CKWRI kicks off South Texas Wintering Birds Program

Over the past 5?6 years, Steve Kelling and his colleagues at the Cornell Lab have been developing an interactive website called eBIRD. This website allows individuals to record bird sightings, which then becomes a living record of birds seen at any particular location. Our friends at Cornell are cloning that website for us and our supporters to use. The program will officially begin this winter.

While landowners and wildlife enthusiasts can use eBIRD or Texas eBIRD now, ours will be substantially different. Bird sightings that are logged by participants of South Texas Wintering Birds will be held strictly confidential between the landowner and CKWRI. Second, Tom will be providing detailed reports to landowners about the bird sightings that were recorded on their particular ranch. Thus, these reports will be ranch specific and shared only with the landowner and their designated representatives.

Citizen Science, the term coined by the Cornell Lab, is our approach to this program. It will help us keep a living record of the ebb and flow of migrating birds for years to come.

Much of South Texas birdlife is a result of its proximity to the tropics and the overall diversity of habitats. Well over 250 bird species, basically half of all the bird species recorded for this area, are thought to reside or winter regularly in South Texas. Additionally, over 20 bird species reach their most northern limit of occurrence in South Texas and are found nowhere else in the U.S.

The South Texas portion of the Gulf of Mexico and all its bays and estuaries provides an abundance of habitats. These habitats are used by an incredible variety of resident, migratory, and wintering waterbirds (waterfowl, shorebirds, and wading birds). The upland habitats along the South Texas coastline are often used by many migratory songbirds for resting and feeding during their north and south travels.

The Gulf of Mexico, though can also function as a barrier since some migratory bird species prefer not to fly over large expanses of water. Instead, they follow overland routes around the Gulf through South Texas. As a prime example of this, over a million raptors (eagles, hawks, and falcons, etc.) have been observed passing through South Texas during the fall at a hawk watch site west of Corpus Christi. South Texas has also become famous for the large number of hummingbirds that prefer the more "circum-Gulf' route for their migration, particularly in the fall. Not only is South Texas a major flyway for many species of migratory birds, but tremendous numbers of birds overwinter in this region, ranging from the abundant chipping sparrow to the endangered whooping crane.

While much is recognized about South Texas birdlife, there is still so much to be learned. The South Texas Wintering Birds program will offer an ideal opportunity to expand our knowledge and enjoyment of our South Texas birdlife.