By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
I was actually planning to go on the city’s birding tour on Sunday, not lead it, but that’s not how things turned out.
I arrived at the Casa De La Cultura early, at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, and was a little surprised when I didn’t find anyone there. I
actually called Indian Peafowl, Common Peafowl or Blue Peafowl, are native to India,
but have been transplanted all over the world for zoos, parks and private homes. This bird
is probably an escapee from someone’s yard. We’ve included it here for all our peacock-
loving readers. (Courtesy photo/Kassandra Flores)
waited in the Mustang, and after a few minutes, Jorge Garza, the city’s Main Street Program manager arrived.
Closer to 7 a.m., people started arriving, and by the time the tour started, we had between 35 and 40 participants.
At the last minute, someone – I actually don’t remember who it was – told me I would be leading the tour. The city’s literature on the event had indicated that members of the San Felipe Creek Coalition would be the tour leaders. City personnel had asked me to make a video previewing the event, but no one mentioned anything about me being the tour leader. Yikes!
I can tell you that I was absolutely not prepared to be the tour leader. If I’d had advance notice, I would have brought several other experienced birders with me, like my husband, Michael G., and I would have broken up the crowd into several smaller groups of about 10 people in each.
But, as Michael G. advises, “Take what comes and make the best of it,” so lead the tour I did.
We immediately found several species of bird in the Rincon,
photo taken in 2014. The largest species of kingfisher in the Western Hemisphere, this
bird reaches the northern limit of its large range in south Texas and lives in Del Rio all
year long. (Photo by Karen Gleason)
including a large flock of Great-tailed Grackles, several Turkey Vultures and Couch’s Kingbirds.
Couch’s Kingbirds are some of the most conspicuous and easily observed birds in the Rincon area. Their preferred perches, at the tops of the highest trees, make them easy to spot, as do their loud calls, a whistled pip-pip-preer!
Couch’s Kingbirds are also one of several “Texas specialties” that can be easily found in Del Rio. Texas specialties is the name birders give to those avian species that may have large, extensive ranges elsewhere, but which barely reach the ends of their ranges in Texas.
So, for birdwatchers keeping species lists for birds they’ve seen in the United States, Texas is the only place where these birds can be seen and “counted.”
Couch’s Kingbirds are very common on the east coast of Mexico, all the way south to Yucatan state, along with their close cousins, the Tropical Kingbird. Another cousin of the Couch’s Kingbird, the Western Kingbird, is a summer resident of Del Rio, but is mainly found in the drier areas north and west of the creek.
Another “Texas specialty” easily found in the Rincon and
during the winter of 2022. Couch’s Kingbirds are the resident kingbird species in Del
Rio. Another species, the Western Kingbird, is a summer resident. (Photo by Karen
Gleason)
elsewhere along the San Felipe Creek is the Ringed Kingfisher.
Several of those on the tour observed a pair of these large fish hunters flying from the creek across the adjoining neighborhood, likely to another fishing spot farther upstream.
Ringed Kingfishers are the largest kingfishers in the Western Hemisphere and one of the largest kingfisher species in the world. Their range is extensive, reaching deep into South
America, all the way to Tierra del Fuego.
Again, South Texas is the northernmost tip of their range.
An eagle-eyed instructor pilot from Laughlin Air Force Base found a large group of Chimney Swifts flying high above the Rincon. These delightful aerialists, which consume a variety of flying insects, look like flying cigars and often nest in tree cavities or the chimneys of local residences.
I believe the swifts are “staging,” gathering in large groups to feed and fly together as they get ready for their long autumn migration to the Amazon basin in South America.
Among other birds we observed on Sunday were the Rincon’s two resident woodpecker species, the large Golden-fronted Woodpecker and the Ladder-backed Woodpecker. We also saw a female Vermilion Flycatcher, a Black-crested Titmouse and heard
Bewick’s Wren, Carolina Wren, Bell’s Vireo and Great Kiskadee.
The group was really too large to do really serious birdwatching, but now we know for next time. At the end of the tour, I found that I had enjoyed myself, and I was pleased that many of the tour participants approached me to see if I would take them out again.
I was especially gratified that among the group were a number of parents who had brought their children for this outdoors experience. The kids all seemed to enjoy themselves mightily, and it’s wonderful to me anytime young people are learning about the wonders of the natural world. I owe my own lifelong love of the outdoors to my parents and grandparents.
I applaud the city for moving toward ecotourism-type events. Birding festivals are huge tourist draws in other parts of the state, bringing in an estimated $1.9 billion a year.
Thousands of tourists flock to places like the lower Rio Grande Valley to see the birds there, and Del Rio has the potential for being a similar “hotspot” for bird-seeking visitors.
As the biggest city between the Valley and the Big Bend and points west, the “Queen City of the Rio Grande” is uniquely positioned to take advantage of these clean tourist
dollars.
The writer can be reached at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com .
