British Columbia · 54.40°N

Birds of Houston

What has actually been seen around Houston: 190 species, the most recorded backyard birds, the busiest months, and what to put out for them.

Species on record: 190 within 6 mi
Observation records: 7,945 since 2010
Most recorded bird: American Crow
Busiest month: May
Elevation: 1,936 ft
Daylight, June / December: 17.2 h / 7.3 h

What the records say about Houston

190 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Houston (British Columbia) since 2010, across 7,945 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee and American Robin.

Houston is backyard-bird country: 68% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, American Robin and Dark-eyed Junco make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

18 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Bald Eagle and Red-tailed Hawk.

Records peak in May and are lowest in November — about 13.8 times as many in the busiest month. Part of that is birds (migrants and breeding arrivals), part is people: more birders are out in good weather, so treat the curve as activity, not a census.

Telkwa, 26 mi to the north-west, has more species on record (209 against 190). Birds logged far more often around Houston than there include Eurasian Collared-Dove and Sora.

At about 1,936 ft above sea level, Houston sits higher than most places in British Columbia. Spring arrives a little later with height, and feeders matter more in cold snaps — keep a supply of high-fat food going through late winter and early spring.

Daylight runs from 17 h 14 min at midsummer to 7 h 18 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:26 AM in mid-April and 4:50 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Most recorded birds near Houston

#	Bird	Records
1	American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos	382
2	Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus	319
3	American RobinTurdus migratorius	310
4	Canada GooseBranta canadensis	297
5	MallardAnas platyrhynchos	295
6	Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis	231
7	Common RavenCorvus corax	221
8	Song SparrowMelospiza melodia	220
9	Northern FlickerColaptes auratus	216
10	Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus	201
11	Ruby-crowned KingletRegulus calendula	182
12	Yellow-rumped WarblerSetophaga coronata	181
13	Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus	156
14	Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis	144
15	Pine SiskinSpinus pinus	138
16	Eurasian TealAnas crecca	132
17	American WigeonMareca americana	118
18	Black-billed MagpiePica hudsonia	106
19	Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor	99
20	Northern PintailAnas acuta	95

Records by month

What to put out in Houston

Foods for the most recorded backyard birds here, from our species notes.

American Crow
Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts
American Robin
Mealworms · Chopped apple and berries · Suet nuggets
Dark-eyed Junco
White proso millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn
Common Raven
Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps
Song Sparrow
Millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn

Seasonal bird notes for British Columbia

What's arriving, what to feed and when to clean feeders, written for Canadian backyards. One email a month at most.

Nearby places

Frequently asked

What birds visit backyards in Houston?

The most recorded backyard birds within 6 mi of Houston are American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, American Robin, Dark-eyed Junco and Common Raven, based on 7,945 public records since 2010.

How many bird species have been seen near Houston?

190 species have at least one record within 6 mi of the town centre since 2010 (GBIF).

When is the best month for birds in Houston?

Observation records peak in May and are lowest in November. Sunrise in late June is around 4:50 AM.

Sources

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.