Houston Audubon

05/27/2026

On the Bolivar Peninsula, we love our birds, and we know you do too—which is why it's so important to share information that can keep them safe this summer! The summer months between Memorial Day and Labor Day are a critical time for beach-nesting birds and to help spread the word, we're giving away a prize basket stuffed with Bolivar Birds merch, including t-shirts, stickers, and more!

How to Enter:
1. Post your favorite photo of the Bolivar Peninsula to your feed. It can be anything—a bird, a beach selfie, or a shot of the waves!
2. Tag us in the post: Houston Audubon and use the hashtag
3. If you want a sample caption, comment "Bolivar Giveaway" and we will send you a message to copy and paste to your post! We also encourage you to share your own message about why you protect Bolivar Birds.

Giveaway Timeline:
- Entries open: May 27th – June 3rd
- Winner announced: June 4th

We will randomly select one winner, update this caption, and send a direct message to your account to collect your mailing address. (Please note: This giveaway is open to US residents and is not affiliated with Instagram).

Want to learn more about how to protect beach-nesting birds this summer? Head to the link in our bio or visit www.houstonaudubon.org/bolivarbirds to explore our Share the Shore guidelines. Good luck, everyone! We can't wait to see your photos!

05/26/2026

This week, May 24–30, we are incredibly proud to celebrate Black Birders Week!
Organized by the The Black AF in STEM Collective, the 2026 theme is "Flyways & Freedom: Advocacy, Action, and the Future." It’s a powerful call to look at the pathways birds follow without borders or boundaries, and to envision a future where all people can move, belong, and thrive freely in nature.

To celebrate, we are partnering with Houston Black Hikers for a special birding event: Birds After Breakfast
📅 Saturday, May 30, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
📍 Cullinan Park (Sugar Land, TX)
🌳 Meet at the covered pavilion near the first parking lot.

Check out https://houstonaudubon.org/programs/calendar.html/event/2026/05/30/birds-after-breakfast/563747 for what to bring, location details, and more ways to get involved with Black Birders Week!

05/22/2026

The votes have been counted and the winner of both Best Team Name and Best Team Photo goes to... The Hummingbirders!

Thank you to everyone who casted their vote and congrats to The Hummingbirders for winning the top spot in BOTH categories!

Until next year... will you join the next Birdathon?

05/22/2026

05/22/2026

Houston is growing, and our birds are losing the last bits of critical habitat they have left. Habitat loss is one of the biggest threats to birds, which is why Houston Audubon owns and manages over 4,300 acres of sanctuaries for wildlife. We just added 52 acres at Bolivar Flats and 128 acres at Peach Creek Woods, but protection doesn’t stop at the purchase. Make a donation today to help us maintain these sanctuaries for generations to come: www.houstonaudubon.org/fueltheflight

05/20/2026

One of the best ways to protect our nesting birds is to walk in the wet sand near the surf during the summer months (Memorial Day to Labor Day). Baby birds and eggs blend in perfectly with the dry sand, so staying in the wet sand will help you avoid accidentally stepping on any nests. safely and walk on wet sand!

Learn more about at www.houstonaudubon.org/BolivarBirds

05/19/2026

The annual Red-vented Bulbul Survey is coming up on Saturday, June 6, and we need your eyes on the ground!
Native to India and Southeast Asia, these unique birds were first reported in Houston in 1958. They were officially added to the Texas bird list in 2022, but our work isn't done—we are still actively tracking their population trends, range expansion, and how they respond to our region's weather events.
This survey is a collaborative community science project between Houston Audubon and Office of Commissioner Lesley Briones, Precinct 4. Learn more and register at https://houstonaudubon.org/bulbulsurvey

05/18/2026

The next generation of birders is looking bright! 🔭🕊️

We recently hosted Scout Troop 140 for a private tour at Smith Oaks, led by Sanctuary Manager Wyatt Egelhoff! The group had a great day with some incredible views of warblers and vireos, and the Morse Field Station provided the perfect home base to prep for their Bird Study Merit Badge. We love seeing young people getting excited about Texas birds and, who knows, maybe we’ll see one of these scouts on the Houston Audubon team one day!

05/17/2026

We had a blast at the 41st annual Texas Crab Festival on the Bolivar Peninsula! Locals and visitors stopped by our booth to chat about birds and all the exciting things we're doing on the peninsula. By early 2028, we'll complete the Bolivar Peninsula Nature Trail—12 world-class destinations for those wanting to explore the culture, history, and natural beauty of the Upper Texas Coast.
One of the stops along the BPNT—Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary—is a critical nesting area for shorebirds like plovers and terns. As part of our Bolivar Birds campaign, we're helping raise awareness of threats to beach-nesting birds and sharing how people can prevent nest disturbance. It was truly inspiring to see so many people enthusiastic about protecting the beautiful birds that call the peninsula home!

Remember: you can protect beach-nesting birds by keeping pets on a leash and walking in the wet sand to avoid disturbing active nests. Visit www.houstonaudubon.org/BolivarBirds to learn more about how you can share the shore with

05/16/2026

Beak of the Week
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)
Family: Icteridae

The plumage of the adult male Baltimore Oriole is striking as he moves among our neighborhood treetops. Adult males are flame-orange and black, with a solid-black head and one white bar on their black wings. Females and immature males are yellow-orange on the breast, grayish on the head and back, with two bold white wing bars. The immature males do not obtain the solid black head and adult plumage until their second year. Baltimore Orioles were named by early Maryland settlers after the black and orange coat of arms of George Calvert, First Lord Baltimore, who was instrumental in the proclamation of Maryland as a British colony.
The oriole’s hanging-basket nest is an engineering masterpiece, woven with plant fibers, grasses, vine, and tree bark and sometimes string or yarn. The nest is built in three stages: first, the female weaves an outer bowl of flexible fibers to provide support. Next, springy fibers are woven into an inner bowl, which maintains the bag-like shape of the nest. Finally, she adds a soft lining of downy fibers and feathers to cushion the eggs and young.
Baltimore Orioles eat insects, fruit, and nectar. They are acrobatic foragers, clambering across twigs, hanging upside down, and fluttering to extend their reach. They can be spotted in our region from March through early May, and will readily come to bird feeders. You can also attract them by putting out halved oranges.

📷 Photos by Greg Lavaty
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05/15/2026

We've wrapped up another successful Birdathon, flying past our fundraising goal with a total of $92,245 raised by 15 teams! Thank you to everyone who participated, raised money, and supported the event. We're especially grateful to Diana Strassmann and Jeff Smisek for providing the generous match donations that made such a big impact.

A huge congratulations to our winners:
Whittington Team Award: Out on a Lark - $22,561.92 raised
Whittington Individual Award: Barbara Tilton - $18,617.21 raised
Oberholser Award: One Wattle After Another -158 species identified
Voting for the Best Team Name and Best Team Photo awards is open NOW and votes will be accepted through Thursday, May 21st. Winners will be announced Friday, May 22nd.

Vote here: https://forms.gle/mvCEmpCRRvjay9Mj6