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Species We Protect: Birds

We help to protect some of the millions of migratory birds that fly across Texas every year.

Lesser Prairie ChickenThe prairie chicken played an integral role in the societies of some Plains Indian tribes. There are a number of recorded brave names involving the prairie chicken and some experts believe the bird’s distinct mating ritual inspired Sioux ritual dances. © Gerard Bertrand
Attwater's Prairie Chicken

Habitat for this critically imperiled species is protected at the Attwater’s Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge and at The Nature Conservancy’s Texas City Prairie Preserve. Learn more

Black-capped vireo 215x143Black-capped vireo © Rich Kostecke/The Nature Conservancy
Black-Capped Vireo

Breeding in Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and northeast Mexico, the birds nest in dense low thickets and oak scrub, usually on rocky hillsides. Learn more

Golden-cheeked Warbler 215x143Golden-cheeked Warbler © Rich Kostecke
Golden-Cheeked Warbler

Breeding only in a small area in the Texas Hill Country, these birds nest in mature junipers usually found in limestone canyons. Learn more

Lesser Prairie ChickenThe prairie chicken played an integral role in the societies of some Plains Indian tribes. There are a number of recorded brave names involving the prairie chicken and some experts believe the bird’s distinct mating ritual inspired Sioux ritual dances. © Gerard Bertrand
Lesser Prairie Chicken

Inhabiting a small, fragmented range in the southern Great Plains, the lesser prairie chicken is a chunky chicken-like bird. Learn more

Peregrine FalconAn adult, banded peregrine falcon in West Texas. © Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
Peregrine Falcon

The Texas coast is one of the most important staging areas in the world for migrating peregrine falcons. Learn more

Red-cockaded woodpeckerA red-cockaded woodpecker prepares to drill. © Malcolm Swan
Red-Cockaded Woodpecker

This woodpecker is named for the red “cockade” that exists behind the eye only on males of the species. Learn more

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Photo Special Features TabLion in Maasai Mara, Kenya, Africa. © Kenneth K. Coe

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Arden OConnor 215x143Arden O’Connor. © Lajla LeBlanc

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