Birds

A Red-crowned Parrot looking around a tree trunk
December 2015 Issue

The Wild, Red-Crowned Parrots of Texas

The Valley’s red-crowned parrots may be a wild and rare breed – not just escaped pets.

Story by Karl Berg
cd case with cover title top ten bird songs in Texas name that tune selected by Cliff Shackleford
August/September 2015 Issue

The Top 10 Bird Songs in Texas

My ears love the sounds of birds; here are some of my favorites.

Story by Cliff Shackelford
scissor tailed flycatcher with peachy sides and flowing tail flying over lavender
May 2015 Issue

The 12 Most Beautiful Birds in Texas

There are plenty of lovely avian contenders for the list.

Story by Cliff Shackelford
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
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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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