Help IDing a bird - Wild Texas Forums: Parks, Travel & Recreation

vettech2112 · 06-18-2004, 11:17 PM

Heya Folks,
I spotted a bird of prey Thursday at Brazoria NWP that I need help IDing. Unfortaunately I was unable to shoot a photo of it as my camera lacks a zoom (I REALLY need a new camera!).

The bird was on a sign so I was able to get a decent estimate of its height. It was likely 2-2.5' tall. The wings were dark brown. The torso was white or cream-colored with brown tail-tips. The neck was white with a black or dark brown cap on the head. The beak is thick like a hawk or eagle, yellow. There was also a red fleshy area at the base of the beak that was reminiscent of a buzzard. The legs were in shadow but best guess they were orange.

Anyone have any guess and/or have a link to a site with good bird pics?

Shannon · 06-19-2004, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vettech2112

Heya Folks,
I spotted a bird of prey Thursday at Brazoria NWP that I need help IDing. Unfortaunately I was unable to shoot a photo of it as my camera lacks a zoom (I REALLY need a new camera!).

The bird was on a sign so I was able to get a decent estimate of its height. It was likely 2-2.5' tall. The wings were dark brown. The torso was white or cream-colored with brown tail-tips. The neck was white with a black or dark brown cap on the head. The beak is thick like a hawk or eagle, yellow. There was also a red fleshy area at the base of the beak that was reminiscent of a buzzard. The legs were in shadow but best guess they were orange.

Anyone have any guess and/or have a link to a site with good bird pics?

Justin and I chatted about it and think what you observed was a crested caracara. We've been seeing them more lately even near our home (NE San Antonio), and that's after years of having to drive into deep South Texas to observe them. They frequently perch on poles (fence posts, power poles, etc.), and they definitely have that raptor look about them.

Here's a few sites for you to review photos of the crested caracara:

vettech2112 · 06-19-2004, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shannon

Justin and I chatted about it and think what you observed was a crested caracara. We've been seeing them more lately even near our home (NE San Antonio), and that's after years of having to drive into deep South Texas to observe them. They frequently perch on poles (fence posts, power poles, etc.), and they definitely have that raptor look about them.

Here's a few sites for you to review photos of the crested caracara:

I knew y'all would have the answer, good job! I encountered this bird as it sat on a sign just off the "auto loop tour" at Brazoria NWR. It seemed to be watching a flock of storks feeding nearby. I was impressed with the number of birds at that refuge. I saw more species of shore birds at Brazoria than I did at Aransas, suprisingly.

Shannon · 06-20-2004, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vettech2112

I knew y'all would have the answer, good job! I encountered this bird as it sat on a sign just off the "auto loop tour" at Brazoria NWR. It seemed to be watching a flock of storks feeding nearby. I was impressed with the number of birds at that refuge. I saw more species of shore birds at Brazoria than I did at Aransas, suprisingly.

Glad to help! The first crested caracara we ever observed was en route to Rockport. We usually get a good look at them (either perched or flying overhead) in the region you mention -- we've only done a "flyby" tour of Brazoria NWR and caracaras were one of the species we observed. My neatest observation of one, and most recent, was at Guadalupe River State Park, actually... near the stock tank and picnic tables on Loop 3 of the multi-use trail, just a (very) short walk from campsite #34. Unfortunately, I didn't have my 300mm lens on the camera, and by the time I got it out of the camera bag the two caracaras on neighboring trees had taken flight.

We've also seen them at Brazos Bend State Park near Houston, though it seems to be highly seasonally depenedent on how many raptors you'll see there... at least in our limited experience.

vettech2112 · 06-20-2004, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shannon

Glad to help! The first crested caracara we ever observed was en route to Rockport. We usually get a good look at them (either perched or flying overhead) in the region you mention -- we've only done a "flyby" tour of Brazoria NWR and caracaras were one of the species we observed. My neatest observation of one, and most recent, was at Guadalupe River State Park, actually... near the stock tank and picnic tables on Loop 3 of the multi-use trail, just a (very) short walk from campsite #34. Unfortunately, I didn't have my 300mm lens on the camera, and by the time I got it out of the camera bag the two caracaras on neighboring trees had taken flight.

We've also seen them at Brazos Bend State Park near Houston, though it seems to be highly seasonally depenedent on how many raptors you'll see there... at least in our limited experience.

I've been to Brazos Bend a few times but not recently. That's the next place I plan to hit once the rain finally goes away (its rained nearly every day for almost a month, ugh!). Its definately one of the more underrated state parks.

Have you been to any of the other NWR's in the Houston area - San Bernard, Anahuac, Attwater Prairie Chicken, Trinity River?

vettech2112 · 06-24-2004, 07:24 AM

Quick upate - I explored Anahuac NWR on Tuesday but got chased out by the rain. Its a decent little NWR, almost as many gators as Brazos Bend and several access points to East Bay. Virtually no hiking trails though. It seems to be mostly set up for the fishermen & duck hunters.

Need another piece of advice though. Lately I'm encountering a new demon-spawn insect - its a small, brownish, fly-looking bug that is a blood sucker and hurts! (reminds me of the deer flies I encounter when visiting relatives in Idaho/Wyoming) Brazoria and Anahuac NWR seem to have these little beasties is abundance. I've been using a 29% DEET spray and these things seem immune to it. Ideas?

Shannon · 06-24-2004, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vettech2112

Quick upate - I explored Anahuac NWR on Tuesday but got chased out by the rain. Its a decent little NWR, almost as many gators as Brazos Bend and several access points to East Bay. Virtually no hiking trails though. It seems to be mostly set up for the fishermen & duck hunters.

Need another piece of advice though. Lately I'm encountering a new demon-spawn insect - its a small, brownish, fly-looking bug that is a blood sucker and hurts! (reminds me of the deer flies I encounter when visiting relatives in Idaho/Wyoming) Brazoria and Anahuac NWR seem to have these little beasties is abundance. I've been using a 29% DEET spray and these things seem immune to it. Ideas?

Justin and I call them horse flies, but I'm not sure if that's the correct term for them. I remember our visit to Anahuac, and between the mosquitoes and the horseflies it was, uh, "fun" -- they got inside our vehicle, since we'd roll the windows down to shoot photos from the car, using it as a blind, and then roll them up, trapping the menacing little bloodsuckers in with us!