Texas has around 655 species, as accepted by the Texas Ornithological Society’s Texas Bird Records Committee. Of these birds, 164 are on the review list, six are introduced, and two are extinct. The species that have ceased to live in Texas include the passenger pigeon and Carolina parakeet.
Texas has several bird species, either residing all year round or seasonally. However, each region has few indigenous species.
For instance, the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas is home to birds like the buff-bellied hummingbird, green jay, gray hawk, and olive sparrow. The common backyard birds of central Texas include the lesser goldfinch, house finch, and American robin. While birds like spotted towhee and yellow-rumped warbler frequent the state’s central part in winter. Common species of west Texas are western grebe and Swainson’s hawk.
The northern mockingbird, known for its unique singing ability, has been the official state bird of Texas since 1927.
