FRP_BirdGuide

Birds at the FRP During the spring of 2020, EAA staff identified 59 bird species, including the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler! This

warbler is migratory, spending its winters in Mexico and Central America. During the spring, it flies north to breed exclusively in the Texas Hill Country. The Golden-cheeked Warbler prefers woodlands with mature Ashe Junipers in steep-sided canyons or slopes. Mature, or old-growth, juniper trees are essential for

Male Golden-cheeked Warbler foraging at the FRP, spring 2020.

the warbler’s survival—its nests are constructed from strips of juniper bark readily removed from the shaggy trunks of mature trees. The primary threat to the Golden-cheeked Warbler is loss of habitat and the fragmentation of remaining habitat. This includes the loss of nesting habitat in Texas and the loss of wintering habitat in Mexico and Central America. A sighting of this special bird at the FRP indicates the presence of vital habitat. Bird species at the FRP vary throughout the year as a result of migration. Many birds fly hundreds to thousands of miles every spring and fall. Some winter in Mexico, Central America, and South America, making the long flight back to North America for the breeding season. The paths of these migration flights North American Migratory Bird Flyways

Central Flyway

Pacific Flyway

Atlantic Flyway

Mississippi Flyway

Figure 1: Extent of the four main North American flyways. Map credit United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

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EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY