Exotic Species
Daniel Brooks, Ph.D. of the Houston Museum of Natural Science is conducting a study of exotic species in Texas: Egyptian Goose, Mute Swan, Monk Parakeet, Scaly-breasted Munia, Orange Bishop, Red-vented Bulbul. Please fill out a report form for sightings of these species. The form is found on the Texas Invasive Bird Project webpage.
Banded Birds
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Report a bird band or a marked bird online.
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Report banded shorebirds online.
Researchers investigating bird movements and populations use colored bands and flags to give individual birds an identity and to make them visible to people who watch birds. You can help these researchers by taking good notes on any color banded birds you see. These notes should include the species of bird, color and order of the bands on each leg and where the bird was seen. For example Piping Plover: right leg red over blue, left leg green flag, Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary. Color banded birds should be reported to the U.S. Bird Banding Laboratory by calling 1-800-327-Band (2263) or on their web page. Sometimes it is possible to report the sighting directly to the researcher who banded the bird. If you find a bird with a numbered aluminum band you should also report that to the Bird Banding Lab.
Online report forms for banded shorebirds are on the BandedBirds.org website