Introduction

Texas, the largest state in the Lower 48, consists of a great variety of habitats: the coastal plains and Piney Woods forests near the Gulf of Mexico to the east, tropical brush to the south, dry desert to the west, and high plains to the north. This geographic diversity, with its accompanying array of climatic and vegetative zones, provides for an incredible number and variety of bird species. Texas supports habitat for resident breeders and seasonal visitors, as well as those birds passing through on migration to and from South America and Canada. Although Texas is home to or visited by over 600 species of birds, this guide describes the birds you are most likely to encounter here and includes some that are not found anywhere else in the United States, like the Golden-cheeked Warbler and the Great Kiskadee.