Birds of The Brazos River

The Brazos River is one of the longest rivers in the United States that is present in Texes. The Brazos River gives rise to Brazos Bottomland which is rich in wildlife. An almost 5000 acres’ park has been built along the sides of the Brazos River to conserve wild plants, animals, birds, and fishes. This park consists of lakes, ponds, grasslands, a large variety of wild animals, and wild birds. This park is not only the habitat of a large number of wild birds but also is a shelter for a wide variety of migrating birds that I’m going to discuss.

Wood Duck and Mallard Duck

These ducks can often be seen near and on the river. Other Types of Geese and Ducks that are can be seen in different period includes Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Greater White-fronted Goose, Snow Goose, Ross’s Goose, Cackling Goose, Canada Goose, Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead, Blue-winged Teal, Mallard, Mottled Duck, Great Scaup, Lesser Scaup, and Hooded Merganser.

Turkeys

Wild Turkeys can be found throughout the year near the river. Along with Turkeys, Northern Bobwhite Quail can also be located in this area.

Bald Eagle

Bald eagles can be seen hunting fish on the river. They can also be found nesting along the river. Resident raptors include the Mississippi Kite, Red-shouldered Hawk, White-Tailed Hawk, and Red-tailed Hawk. Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, and Swanson’s Hawk are the other migratory raptors that can be the seen  along the river.

Sandpipers

They are not the resident of the nearby area however, a large number of species of Sandpipers can be seen along the Brazos River throughout the year. Species like Spotted Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Upland Sandpiper, Long-billed Curlew, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Baird’s Sandpiper, Pectoral Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, and American Woodcock can be spotted here.

Woodpecker

Red-bellied woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, and Pileated Woodpecker are residents of the area and can be seen in the valley all around the year. Ladder-backed Woodpecker is less common than the other two types of woodpeckers. Other Woodpeckers that do not live locally but can be found around the nearby area includes Red-headed woodpecker, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Downy woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, and Northern Flicker. As these birds are not residents of the Brazos River so they are not commonly found, however, they can be seen along the river in different seasons.

Falcons

Crested Caracara lives near the river and can be spotted in the nearby area all around the year. However, they are less commonly present in the river areas during the summer seasons. American Kestrel is another falcon that is commonly present in this area, although it is not a resident of nearby areas. Merlin and Peregrine Flacons can also be seen.

Along with these birds’ different types of Loons, Grebes, Pelicans, Cormorants, Anhinga, Herons, Spoonbills, Storks, Vultures, Cranes, Plovers, Rails, and Gulls can also be spotted along the banks of Brazos River.