Birds

Killdeer brown and white with two distinctive black bands across the breast resembling wide necklaces standing in a field of small yellow flowers
August/September 2014 Issue

12 Birds Every Texan Should Know

From the mockingbird’s mimicry to the coot’s need for a runway, these birds are Texas classics.

Story by Cliff Shackelford
Somerville Morning Painting by Clemente Guzman III
December 2013 Issue

TPWD Wildlife Artist Clemente Guzman Paints to Inspire Conservation

A childhood in migrant crop fields led to 25 years of stamp art and magazine covers.

Story by Louie Bond
Loggerhead Shrike on a twig.
November 2013 Issue

Loggerhead Shrikes Impale Their Prey

This songbird gets its name from the frightening way it stores food.

Story by Heidi K. Bailey
A greater roadrunner
December 2012 Issue

Roadrunners Rely on Swiftness and Agility, Not Flight

The speedy birds are an iconic species of the desert Southwest.

Story by Tucker Slack
Rock wren standing on a rock
May 2012 Issue

Wrens in Texas: Not-So-Plain Janes

Don’t be fooled by their drab looks — wrens boast busybody energy and beautiful songs.

Story by Noreen Damude
A brown pelican at Chester Island bird sanctuary
April 2010 Issue

The Endangered Brown Pelican Resurrection

This once-endangered water bird is now the comeback kid.

Story by Wendee Holtcamp
Rockhouse wildfire
May 2009 Issue

Birds, Brush and Fire

Researchers work on bringing balance back to the Brush Country.

Story by Mary O. Parker
Dove nest with baby bird and mom
May 2008 Issue

What To Do If You Find a Baby Bird Left Alone

Usually, the mother is not far away, and it's best to leave it be.

Story by Mary O. Parker
Two men and dogs getting ready to Dove Hunt
September 2003 Issue

Doves and Honey Are Two Great Reasons to Visit Uvalde

A dove hunting excursion leads to discovery in South Texas.

Story by Susan L. Ebert
Person walking on a bridge in the swampy land of the Sabine River
September 2003 Issue

The Blue Elbow: There's Magic in This Texas Swamp

History and mystery meet at this cypress-lined bend of the Sabine River.

Story by Chester Moore Jr.
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The October 2024 cover of Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine, featuring a surfer riding a wave along the Texas Gulf Coast

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