Birds of Rice University

Houston, Texas

compiled by Cin-Ty Lee

with contributions from Caitlin Andrews ('06), Nick Block, Emily Chin, Frank Fisher, Colin Hughes, Mark Kulstad, David Queller, Tim Perkins ('04), Will Risser, Joan Strassmann, Ben Van Allen, Dennis Wiesenborn and the Rice community

     The following is an annotated checklist of all the birds that have been recorded at Rice University since 1980.  Being in an urban environment, the total number of species present on campus at any given time is not particularly high.   However, because the campus is located along a major migration route, it is possible to pick up a number of migrating species over the course of spring and fall migration if you are very observant. A total of 191 species have been recorded on campus.  If one counts nearby Hermann Memorial Park, the list total becomes much larger. Keep in mind, however, that during migration, bird life can be very unpredictable.  On some days, you might see only a few species, but if the weather is just right (for example, when a cold front arrives), bird activity can be quite high.
     The best birding spots are the rhododendron hedges at the main entrance to the campus (intersection of Main and Rice Blvd), the prairie lot near Entrance 18, and the retention basin along Main Street just east of the track field. The Entrance 18 prairie lot can be remarkably productive early in the morning during fall migration. However, birds can be potentially found anywhere on campus.  Report any new sightings to Cin-Ty Lee (Department of Earth Science; ctlee@rice.edu).

Video on birding at Rice University.

 

Status symbols
c - common; can't miss, seen nearly 100% of visits
fc - fairly common; seen more than 50% of visits
u - uncommon; seen between 10-50% of visits
r - rare; seen <10% of visits
vr - very rare; less than 5 records
acc - accidental (single record)
* - flyover only
N - nests
e - extirpated
W = Dec, Jan, Feb Sp = Mar, Apr, May
Su = Jun, Jul, Aug F = Sep, Oct, Nov

 

Status
  W Sp Su F  
Waterfowl
1   Black-bellied Whistling Duck u u u u
2   Greater White-fronted Goose u u *
3   Snow Goose u u *
4   Ross's Goose r r *
5   Canada Goose r *
6   American Wigeon r *
7   Green-winged Teal r *
8   Northern Shoveler r *
9   Wood Duck r r r r
Pelicans, Cormorants, Anhingas
10   American White Pelican vr *
11   Neotropic Cormorant r r r r *
12   Double-crested Cormorant r r *
13   Anhinga acc *
Herons, Egrets, Ibises, Spoonbills
14   Great Blue Heron r r r r *
15   Great Egret r r r r *
16   Cattle Egret r r r r *
17   Green Heron r
18   Black-crowned Night-Heron N u u r
19   Yellow-crowned Night-Heron N c u r
20   White Ibis r *
21   White-faced Ibis vr *
22   Roseate Spoonbill vr vr vr vr *
Vultures, Kites, Hawks, Falcons
23   Black Vulture r r r r *
24   Turkey Vulture u u u u *
25   Osprey vr *
26   Swallow-tailed Kite vr vr *
27   Mississippi Kite u u *
28   Sharp-shinned Hawk u u u
29   Cooper's Hawk N fc fc fc fc
30   Harris's Hawk acc acc
31   Red-shouldered Hawk N fc fc fc fc
32   Broad-winged Hawk N? r r r
33   Swainson's Hawk u u *
34   Red-tailed Hawk N fc fc fc fc
35   American Kestrel u u
36   Merlin vr vr
37   Peregrine Falcon vr vr *
Coots, Rails
38   American Coot r r r r *
39   Sora acc
Shorebirds
40   Killdeer fc fc fc fc
41   Black-necked Stilt acc
42   Solitary Sandpiper acc *
43   Upland Sandpiper u r *
44   Long-billed Dowitcher acc
45   Wilson's Snipe acc acc
46   American Woodcock acc
Gulls
47   Black Tern acc
48   Laughing Gull u u u u *
49   Ring-billed Gull fc u u *
50   Herring Gull r *
Pigeons, Doves
51   Rock Pigeon N c c c c
52   Eurasian Collared-Dove N fc fc fc fc
53   White-winged Dove N c c c c
54   Mourning Dove N c c c c
55   Common Ground-Dove acc
56   Inca Dove N u u u u
Parrots, Parakeets
57   Monk Parakeet r r r r
Cuckoos
58   Black-billed Cuckoo vr
59   Yellow-billed Cuckoo r
Owls
60   Barn Owl vr vr vr vr
61   Eastern Screech-Owl N r r r r
62   Great Horned-Owl N r r r r
Caprimulgids
63   Common Nighthawk N? fc fc u
64   Chuck-will's-widow r
Swifts, Hummingbirds
65   Chimney Swift N c c c
66   Ruby-throated Hummingbird fc fc
Woodpeckers
67   Red-headed Woodpecker r r r r
68   Red-bellied Woodpecker N c c c c
69   Yellow-bellied Sapsucker fc u u
70   Downy Woodpecker N c c c c
71   Northern "Yellow-shafted" Flicker N? r r vr r
    Northern "Red-shafted" Flicker acc
Flycatchers
72   Eastern Wood-Pewee fc fc
73   Yellow-bellied Flycatcher r r
74   Acadian Flycatcher u r
75   Willow/Alder Flycatcher u r
76   Least Flycatcher fc fc
77   Eastern Phoebe fc
78   Vermilion Flycatcher r
79   Great-crested Flycatcher N? u u
80   Eastern Kingbird r r
81   Scissor-tailed Flycatcher r r
Shrikes
82   Loggerhead Shrike N u u u u
Vireos
83   White-eyed Vireo fc fc
84   Yellow-throated Vireo u
85   Blue-headed Vireo fc u u
86   Cassin's Vireo acc
87   Warbling Vireo r
88   Philadelphia Vireo u
89   Red-eyed Vireo fc fc
Jays, Crows
90   Blue Jay N c c c c
91   American Crow N u u u u
Swallows
92   Purple Martin N c c u
93   Tree Swallow u u
94   Northern Rough-winged Swallow u u
95   Bank Swallow vr vr
96   Cliff Swallow u u
97   Barn Swallow N fc r u
Chickadees, Creepers
98   Carolina Chickadee N fc fc fc fc
99   Tufted Titmouse N fc fc fc fc
100   Brown Creeper u
Wrens
101   Carolina Wren N fc fc fc fc
102   Winter Wren acc
103   House Wren r u u
104   Sedge Wren acc
105   Marsh Wren acc
Kinglets, Gnatcatchers
106   Golden-crowned Kinglet u u
107   Ruby-crowned Kinglet c c c
108   Blue-gray Gnatcatcher u c c
Thrushes
109   Veery r
110   Gray-cheeked Thrush r
111   Swainson's Thrush u r
112   Hermit Thrush u fc u
113   Wood Thrush u
114   American Robin N c c u c
Catbirds
115   Gray Catbird fc u
Thrashers
116   Northern Mockingbird N c c c c
117   Brown Thrasher r u
Starlings
118   European Starling N c c c c
Larks
119   Horned Lark vr
Pipits
120   American Pipit r r r
121   Sprague's Pipit acc
Waxwings
122   Cedar Waxwing fc fc fc
New World Warblers
123   Blue-winged Warbler r r
124   Golden-winged Warbler r r
125   Tennessee Warbler fc u
126   Orange-crowned Warbler c c c
127   Nashville Warbler fc fc
128   Northern Parula fc fc
129   Yellow Warbler fc fc
130   Chestnut-sided Warbler fc fc
131   Magnolia Warbler fc fc
132   Yellow-rumped "Myrtle" Warbler c c c
133   Black-throated Green Warbler fc u
134   Townsend's Warbler acc
135   Blackburnian Warbler fc u
136   Yellow-throated Warbler vr u r
137   Pine Warbler fc u
138   Palm Warbler vr
139   Bay-breasted Warbler fc r
140   Cerulean Warbler vr
141   Black-and-white Warbler fc fc
142   American Redstart fc fc
143   Worm-eating Warbler r r
144   Swainson's Warbler vr
145   Ovenbird u u
146   Northern Waterthrush r vr
147   Louisiana Waterthrush vr vr
148   Kentucky Warbler u r
149   Mourning Warbler r r
150   Common Yellowthroat fc fc
151   Hooded Warbler u r
152   Wilson's Warbler r u fc
153   Canada Warbler u r
154   Yellow-breasted Chat u u
Tanagers
155   Summer Tanager fc u
156   Scarlet Tanager u u
Sparrows, Grosbeaks, Buntings
157   Chipping Sparrow vr u u
158   Clay-colored Sparrow r
159   Field Sparrow vr r
160   Vesper Sparrow vr vr
161   Lark Sparrow vr vr
162   Savannah Sparrow r r u
163   Grasshopper Sparrow vr
164   LeConte's Sparrow vr
165   Lincoln's Sparrow r u u
166   Song Sparrow r r
167   Swamp Sparrow r r
168   White-throated Sparrow u u u
169   White-crowned Sparrow r
170   Harris's Sparrow vr
171   Eastern Towhee acc
172   Dark-eyed "Slate-colored" Junco u r
    Dark-eyed "Oregon" Junco acc
    Dark-eyed "Gray-headed" Junco acc
173   Northern Cardinal N c c c c
174   Rose-breasted Grosbeak fc u
175   Blue Grosbeak r r
176   Indigo Bunting fc fc
177   Dickcissel u u
Blackbirds, Orioles, Meadowlarks
178   Red-winged Blackbird u fc r u
179   Eastern Meadowlark r r
180   Western Meadowlark acc
181   Yellow-headed Blackbird vr vr
182   Common Grackle N c c c c
183   Great-tailed Grackle N c c c c
184   Bronzed Cowbird N u u
185   Brown-headed Cowbird N u c c u
186   Orchard Oriole u u
187   Baltimore Oriole fc fc
Finches, Goldfinches, Siskins
188   House Finch N fc fc fc fc
189   Pine Siskin vr
190   American Goldfinch fc
Old World Sparrows
191   House Sparrow N c c c c