February bird forecast: Who’s flocking to town

Here’s the Central Texas bird forecast for the month, courtesy of Travis
 Audubon. Learn more about Central Texas birds and bird-related events for all
 ages at travisaudubon.org or by calling 512-300-BIRD.

 Travis Audubon is on Twitter and Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @TravisAudubon and like us at www.facebook.com/travisaudubon.

February is all about flocks — big flocks of familiar birds coming through and settling in for spring.

If you see some big flocks of birds out and about, they may be American Robins. These good-sized songbirds start appearing in Central Texas in larger numbers in late winter, and they’re hard to miss. They spend much of their time on the ground looking for food. Robins gather in flocks of about 250, which seems to increase their success in finding food. One College Station nighttime roost in the  late 1960s was estimated at 2 million robins.

American Robin - John Benson, Creative Commons

Also arriving in large flocks but sticking to the trees are the equally colorful Cedar Waxwings. They’re sleek brownish birds with a black mask, a slight topknot and yellow and red touches on their wings and tails. Listen for their high-pitched “see see see” as they stay in contact with each other. They love berries, including juniper and mulberry.

Cedar Waxwing - Matt Gillivray, Creative Commons

Another colorful species that’s spending the winter with us is the American Goldfinch. They’ve been here in good numbers since November and will be heading north in March. They look a lot like our permanent resident, the Lesser Goldfinch, but are slightly larger and have more prominent buffy wing bars. As the days wear on, they will begin to get into their bright yellow breeding plumage. Listen for their ”po-ta-to-chip” calls while in flight.

Molting Goldfinch - Dawn Huczek, Creative Commons

Male Goldfinch - Jim De Vries

Purple Martins are beginning to arrive from South America, so be on the look out for a large swallow checking out people’s white gourds around town.

Purple Martin - Jim De Vries

Meanwhile, there are some upcoming events that nature lovers will be flocking to.

The Celebration of Urban Birds will be held Feb. 18. There will be events for families and beginner bird-watchers and just plain old nature lovers. It’s at the Austin Nature and Science Center and is free. Events include a bird walk, kids drawing and scavenger hunts, and demonstrations with live birds, including birds of prey. There will also be events at other Austin Parks and Recreation venues. For more information call the Austin Nature & Science Center at 974-3888 or Janice.sturrock@ci.austin.tx.us.

The Great Backyard Bird Count takes place Feb. 17-20. It’s a giant nationwide effort to take a snapshot of where all the birds are in a four-day period. Participants count birds anywhere for as little or as long as they wish during the four-day period. You tally the highest number of birds of each species seen together at any one time. To report your counts, fill out an online checklist at the Great Backyard Bird Count website at http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc. There are special instructions for kids and beginners of all ages.

Compiled by Travis Audubon volunteers Jane Tillman and Raeanne Martinez