Specialty Birds
Rio Grande Valley Specialty Birds
The Rio Grande Valley’s diverse ecosystem is home to many native bird species that can only be found in South Texas. The following 48 species are often termed “Rio Grande Valley Specialties” because they are usually found nowhere else in North America or are especially numerous here:
| Common Name | Scientific Name |
|---|---|
| Altamira Oriole | Icterus gularis |
| Aplomado Falcon | Falco femoralis |
| Audubon’s Oriole | Icterus graduacauda |
| Black-Bellied Whistling-Duck | Dendrocygna autumnalis |
| Black-crested form of Tufted Titmouse | Baeolophus bicolor |
| Blue Bunting | Cyanocompsa parellina |
| Botteri’s Sparrow | Aimophila botterii |
| Bronzed Cowbird | Molothrus aeneus |
| Brown Jay | Cyanocorax morio |
| Brown-crested Flycatcher | Myiarchus tyrannulus |
| Buff-bellied Hummingbird | Amazilia yucatensis |
| Clay-colored Robin | Turdus grayi |
| Couch’s Kingbird | Tyrannus couchii |
| Crested Caracara | Polyborus plancus or Caracara plancus |
| Elf Owl | Micrathene whitneyi |
| Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl | Glaucidium brasilianum |
| Gray Hawk | Asturina nitida |
| Great Kiskadee | Pitangus sulphuratus |
| Green Jay | Cyanocorax yncas |
| Green Kingfisher | Chloroceryle americana |
| Green Parakeet | Aratinga holochlora |
| Groove-billed Ani | Crotophaga sulcirostris |
| Golden-fronted Woodpecker | Melanerpes aurifrons |
| Harris Hawk | Parabuteo unicinctus |
| Hook-billed Kite | Chondrohierax uncinatus |
| Least Grebe | Tachybaptus dominicus |
| Long-billed Thrasher | Toxostoma longirostre |
| Masked Duck | Nomonyx dominicus |
| Mottled Duck | Anas fulvigula |
| Neotropic Cormorant | Phalacrocorax brasilianus |
| Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet | Camptostoma imberbe |
| Northern Jacana | Jacana spinosa |
| Olive Sparrow | Arremonops rufivirgatus |
| Pauraque | Nyctidromus albicollis |
| Plain Chachalaca | Ortalis vetula |
| Reddish Egret | Egretta rufescens |
| Red-billed Pigeon | Patagioenas flavirostris |
| Red-crowned Parrot | Amazona viridigenalis |
| Ringed Kingfisher | Ceryle torquata |
| Roadside Hawk | Buteo magnirostris |
| Tamaulipas Crow | Corvus imparatus |
| Tropical Kingbird | Tyrannus melancholicus |
| Tropical Parula | Parula pitiayumi |
| White-tipped Dove | Leptotila verreauxi |
| White-tailed Hawk | Buteo albicaudatus |
| White-tailed Kite | Elanus leucurus |
| White-collared Seedeater | Sporophila torqueola |
