Travis Audubon

10/13/2026

October Virtual Speaker Series: Bird Love: Why identify with birds with Dr. Wenfei Tong

Thursday, October 15
7:00 PM - 8:15 PM
Free and open to the public

Birds exhibit a wide array of behaviors—from sabotaging budding romances to outsourcing childcare duties. Why do they behave as they do? Using diverse examples from around the world, including some of her own research in Zambia, Dr. Wenfei Tong will present vignettes about the private lives of birds in an evolutionary context, to show the science behind how much humans and birds have in common. She will use her art and photographs to illustrate stories from her books Bird Love and Understanding Bird Behavior and beyond, and discuss contributions from participatory science and local stewards towards our growing knowledge of birds and how to conserve them.

Learn more and register here. https://travis.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/event-detail?event=29783&

10/12/2026

Join us on October 24 from 8:00 - 10:00 AM for a Sapling Planting and Tree ID Walk at Blair Woods Nature Preserve! At this event, we will be celebrating trees both big and small! We will start with planting seedlings and then have a guided tour of the variety of gorgeous native trees on the property.

Learn more and register here. https://travis.app.neoncrm.com/event-detail?event=30313

This event is a part of Austin Climate Action and Resilience’s Roots & Wings Festival. Find other nature based events at RootsandWingsFest.com

10/12/2026

Which birds should you watch for in October?
Here’s the Central Texas bird forecast for the month, courtesy of Travis Audubon.

Wrens are a delightful part of the bird community, with loud voices and tails often cocked up. Austin has three reliable year-round species of wrens, with Carolina and Bewick’s Wrens ubiquitous in backyards, parks and greenbelts. The Bewick’s prefers drier habitats and the Carolina favors moister spots although there is overlap, and some neighborhoods have both.

Read the full October Bird Forecast here. https://travisaudubon.org/murmurations/october-bird-forecast-6

10/12/2026

Which birds should you watch for in October?
Here’s the Central Texas bird forecast for the month, courtesy of Travis Audubon.

Wrens are a delightful part of the bird community, with loud voices and tails often cocked up. Austin has three reliable year-round species of wrens, with Carolina and Bewick’s Wrens ubiquitous in backyards, parks and greenbelts. The Bewick’s prefers drier habitats and the Carolina favors moister spots although there is overlap, and some neighborhoods have both.

To read the full October Bird Forecast, check the Murmurations Blog, linked in our bio.

10/08/2026

HIGH MIGRATION EXPECTED TONIGHT

Did you know that most birds migrate at night? They often use the moon, stars, and sun to navigate. Light pollution can interfere with these signals and cause a serious problem for birds: they might be thrown off course or become so disoriented that they circle until they fall to exhaustion or collide with buildings. You can help with just a flick of a switch—plus you’ll save money on energy costs!

Turn off lights at night on unoccupied floors and in unused spaces.
Close curtains and blinds.
Turn off exterior floodlights during bird migration season.
Opt for shielded lighting that directs lights downward.
Try using task lighting at your workstation instead of overhead lights if you’re working late.

Learn more about how to protect migrating birds at the link in our bio.

10/07/2026

It was our pleasure to host so many members of our conservation community last weekend at the Victor Emanuel Conservation Award Celebration. We laughed when our auctioneer Gayle Stallings asked everyone to do their best bird call. We awed when Lisa and Jim O’Donnell showed off their matching Black-capped Vireo wedding rings. And we cheered when it was revealed that the event raised $92,000 for Travis Audubon’s conservation efforts. Protecting the natural world doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and we are grateful to the sponsors, vendors, guests, and honorees who made Saturday’s event possible. Until next year!

10/07/2026

10/07/2026

Meet our Bird of the Week: The Yellow-headed Blackbird!

Anyone who has spent time scanning a winter blackbird flock in Central Texas knows the small disappointment of running through several hundred Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, and Brown-headed Cowbirds without anything unusual jumping out. And then, every so often, your binoculars stop on a single bird in the middle of the flock with a head the color of a school bus. That moment — the first Yellow-headed Blackbird of the season — is one of the more dramatic field-mark experiences anywhere in North American birding. There is no mistaking what you are looking at.

Learn more about the Yellow-headed Blackbird: https://travisaudubon.org/murmurations/bird-of-the-week-yellow-headed-blackbird

10/07/2026

Meet our Bird of the Week: The Yellow-headed Blackbird!

Anyone who has spent time scanning a winter blackbird flock in Central Texas knows the small disappointment of running through several hundred Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, and Brown-headed Cowbirds without anything unusual jumping out. And then, every so often, your binoculars stop on a single bird in the middle of the flock with a head the color of a school bus. That moment — the first Yellow-headed Blackbird of the season — is one of the more dramatic field-mark experiences anywhere in North American birding. There is no mistaking what you are looking at.

Learn more about the Yellow-headed Blackbird at the Murmurations blog, linked in our bio.

10/02/2026

Tomorrow is our 17th annual Victor Emanuel Conservation Award Celebration, a gathering of Central Texas conservationists with two amazing honorees this year: Dr. Chuck Sexton and Lisa O’Donnell. This event would not be possible without all of our guests flocking to the Junior League tomorrow in their birdy best, or without the support of our generous sponsors. Thank you all!