance is a high priority, particularly in urban areas where they are increasingly found to be nesting. Organizations such as Audubon Texas, Houston Audubon, and Armand Bayou Nature Center provide stewardship and monitoring for many of the region’s important nesting locations. The rookery at Houston Audubon’s Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary in High Island is an excellent place to visit to see the incredible courtship and nesting behavior and learn about preserving these birds in perpetuity.
Protect my breeding habitat and nesting site by caring for wetlands
Additional Resources:
Wilson's Plover
“Helping Wilson’s Plover and other beach-nesting birds is as simple as respecting this shared habitat.”
The Wilson’s Plover (Charadrius wilsonia) is a small coastal breeding bird of the southern United States and parts of Central and South America. Wilson’s Plover resembles a small Killdeer and can be seen along the beaches of the Houston Gulf Region where they nest during the spring and summer months. Wilson’s Plover often nest above the high tide line along our beaches, sometimes in or around present dunes.
Texas is the breeding grounds for more than 30% of the U.S. population of Wilson’s Plover and there has been a steady decline documented across the Gulf Coast in recent years. The new eBird Status and Trends report for 2007 through 2021 found a decline in Wilson’s Plover across the Upper Texas Coast ranging from ~15% to a ~55% - a trend that continues along the majority of the Gulf of Mexico. More frequent high tide events that have been occurring in recent years are one such challenge, resulting in regular washout events of Wilson’s Plover nests along the Texas coast. These events are compounded by the ever-increasing demand for use of beaches by humans. Trash left behind on beaches can attract predators of Wilson’s Plover chicks, to include avian predators like Laughing Gull or grackles, along with raccoons and other mammalian predators. Vehicle traffic along Texas beaches (zoom in to see on beach parking in pink) puts Wilson’s Plover nests at risk of being run-over and off-leash dogs can flush parents away from vulnerable chicks.
Partner Highlight: Splash, GCBO.
Beach-goers and residents of coastal areas in the Houston Gulf Region can easily help protect Wilson’s Plover’s critical nesting habitat! Avoiding areas marked off as protected sites for birds is one of the easiest ways to support Wilson’s Plover. Respecting the beach, including packing out trash, leashing dogs, driving slowly on beaches (or not at all), and providing ample distance to birds using the beach, is a simple and effective way to share the shore with these avian neighbors. Beach habitats are changing quickly due to climate change, erosion, and increasing recreational use, so removing as many other challenges for our beach-nesting birds as possible is critical for ensuring their long-term success in our region.
Respect my beach - pick up trash, leash dogs, and drive slowly
Additional Resources:
Support All Birds
Birds across our region are in dire need of our help. The birds highlighted above are just a small sample of the 500 species that utilize the Upper Texas Coast and face daily threats from human activities. However, we can help them thrive when we work together to create more bird-friendly spaces! There are many ways for you to aid our birds by getting involved at the local, state, or national level. Check out the information below to see how you can support all birds!
Local
State
National