Birds of Rice University

İCin-Ty Lee 2002

 

 

compiled by C.-T. Lee

 

with contributions from C. Andrews, N. Block, F. Fisher, C. Hughes, M. Kulstad, H. McCrary, T. Perkins, W. Risser, D. Wiesenborn

 

 

The following is a 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.  Over the years, a total of 174 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), birds are aplenty!  The best birding spots are the rhododendron hedges at the main entrance to the campus (intersection of Main and Rice Blvd), experimental grassland, and the retention basin just east of the baseball field. However, unusual birds can be potentially found anywhere on campus.  Report any new sightings to Cin-Ty Lee (Department of Earth Science; ctlee@rice.edu).

 

 


BIRDS RECORDED AT RICE UNIVERSITY

 

Total: 174 species as of 2006

 

 

 

 

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)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

f - flyover only

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

N - nests

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

e - extirpated

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

W = Dec, Jan, Feb

Sp = Mar, Apr, May

 

 

Su = Jun, Jul, Aug

F = Sep, Oct, Nov

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seasonal Status

 

 

 

 

 

W

Sp

Su

F

 

 

 

American White Pelican

 

 

vr

 

 

f

 

 

Double-crested Cormorant

 

r

 

 

r

f

 

 

Neotropic Cormorant

 

r

r

r

r

f

 

 

Anhinga

 

 

acc

 

 

f

 

 

Great Blue Heron

 

r

r

r

r

f

 

 

Great Egret

 

r

r

r

r

f

 

 

Cattle Egret

 

r

r

r

r

f

 

 

Green Heron

 

 

r

 

 

 

 

 

Black-crowned Night-Heron

N

u

u

u

u

 

 

 

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

N

u

c

u

u

 

 

 

White Ibis

 

 

 

 

vr

f

 

 

White-faced Ibis

 

 

 

 

vr

f

 

 

Roseate Spoonbill

 

vr

vr

vr

vr

f

 

 

Black-bellied Whistling Duck

 

r

r

r

r

 

 

 

Greater White-fronted Goose

 

r

 

 

 

f

 

 

Snow Goose

 

u

 

 

 

f

 

 

Ross' Goose

 

r

 

 

 

f

 

 

Canada Goose

 

r

 

 

 

f

 

 

Wood Duck

 

r

r

r

r

 

 

 

Black Vulture

 

r

r

r

r

f

 

 

Turkey Vulture

 

u

u

u

u

f

 

 

Osprey

 

 

vr

 

 

f

 

 

American Swallow-tailed Kite

 

 

vr

 

vr

f

 

 

Mississippi Kite

 

 

u

 

u

f

 

 

Sharp-shinned Hawk

 

u

u

 

u

 

 

 

Cooper's Hawk

 

u

u

u

u

 

 

 

Harris's Hawk

 

 

 

acc

acc

 

 

 

Red-shouldered Hawk

 

u

u

u

u

 

 

 

Broad-winged Hawk

 

 

r

 

r

 

 

 

Swainson's Hawk

 

 

u

 

u

f

 

 

Red-tailed Hawk

 

fc

r

r

fc

 

 

 

American Kestrel

 

u

 

 

u

 

 

 

Merlin

 

vr

 

 

vr

 

 

 

Peregrine Falcon

 

r

 

 

 

f

 

 

American Coot

 

r

r

r

r

f

 

 

Killdeer

 

fc

fc

fc

fc

 

 

 

Common Snipe

 

vr

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black-necked Stilt

 

 

acc

 

 

 

 

 

American Woodcock

 

 

acc

 

 

 

 

 

Upland Sandpiper

 

 

r

 

 

f

 

 

Solitary Sandpiper

 

 

vr

 

 

f

 

 

Long-billed Dowitcher

 

vr

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ring-billed Gull

 

fc

u

 

u

f

 

 

Herring Gull

 

r

 

 

 

f

 

 

Laughing Gull

 

u

u

u

u

 

 

 

Rock Dove

N

c

c

c

c

 

 

 

Eurasian Collared-Dove

N

u

u

u

u

 

 

 

White-winged Dove

N

u

u

u

u

 

 

 

Mourning Dove

N

c

c

c

c

 

 

 

Inca Dove

N

u

u

u

u

 

 

 

Monk Parakeet

 

r

r

r

r

 

 

 

Barn Owl

 

vr

vr

vr

vr

 

 

 

Eastern Screech-Owl

N

r

r

r

r

 

 

 

Great Horned-Owl

 

r

r

r

r

 

 

 

Common Nighthawk

N?

 

fc

fc

r

 

 

 

Chuck-will's-widow

 

 

r

 

 

 

 

 

Chimney Swift

N

 

c

c

r

 

 

 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

 

 

fc

 

fc

 

 

 

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

 

 

r

 

 

 

 

 

Black-billed Cuckoo

 

 

vr

 

 

 

 

 

Red-headed Woodpecker

 

r

r

r

r

 

 

 

Red-bellied Woodpecker

N

fc

fc

fc

fc

 

 

 

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

 

u

u

 

u

 

 

 

Downy Woodpecker

N

c

c

c

c

 

 

 

Northern Flicker

 

r

r

 

r

 

 

 

Eastern Wood-Pewee

 

 

fc

 

fc

 

 

 

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

 

 

r

 

r

 

 

 

Acadian Flycatcher

 

 

u

 

r

 

 

 

Willow/Alder Flycatcher

 

 

u

 

r

 

 

 

Least Flycatcher

 

 

fc

 

fc

 

 

 

Eastern Phoebe

 

fc

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vermilion Flycatcher

 

 

r

 

 

 

 

 

Great-crested Flycatcher

N?

 

u

 

u

 

 

 

Eastern Kingbird

 

 

u

 

u

 

 

 

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

 

 

r

 

r

 

 

 

Purple Martin

N

 

c

c

u

 

 

 

Tree Swallow

 

 

u

 

u

 

 

 

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

 

 

u

 

u

 

 

 

Bank Swallow

 

 

vr

 

vr

 

 

 

Cliff Swallow

 

 

u

 

u

 

 

 

Barn Swallow

N

 

c

c

c

 

 

 

Blue Jay

N

c

c

c

c

 

 

 

American Crow

N

c

c

c

c

 

 

 

Carolina Chickadee

 

u

u

u

u

 

 

 

Tufted Titmouse

N

u

u

u

u

 

 

 

Carolina Wren

N

u

u

u

u

 

 

 

House Wren

 

 

acc

 

 

 

 

 

Sedge Wren

 

 

 

 

acc

 

 

 

Marsh Wren

 

 

acc

 

 

 

 

 

Brown Creeper

 

r

 

 

 

 

 

 

Golden-crowned Kinglet

 

u

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 

c

c

 

c

 

 

 

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

 

u

c

 

c

 

 

 

Veery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gray-cheeked Thrush

 

 

r

 

 

 

 

 

Swainson's Thrush

 

 

u

 

r

 

 

 

Hermit Thrush

 

u

fc

 

u

 

 

 

Wood Thrush

 

 

u

 

 

 

 

 

American Robin

N

c

c

u

c

 

 

 

Gray Catbird

 

 

fc

 

u

 

 

 

Northern Mockingbird

N

c

c

c

c

 

 

 

Brown Thrasher

 

r

u

 

 

 

 

 

American Pipit

 

r

r

 

r

 

 

 

Cedar Waxwing

 

fc

fc

 

fc

 

 

 

Loggerhead Shrike

N

u

u

u

u

 

 

 

European Starling

N

c

c

c

c

 

 

 

White-eyed Vireo

 

 

fc

 

fc

 

 

 

Blue-headed Vireo

 

fc

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yellow-throated Vireo

 

 

u

 

 

 

 

 

Philadelphia Vireo

 

 

u

 

 

 

 

 

Warbling Vireo

 

 

r

 

 

 

 

 

Red-eyed Vireo

 

 

fc

 

fc

 

 

 

Blue-winged Warbler

 

 

r

 

r

 

 

 

Golden-winged Warbler

 

 

r

 

r

 

 

 

Tennessee Warbler

 

 

fc

 

fc

 

 

 

Orange-crowned Warbler

 

c

c

 

c

 

 

 

Nashville Warbler

 

 

u

 

u

 

 

 

Northern Parula

 

 

fc

 

fc

 

 

 

Yellow Warbler

 

 

fc

 

fc

 

 

 

Chestnut-sided Warbler

 

 

fc

 

fc

 

 

 

Magnolia Warbler

 

 

fc

 

fc

 

 

 

Yellow-rumped "Myrtle" Warbler

 

c

c

 

c

 

 

 

Yellow-rumped "Audubon's" Warbler

 

 

r

 

 

 

 

 

Black-throated Green Warbler

 

 

fc

 

fc

 

 

 

Cerulean Warbler

 

 

vr

 

 

 

 

 

Blackburnian Warbler

 

 

fc

 

fc

 

 

 

Yellow-throated Warbler

 

vr

r

 

r

 

 

 

Pine Warbler

 

u

 

 

 

 

 

 

Palm Warbler

 

vr

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bay-breasted Warbler

 

 

fc

 

fc

 

 

 

Cerulean Warbler

 

 

vr

 

 

 

 

 

Black-and-white Warbler

 

 

fc

 

fc

 

 

 

American Redstart

 

 

fc

 

fc

 

 

 

Worm-eating Warbler

 

 

r

 

r

 

 

 

Swainson's Warbler

 

 

vr

 

 

 

 

 

Ovenbird

 

 

u

 

u

 

 

 

Northern Waterthrush

 

 

r

 

 

 

 

 

Louisiana Waterthrush

 

 

vr

 

 

 

 

 

Kentucky Warbler

 

 

u

 

r

 

 

 

Mourning Warbler

 

 

vr

 

vr

 

 

 

Common Yellowthroat

 

 

fc

 

fc

 

 

 

Hooded Warbler

 

 

u

 

r

 

 

 

Wilson's Warbler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Canada Warbler

 

 

u

 

u

 

 

 

Yellow-breasted Chat

 

 

u

 

r

 

 

 

Summer Tanager

 

 

fc

 

u

 

 

 

Scarlet Tanager

 

 

u

 

u

 

 

 

Northern Cardinal

N

c

c

c

c

 

 

 

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

 

 

fc

 

u

 

 

 

Indigo Bunting

 

 

fc

 

u

 

 

 

Blue Grosbeak

 

 

r

 

r

 

 

 

Dickcissel

 

 

 

 

u

 

 

 

Vesper Sparrow

 

vr

 

 

 

 

 

 

Field Sparrow

 

vr

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chipping Sparrow

 

vr

vr

 

vr

 

 

 

Lark Sparrow

 

 

 

 

vr

 

 

 

Savannah Sparrow

 

r

r

 

r

 

 

 

LeConte's Sparrow

 

 

 

 

acc

 

 

 

Lincoln's Sparrow

 

r

 

 

 

 

 

 

White-throated Sparrow

 

u

u

 

u

 

 

 

White-crowned Sparrow

 

r

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dark-eyed Junco

 

u

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eastern Meadowlark

 

r

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red-winged Blackbird

 

u

fc

r

u

 

 

 

Yellow-headed Blackbird

 

 

vr

 

vr

 

 

 

Great-tailed Grackle

N

c

c

c

c

 

 

 

Bronzed Cowbird

 

 

 

r

 

 

 

 

Brown-headed Cowbird

N

 

c

c

 

 

 

 

Baltimore Oriole

 

 

fc

 

fc

 

 

 

Orchard Oriole

 

 

u

 

u

 

 

 

Pine Siskin

 

vr

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Goldfinch

 

fc

 

 

 

 

 

 

House Finch

N

fc

fc

fc

fc

 

 

 

House Sparrow

N

c

c

c

c