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List of birds of Texas facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The list of birds of Texas shows all the different kinds of birds that have been seen in the U.S. state of Texas. This list is put together by the Texas Bird Records Committee (TBRC). As of January 2024, there were 664 types of birds on the list!

Some birds on the list are special:

  • Review species (R): These are birds that need special proof (like photos or videos) to be added to the list.
  • Introduced (I): These birds were brought to Texas by people, not by nature.
  • Extinct (E): These birds no longer exist anywhere in the world.
  • Reintroduction in progress (RI): These birds used to live in Texas but disappeared. Now, people are trying to bring them back.
  • Uncertain (u): For these birds, it's not clear if they are native to Texas or were introduced.

This list follows the order used by the American Ornithological Society (AOS).

Mimus polyglottos adult 02 cropped
The northern mockingbird is the state bird of Texas.

Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

These birds are part of the Anatidae family. They are known for living in water. They have webbed feet, flat bills, and feathers that shed water easily.

Guans, Chachalacas, and Curassows

These birds are in the Cracidae family. They are large birds, a bit like turkeys. Guans and curassows live in trees, while chachalacas prefer open, bushy areas.

New World Quail

These small, plump birds are in the Odontophoridae family. They live on the ground and are named for their similar looks to Old World quails.

Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

The Phasianidae family includes pheasants and their relatives. These are ground-dwelling birds that vary in size. Many are hunted for sport or raised for food.

Flamingos

Flamingos are tall, wading birds in the Phoenicopteridae family. They are usually 3 to 5 feet tall. Flamingos eat shellfish and algae by filtering them from the water with their special upside-down beaks.

Grebes

Grebes are small to medium-sized diving birds in the Podicipedidae family. They live in freshwater. They have lobed toes, which make them excellent swimmers and divers.

Pigeons and Doves

Birds in the Columbidae family are stout with short necks and slender bills. They eat seeds, fruits, and plants.

Cuckoos

The Cuculidae family includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds have slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs.

Nightjars and Allies

Nightjars are medium-sized birds in the Caprimulgidae family. They are active at night and usually nest on the ground. They have long wings and short bills.

Potoos

Potoos (Nyctibiidae family) are large birds related to nightjars. They hunt insects at night and do not have the bristles around their mouths that nightjars do.

Swifts

Swifts are small birds in the Apodidae family that spend most of their lives flying. They have very short legs and can only perch on vertical surfaces. Many have long, swept-back wings.

Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds (Trochilidae family) are tiny birds famous for hovering in mid-air. They are the only birds that can fly backward!

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

The Rallidae family includes rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. These are shy birds that live in dense plants near water. They have strong legs and long toes for walking on soft ground.

Limpkin

The Limpkin (Aramidae family) is a unique bird that looks like a large rail. It lives in marshes with trees or bushes.

Cranes

Cranes (Gruidae family) are large birds with long legs and necks. Unlike herons, cranes fly with their necks stretched out. They are known for their loud calls and fancy mating dances.

Thick-knees

Thick-knees (Burhinidae family) are wading birds found in warm parts of the world. They are medium to large with strong bills and large yellow eyes. They often live in dry or semi-dry places.

Stilts and Avocets

The Recurvirostridae family includes avocets and stilts. These are large wading birds. Avocets have long, upward-curved bills, while stilts have very long legs and thin, straight bills.

Oystercatchers

Oystercatchers (Haematopodidae family) are large, noticeable, and noisy birds. They have strong bills that they use to open shellfish.

Plovers and Lapwings

The Charadriidae family includes plovers and lapwings. These are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies and short, thick necks. They live in open areas, often near water.

Jacanas

Jacanas (Jacanidae family) are wading birds found in tropical areas. They have huge feet and claws that let them walk on floating plants in shallow lakes.

Sandpipers and Allies

Scolopacidae is a large family of shorebirds, including sandpipers, curlews, and snipes. Most of these birds eat small bugs they find in mud or soil.

Skuas and Jaegers

Skuas and jaegers (Stercorariidae family) are medium to large birds, usually gray or brown. They look like large, dark gulls and are strong, acrobatic fliers.

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

The Laridae family includes gulls, terns, and skimmers. Gulls are usually gray or white with black markings. Terns are seabirds that often dive for fish. Skimmers have a unique lower bill that they use to scoop up small fish from the water.

Tropicbirds

Tropicbirds (Phaethontidae family) are slender white birds found in tropical oceans. They have very long central tail feathers and black markings on their wings and head.

Loons

Loons (Gaviidae family) are aquatic birds, about the size of a large duck. They are mostly gray or black with spear-shaped bills. Loons are excellent swimmers but struggle on land because their legs are at the back of their bodies.

Albatrosses

Albatrosses (Diomedeidae family) are among the largest flying birds. Some types have the biggest wingspans of any living bird.

Storm-Petrels

Storm-petrels (Oceanitidae and Hydrobatidae families) are the smallest seabirds. They are related to petrels and feed on tiny sea creatures and small fish from the water's surface while hovering.

Shearwaters and Petrels

The Procellariidae family includes medium-sized "true petrels." They have nostrils that are joined together and long outer wing feathers.

Storks

Storks (Ciconiidae family) are large, heavy wading birds with long legs, long necks, and strong bills. They have wide wings and do not have vocal cords, so they are mostly silent.

Frigatebirds

Frigatebirds (Fregatidae family) are large seabirds found in tropical oceans. They are mostly black with long wings and deeply forked tails. Males have colorful throat pouches that they can inflate. They are amazing fliers and can stay in the air for over a week.

Boobies and Gannets

The Sulidae family includes gannets and boobies. Both are medium-large coastal seabirds that dive headfirst into the water to catch fish.

Anhingas

Anhingas (Anhingidae family) are water birds that look like cormorants but have very long necks and straight beaks. They eat fish and often swim with only their neck above the water.

Cormorants and Shags

Cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae family) are medium to large aquatic birds, usually dark in color. They have long, thin, hooked bills and webbed feet.

Pelicans

Pelicans (Pelecanidae family) are very large water birds with a special pouch under their beak. They have four webbed toes.

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

The Ardeidae family includes herons, egrets, and bitterns. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns are usually shorter-necked and more secretive. These birds fly with their necks pulled back.

Ibises and Spoonbills

The Threskiornithidae family includes ibises and spoonbills. They have long, broad wings and long legs. Ibises have long, curved bills, while spoonbills have straight, flattened bills.

New World Vultures

New World vultures (Cathartidae family) are scavengers, meaning they eat dead animals. Unlike Old World vultures, they have a great sense of smell to find food.

Osprey

The Osprey (Pandionidae family) is a unique fish-eating bird of prey. It has a large, hooked beak, strong legs, and sharp talons.

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

The Accipitridae family includes hawks, eagles, kites, and harriers. These birds of prey have very strong, hooked beaks to tear meat, powerful legs, sharp talons, and excellent eyesight.

Barn-Owls

Owls in the Tytonidae family are medium to large with big heads and heart-shaped faces.

Owls

Typical owls (Strigidae family) are usually solitary birds of prey active at night. They have large eyes that face forward, good hearing, and a hawk-like beak.

Trogons

Trogons (Trogonidae family) live in tropical forests. They eat insects and fruit, and their broad bills and weak legs are suited to their diet and tree-dwelling habits.

Motmots

Motmots (Momotidae family) have colorful feathers and long tails. They often wag their tails back and forth. Many species have unique racket-shaped tails where the feathers fall off near the ends.

Kingfishers

Kingfishers (Alcedinidae family) are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails.

Puffbirds

Puffbirds (Bucconidae family) are related to jacamars but are not as brightly colored. They are usually brown, reddish-brown, or gray, with large heads and flattened, hooked bills.

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers (Picidae family) are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, and stiff tails. They use their long tongues to catch insects. Many tap loudly on tree trunks.

Falcons and Caracaras

The Falconidae family includes falcons and caracaras. These birds of prey are different from hawks because they kill their prey with their beaks, not their talons.

New World and African Parrots

Parrots (Psittacidae family) have strong, curved bills, upright stances, and clawed feet. Many are brightly colored.

Tityras and Allies

Tityridae is a family of small to medium-sized birds found in forests in the Americas. They were once grouped with other families but are now recognized as their own group.

Tyrant Flycatchers

Tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae family) are found throughout North and South America. They are usually plain-looking and mostly eat insects.

Vireos, Shrike-Babblers, and Erpornis

Vireos (Vireonidae family) are small to medium-sized birds mostly found in the New World. They are usually greenish and have heavier bills than wood-warblers.

Shrikes

Shrikes (Laniidae family) are known for catching small animals and impaling them on thorns. Their beaks are hooked, like birds of prey.

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

The Corvidae family includes crows, ravens, jays, and magpies. These birds are larger than average songbirds and are known for being very smart.

Penduline-Tits

The only member of this family in the New World is the verdin. It is one of the smallest songbirds in North America. Verdins eat insects and are usually found alone.

Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice

The Paridae family includes small, stocky woodland birds with short, strong bills. They eat a mix of seeds and insects.

Larks

Larks (Alaudidae family) are small ground birds known for their beautiful songs and display flights. They usually have dull colors and eat insects and seeds.

Swallows

The Hirundinidae family is made up of birds that catch food while flying. They have slender bodies, long pointed wings, and short bills with wide mouths.

Long-tailed Tits

Long-tailed tits (Aegithalidae family) are small songbirds with medium to long tails. They build woven, bag-like nests in trees and mostly eat insects.

Bulbuls

Bulbuls (Pycnonotidae family) are medium-sized songbirds from Africa and Asia. They are often noisy and social, and many have lovely songs.

Kinglets

Kinglets (Regulidae family) are a small family of very tiny insect-eating birds. Adults have colored crowns on their heads.

Waxwings

Waxwings (Bombycillidae family) are songbirds with soft, silky feathers and unique red tips on some wing feathers. They live in northern forests and eat insects in summer and berries in winter.

Silky-Flycatchers

Silky-flycatchers (Ptiliogonatidae family) are a small family of birds found mostly in Central America. They are related to waxwings and most have small crests.

Nuthatches

Nuthatches (Sittidae family) are small woodland birds. They can climb down trees headfirst, which is unusual for birds. They have big heads, short tails, and strong bills and feet.

Treecreepers

Treecreepers (Certhiidae family) are small woodland birds, brown on top and white underneath. They have thin, curved bills to find insects in tree bark.

Gnatcatchers

Gnatcatchers (Polioptilidae family) are delicate birds that move quickly through leaves looking for insects. They are usually soft bluish-gray with long, sharp bills.

Wrens

Wrens (Troglodytidae family) are small, often hidden birds, but they have very loud songs. They have short wings and thin, downward-curved bills. Many hold their tails straight up. All wrens eat insects.

Mockingbirds and Thrashers

The Mimidae family includes thrashers, mockingbirds, and catbirds. These birds are famous for their amazing ability to copy the songs of other birds and other sounds. They are usually gray and brown.

Starlings

Starlings (Sturnidae family) are small to medium-sized birds from the Old World with strong feet. They fly strongly and are often found in large groups. They eat insects and fruit.

Dippers

Dippers (Cinclidae family) are perching birds that live near water. They can dive underwater and walk on the bottom to find insect larvae.

Thrushes and Allies

Thrushes (Turdidae family) are a group of songbirds that are usually plump and soft-feathered. They are small to medium-sized and eat insects or a mix of foods, often on the ground. Many have beautiful songs.

Old World Flycatchers

Old World flycatchers (Muscicapidae family) are a large family of small songbirds. They are mostly small birds that live in trees and catch insects while flying.

Olive Warbler

The Olive Warbler (Peucedramidae family) is the only bird in its family. It has a gray body with olive-green on its wings and two white wing bars. The male has an orange head and chest with a black patch through its eye.

Waxbills and Allies

Estrildid finches (Estrildidae family) are small songbirds from tropical parts of the Old World. They are social seed-eaters with short, thick, pointed bills.

Old World Sparrows

Old World sparrows (Passeridae family) are small songbirds. They are usually small, plump, brownish or grayish birds with short tails and strong beaks. Sparrows eat seeds and small insects.

Wagtails and Pipits

The Motacillidae family includes wagtails and pipits. These are small songbirds with medium to long tails. They are slender birds that eat insects on the ground in open areas.

Finches, Euphonias, and Allies

Finches (Fringillidae family) are seed-eating songbirds that are small to moderately large. They have strong, often cone-shaped beaks. They fly with a bouncing motion and most sing well.

Longspurs and Snow Buntings

The Calcariidae family includes longspurs and snow buntings. These songbirds are usually found in open grassy areas.

New World Sparrows

These birds (Passerellidae family) were once grouped with other sparrows but are now in their own family. Many have unique head patterns.

Yellow-breasted Chat

The Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteriidae family) used to be grouped with wood-warblers, but now it has its own family.

Troupials and Allies

The Icteridae family includes grackles, New World blackbirds, and New World orioles. These birds are found only in the Americas. Many are colorful, often with black feathers brightened by yellow, orange, or red.

New World Warblers

Wood-warblers (Parulidae family) are a group of small, often colorful songbirds found only in the Americas. Most live in trees, but some are found on the ground. Most eat insects.

Cardinals and Allies

Cardinals (Cardinalidae family) are strong, seed-eating birds with powerful bills. They usually live in open woodlands. Males and females often have different colored feathers.

Tanagers and Allies

Tanagers (Thraupidae family) are a large group of small to medium-sized songbirds found in the Americas, mostly in tropical areas. Many are brightly colored. They eat a variety of foods like fruits, seeds, and insects.

  • Morelet's seedeater, Sporophila morelleti

Presumptive Species

These birds have been seen and described by people, and the Texas Bird Records Committee has accepted these sightings. However, they don't have a photo, video, or sound recording to officially add them to the main list.

  • Murre species, Uria sp.
  • Razorbill, Alca torda

See also

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List of birds of Texas Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.