Travis Audubon

Tomorrow is our 17th annual Victor Emanuel Conservation Award Celebration, a gathering of Central Texas conservationists with two amazing honorees this year: Dr. Chuck Sexton and Lisa O’Donnell. This event would not be possible without all of our guests flocking to the Junior League tomorrow in their birdy best, or without the support of our generous sponsors. Thank you all!

Have a kid who loves birds? Join us this fall for family-friendly bird walks, the perfect opportunity to foster a love of nature and meet other families with young birders. Check out the upcoming events here: https://travisaudubon.org/youth-education

Do you want to get an insider's look into the lives of Purple Martins with a private tour from a PUMA landlord? Or snag two tickets to the much-anticipated 2027 Davis Mountains Hummingbird Celebration?

These adventures and more are now up for auction! You’ve got 3 days to bid on birding trips, gift certificates, and more. Start bidding at paybee.io/@41.

All proceeds from this auction will fund our nature preserves, inclusive education programs, and advocacy efforts on behalf of native birds.

The results are in for this year's Swift Night Out surveys!

These surveys took place right before sunset at towers around the Austin area on the second weekends of August and September. The purpose of these surveys is to monitor changes in the population of Chimney Swifts in our area. We plan to share more information in the future about the trends we have seen from these surveys, which have taken place over the last decade.

Chimney Swift populations have dropped roughly 70% over the last 50 years due to loss of nesting sites and a decline in flying insects. Uncapping your chimney or installing a Chimney Swift tower can be a great way to provide nesting and roosting habitat to these important insectivores. Learn more here: https://travisaudubon.org/chimney-swift-rescue

Meet our Bird of the Week: The Lark Sparrow

Unlike most sparrows, no other songbird in Texas looks anything like it. Picture three bold colors painted onto a smooth gray-and-white sparrow: a chestnut crown split down the middle by a clean white stripe; a chestnut cheek patch outlined in black above and below; a white eyebrow and white whisker. Texans get to enjoy this bird more than almost anyone else. The Texas Breeding Bird Atlas reports that Lark Sparrows breed across most of the state and reach their highest densities in the Rolling Plains, the South Texas Brush Country, and the Edwards Plateau — which is to say, the Hill Country we drive into every weekend.

Learn more about the Lark Sparrow here. https://travisaudubon.org/murmurations/bird-of-the-week-lark-sparrow

Baltimore Orioles, Painted Buntings, and Dickcissels. What do these birds have in common?

They are beautiful, charismatic birds that you can find at Shield Ranch Barton Creek. As with other migratory birds, they also benefit from bird-friendly building practices, including responsible nighttime lighting, visible glass, and thoughtful landscaping—as seen at the sustainably designed Campsite at Shield Ranch, among other places across Central Texas.

If you want migratory birds like these to stand the best chance of survival while navigating the capital city, support community efforts to pass a bird-friendly building ordinance!

How you can help:
1. Sign the petition to let City Council know that you support bird-friendly building design in Austin.
2. Submit any bird collision observations you encounter – whether it’s at home, work, or your weekend errands, it only takes a few minutes and gets us one step closer to making Austin a more bird-friendly community.

Get the full details: https://travisaudubon.org/buildingcollisions

Photos courtesy of Shield Ranch

Beginner Birding Walk & Talks are back at a library branch near you! Austin Public Library

If you've ever wanted to learn more about local birds and how to identify them, now is your chance. Learn the basics of bird watching (aka birding) and go on a casual bird walk with seasoned birders. Hundreds of species of birds are found in Austin, so birding can be a fun and rewarding hobby without having to leave the city. With fall migration underway, we may spot some very interesting birds!

Bird field guides and binoculars will be provided. Walk will be at a slow and comfortable pace.

Get more details about these upcoming events (and register today!) on our events calendar. https://travisaudubon.org/events-calendar

Join us this weekend for our BIPOC Walk!
Sat. September 26 | 8:00 - 10:00 AM
Unity Underpass/Krieg Fields Trailhead on the Butler Trail
Free, registration required.

Join Mohammad Tohidifar, and TTC staff, Jonatan Salinas, to find birds and observe their behavior on the new section of the Butler Trail that begins at the Unity Underpass/Krieg Fields Trailhead and heading west along the newly developed wishbone pedestrian bridge. Recently planted native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and natural spring water dominate the landscape and provide excellent habitats for many different species of birds.

Travis Audubon’s BIPOC Bird Walks intentionally welcome Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to build community and connection through enjoying birds and birding. We invite anyone who identifies as BIPOC and who supports our values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and access to join us. Friends, family, and allies are welcome to attend as space allows.

Learn more and register here: https://travis.app.neoncrm.com/event-detail?event=30308

Opting for shield lightning makes a huge difference for migrating birds at night!

Through the use of physical barriers or full-cut off designs, overhead lights can be directed downwards, preventing illumination from escaping and contributing to light pollution, which can be incredibly disorientating to birds. This form of lighting still fulfills the same functions as any other, while still making a big difference in reducing light pollution.

For more info on our Lights Out initiative: https://travisaudubon.org/lights-out-texas

Meet our Bird of the Week: The American White Pelican!

This is a huge waterbird with an overall length up to 70 inches, in part due to its huge beak, which measures up to 15 inches in males. American White Pelicans do not plunge-dive like Brown Pelicans do. White Pelicans feed from the water’s surface, dipping their beaks into the water to catch fish and other aquatic organisms. They often upend, like a very large dabbling duck, in this process. They like to come together in groups of a dozen or more birds to feed. This allows them to cooperate and corral fish with one another.

Learn more about the American White Pelican here. https://travisaudubon.org/murmurations/bird-of-the-week-american-white-pelican