Savannah Sparrow – ForagingPasserculus sandwichensis April – Texas L=5.5” ...... WS=6.75”....... WT=0.7 oz Order: Passeriformes (Passerine Birds) Family: Emberizidae (New World Sparrows) Savannah Sparrows, like many sparrows, forage on the ground in grassy areas. Because of this and their skulking behavior, they can be hard to observe closely. Like most sparrows, they can be hard to identify due to their small size, tendency to flush rapidly, and very similar appearance to other sparrows. One behavior that aids in identifying Savannah Sparrows is their tendency to flush when humans are relatively far away and fly to nearby trees, shrubs or other elevated objects before continuing to forage. Most other sparrows wait until almost stepped on to flush and then fly a long distance and resume foraging.
Least GrebeTachybaptus dominicus October – Texas L=9.5” ...... WS=11” ...... WT=4 oz Order: Podicipediformes (Grebes) Family: Podicipedidae (Grebes) The Least Grebe is the smallest New World grebe and, while widely distributed throughout Central and South America to northern Argentina, its presence in the U.S. is limited to the Rio Grande valley and Gulf Coast of Texas to Houston. This grebe has a particularly rapid reproductive cycle which enables the use of newly created or temporary bodies of water for breeding.
Pied-billed Grebe – Communicating between dives Podilymbus podiceps March – Texas L=13” ...... WS=16” ...... WT=1 lb Order: Podicipediformes (Grebes) Family: Podicipedidae (Grebes) The Pied-billed Grebe is a secretive bird with a loud and reaching call that is frequently heard before the bird is spotted. They are seldom seen in flight during the day since they prefer to avoid danger by diving or sinking from view. The sinking is accomplished by expelling air from the area between the feathers and body and from air sacs. Grebes are strong swimmers due to the unusual ability of their feet to rotate 90 degrees between the power stroke and the recovery stroke. This is different from all other families of living birds. In this picture the two grebes were diving for food and every 3-4 minutes they would swim to each other, chatter for about 20 seconds and then dive again.
