| rufa red knot |
Calidris canutus rufa |
Birds |
LT |
T |
G4T2 |
S2N |
False |
The county distribution for this species includes geographic areas that the species may use during migration. Time of year should be factored into evaluations to determine potential presence of this species in a specific county. Habitat: Primarily seacoasts on tidal flats and beaches, herbaceous wetland, and Tidal flat/shore. Bolivar Flats in Galveston County, sandy beaches Mustang Island, few on outer coastal and barrier beaches, tidal mudflats and salt marshes. |
| Stilt Sandpiper |
Calidris himantopus |
Birds |
Not Listed |
Not Listed |
G5 |
S3 |
True |
Migrant: Flooded (preferred, 3" deep) or saturated mudflat foraging habitat with sparse, short or no vegetation; managed and/or inland wetlands, agriculture or grasslands |
| Western Sandpiper |
Calidris mauri |
Birds |
Not Listed |
Not Listed |
G5 |
S5 |
False |
Migrant: Laguna Madre - Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge coastal marsh systems |
| Scaled Quail |
Callipepla squamata |
Birds |
Not Listed |
Not Listed |
G5 |
S4B |
False |
Year-round: Arid and semi-arid lowland mixed shortgrass and midgrass prairies within a matrix of sparse low-growing shrubs in level or rugged terrain; throughout West Texas, except in the higher elevations (above 6,500 feet) and throughout the Panhandle where the highest densities occur along drainages, canyons and rough breaks |
| northern beardless-tyrannulet |
Camptostoma imberbe |
Birds |
Not Listed |
T |
G5 |
S3B |
False |
Mesquite woodlands; also cottonwood, willow, elm, and tepeguaje near the Rio Grande. Breeding April to July |
| Chuck-will's-widow |
Caprimulgus carolinensis |
Birds |
Not Listed |
Not Listed |
G5 |
S3S4B |
False |
Breeding: Drier woodland habitats, with some natural openings and/or adjacent to grassland/pasture/marshland for foraging; low density of canopy trees and an open mid-story maintained by frequent fires; relatively open forests or at edges of denser mixed pine and deciduous forests |
| piping plover |
Charadrius melodus |
Birds |
LT |
T |
G3 |
S2N |
False |
The county distribution for this species includes geographic areas that the species may use during migration. Time of year should be factored into evaluations to determine potential presence of this species in a specific county. Beaches, sandflats, and dunes along Gulf Coast beaches and adjacent offshore islands. Also spoil islands in the Intracoastal Waterway. Based on the November 30, 1992 Section 6 Job No. 9.1, Piping Plover and Snowy Plover Winter Habitat Status Survey, algal flats appear to be the highest quality habitat. Some of the most important aspects of algal flats are their relative inaccessibility and their continuous availability throughout all tidal conditions. Sand flats often appear to be preferred over algal flats when both are available, but large portions of sand flats along the Texas coast are available only during low-very low tides and are often completely unavailable during extreme high tides or strong north winds. Beaches appear to serve as a secondary habitat to the flats associated with the primary bays, lagoons, and inter-island passes. Beaches are rarely used on the southern Texas coast, where bayside habitat is always available, and are abandoned as bayside habitats become available on the central and northern coast. However, beaches are probably a vital habitat along the central and northern coast (i.e. north of Padre Island) during periods of extreme high tides that cover the flats. Optimal site characteristics appear to be large in area, sparsely vegetated, continuously available or in close proximity to secondary habitat, and with limited human disturbance. |
| mountain plover |
Charadrius montanus |
Birds |
Not Listed |
Not Listed |
G3 |
S2 |
False |
The county distribution for this species includes geographic areas that the species may use during migration. Time of year should be factored into evaluations to determine potential presence of this species in a specific county. Breeding: nests on high plains or shortgrass prairie, on ground in shallow depression; nonbreeding: shortgrass plains and bare, dirt (plowed) fields; primarily insectivorous. |
| Snowy Plover |
Charadrius nivosus |
Birds |
Not Listed |
Not Listed |
G3 |
S3B |
False |
Algal flats appear to be the highest quality habitat. Some of the most important aspects of algal flats are their relative inaccessibility and their continuous availability throughout all tidal conditions. An optimal site characteristic would be large in size. The size of populations appear to be roughly proportional to the total area of suitable habitat used. Formerly an uncommon breeder in the Panhandle; potential migrant; winter along coast. |
| Wilson's Plover |
Charadrius wilsonia |
Birds |
Not Listed |
Not Listed |
G5 |
S3B |
False |
Year-round: Sea level on broad, open sand flats, shorelines, and open spaces between dunes, salt or alkaline flats near brackish or salt water |
| Black Tern |
Chlidonias niger |
Birds |
Not Listed |
Not Listed |
G4G5 |
S3 |
False |
Migrant: River mouth, estuary, tidal flats (e.g. San Luis Pass) and shorelines |
| Lark Sparrow |
Chondestes grammacus |
Birds |
Not Listed |
Not Listed |
G5 |
S4B |
False |
Year-round: Riparian areas, mixed-grass and shortgrass uplands (some tall grass prairie also, but not preferred) with a shrub component and sparse litter; oak or mesquite savanna or parkland; sandhills; barrens; oldfields; cultivated fields; shrub thickets; woodland edges; shelterbelts; parks; brushy pastures; and in some instances overgrazed pastures |
| hook-billed kite |
Chondrohierax uncinatus |
Birds |
Not Listed |
Not Listed |
G4 |
S1 |
False |
Dense tropical and subtropical forests, but does occur in open woodlands; uncommon to rare in most of range; accidental in south Texas |
| Northern Harrier |
Circus hudsonius |
Birds |
Not Listed |
Not Listed |
G5 |
S2B,S3N |
False |
Year-round: Open habitats, including marshes and grasslands |
| Sedge Wren |
Cistothorus stellaris |
Birds |
Not Listed |
Not Listed |
G5 |
S4 |
False |
Winter: In pine savanna, may prefer woody understory vegetation and bog areas; in coastal prairies, preference appears to be for dense herbaceous vegetation |
| western yellow-billed cuckoo |
Coccyzus americanus occidentalis |
Birds |
LT |
Not Listed |
G5T2T3 |
S4S5B |
False |
Status applies only to western population beyond the Pecos River Drainage; breeds in riparian habitat and associated drainages; springs, developed wells, and earthen ponds supporting mesic vegetation; deciduous woodlands with cottonwoods and willows; dense understory foliage is important for nest site selection; nests in willow, mesquite, cottonwood, and hackberry; forages in similar riparian woodlands; breeding season mid-May-late Sept. |
| Northern Bobwhite |
Colinus virginianus |
Birds |
Not Listed |
Not Listed |
G4G5 |
S4B |
False |
Year-round: Mixed brush and grassland; brushy rangeland interspersed with bunchgrasses and cactus, stream courses and flood plains dotted with croplands offer prime habitat |
| Montezuma Quail |
Cyrtonyx montezumae |
Birds |
Not Listed |
Not Listed |
G4G5 |
S3B |
False |
Open pine-oak or juniper-oak with ground cover of bunch grass on flats and slopes of semi-desert mountains and hills; travels in pairs or small groups; eats succulents, acorns, nuts, and weed seeds, as well as various invertebrates |
| Cerulean Warbler |
Dendroica cerulea |
Birds |
Not Listed |
Not Listed |
G4 |
SHB,S3N |
False |
Treetops of riverbank woodlands, swamps, and bottomlands; mainly insectivorous |
| Yellow-throated Warbler |
Dendroica dominica |
Birds |
Not Listed |
Not Listed |
G5 |
S4B |
False |
Breeding: Mature bottomland hardwoods forest and dry, upland oak-pine forest; strong affinity for cypress along the Coastal Plains, but along inland rivers prefer sycamores; uses Spanish moss for both foraging and nesting; interior and edge species which may occur in woodlots as small as 6 ha |
| red-cockaded woodpecker |
Dryobates borealis |
Birds |
LE |
E |
G3 |
S2 |
False |
Cavity nests in older pine (60+ years); forages in younger pine (30+ years); prefers longleaf, shortleaf, and loblolly |
| Pileated Woodpecker |
Dryocopus pileatus |
Birds |
Not Listed |
Not Listed |
G5 |
S4B |
False |
Year-round: Closed canopy, large tract, older successional age classes of bottomland hardwoods, longleaf pine savanna, and mixed pine-hardwood stands, all with an abundance of large (>30 cm d.b.h.) snags - limiting factor |
| Little Blue Heron |
Egretta caerulea |
Birds |
Not Listed |
Not Listed |
G5 |
S5B |
False |
Breeding: Upland woods and motts with closed canopies, riparian tree sites, swamps, and wooded inland and coastal islands |
| reddish egret |
Egretta rufescens |
Birds |
Not Listed |
T |
G4 |
S2B |
False |
Resident of the Texas Gulf Coast; brackish marshes and shallow salt ponds and tidal flats; nests on ground or in trees or bushes, on dry coastal islands in brushy thickets of yucca and prickly pear |
| Snowy Egret |
Egretta thula |
Birds |
Not Listed |
Not Listed |
G5 |
S5B |
False |
Breeding: Nest with other colonial waterbird species, e.g., small tracts of isolated upland woods or mottes, wooded stream sides, inland wooded islands in reservoirs, swamps, and natural and dredge-material (spoil) coastal islands inhabit coastal wetlands and river drainage basins; salt and freshwater wetlands, especially in marshes, swamps, oxbow lakes, stream edges, and coastal lagoons and bays; microhabitats including open areas within dense marshes and swamps, small tidal creeks, open shallows at edges of wetlands, and human-made habitats, e.g., wet depressions in pastures and rice fields, farm and aquaculture ponds, roadside ditches and canals |