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 | ||