More than 10,000 people visit Houston area each spring to view migratory birds.
Published 6:32 pm, Friday, March 21, 2014
When you go outside in the next few weeks, anywhere in the city, you're going to see an amazing menagerie of birds. And we're not talking about ordinary Houston sparrows, grackles or pigeons. So get those guide books, high-powered binocs and bird-watching apps ready, because coming soon to a feeder, birdbath or tree near you are species like the painted buntings, the white-rumped sandpipers, Wilson's plovers, white-eyed vireos, magnolia warblers and more varieties of hawks than you can shake a squirrel at.
So what's happening? It's the spring migrations, and our location near the Gulf Coast migratory bird flyways and in a variety of ecological systems is unique. People living in other major cities in the United States may be experiencing bird migrations, but as Richard Gibbons, conservation director at Houston Audubon says, "It's like we are drinking from a fire hose here."
Migration is a two-way trip, fall and spring, but is most spectacular during the spring. Approximately 200 species fly over our heads each year enlivening Houston not only with their brilliant colors but with their cheerful songs.
Why are birds important, besides their striking spring plumage? They're good for business and education. According to the most recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Survey, 46.7 million people observed wild birds in the United States, 38 percent on trips a mile or more from home. More than 10,000 people visit the Houston area each spring to view migratory birds. Some may rent hotel rooms and visit local restaurants. Others may buy only a pair of binoculars or a hat. But birds attract people to Houston and help build tourism.
And birds are a great way for young people, and all of us, to learn about nature and wildlife. "What wild creature is more accessible to our eyes and ears, as close to us and everyone in the world, as universal as a bird?" David Attenborough, the documentarian and well-known birder says. Researchers investigating birds use colored bands and flags to give individual birds an identity and to make them visible, and they need our help to track these banded birds. For more information go to www.reportband.gov. Or volunteer with Gulf Coast Bird Observatory and help band birds yourself. (www.gcbo.org).
If you want to get really involved, you can participate in the 19th annual Great Texas Birding Classic, April 15 to May 15 (www.tpwd.state.tx.us/events/great-texas-birding-classic ).
We shouldn't take our abundance of migratory birds for granted. Whether birding becomes a hobby, everyone can help maintain a bird-friendly community. We can nurture native plant species, reduce the use of pesticides and keep our dogs leashed. And we can spend time and energy preserving the bayou by volunteering for one of the many nonprofits working in this area.
As you admire the white egret balancing on one leg near the water, remember that our birds deserve not only our attention but our care.