[texbirds] Nutmeg Mannikin, candidate for the official state list
- From: "Collins, Fred (Commissioner Pct. 3)" <Fred_Collins@xxxxxxxx>
- To: "1 Texbirds (texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 17:28:48 +0000
I believe that this species is well on its way to being a permanent part of the
Texas avifauna at least in terms of humans' historical perspective. It may not
last through the next ice age but then we humans may not either; the last one
got the Neanderthals it seems.
A quick check of Ebird shows the species reported from 40 locations in Texas;
already 11 different sites in 2013. While the vast majority of them are from
west and southwest Houston and Harris County they are also in adjacent counties
to the west and south. E bird has a few other records, Montgomery County, Lake
Jackson, the Corpus area. I know of an Orange TX record that is not in Ebird.
I am suspicious that they are also in other Texas cities and overlooked or
unreported. They can be entered in Ebird without a problem. Most localities
will want you to confirm you observation but they can easily be added to any
area in the country. Reporting the species into a data base like Ebird is the
only way a case might be built for adding the species to the state list.
Dr. Dan Brooks with the Houston Museum of Natural Science is also collecting
data on the species.
http://www.hmns.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&idd&Itemidr You
may report sighting to Dan at dbrooks@xxxxxxxx<mailto:dbrooks@xxxxxxxx>
Since Nutmeg Manikins are not in many field guides and stuck in the back of
those that include them, you may not find help in recognizing them. Young birds
are small pale versions of female Indigo Buntings with a slightly different
look to the bill. They are currently breeding is scattered places and will
start to show up at feeders in late summer. They like tall rank grass which is
often found in detention ponds especially within cities. Check out the species
on the Audubon web site
http://www.houstonaudubon.org/default.aspx?act=newsletter.aspx&newsletterid3&category=Bird%20Gallery&MenuGroup=Profiles&;
and you will find a link to a chart that shows molting young birds. They
pretty much stay a pale brown until almost a year old and then transform rather
quickly to the adult that you are likely to notice. The flocks I typically
encounter will be 2-4 adults with 6-12 immature birds.
I hope you will spend some time looking for this unusual species and make its
acquaintance. I suspect you will see it at your backyard feeder in the years to
come.
Fred Collins
(281) 357-5324
Director: Kleb Woods Nature Center
Cypress Top Historical Park
Commissioner Steve Radack
Harris County Precinct 3
www.pct3.hctx.net<http://www.pct3.hctx.net>
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