Jack: I think that it would be useful to have an Established Exotics on the Texas state list. That would help those of us who do interpretive birding hikes at our given local birding sites. It would give us ammunition when explaining why one exotic is countable and another exotic is not countable. Later! Steve Steve Hawkins San Antonio TX -----Original Message----- From: texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jack Eitniear Sent: Monday, June 10, 2013 1:29 PM To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; Fred_Collins@xxxxxxxx Subject: [texbirds] Re: Nutmeg Mannikin, candidate for the official state list Do we want Established Exotics on the official State List??? Jack EitniearSan Antonio, Texas jce@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx "We will be known forever by the tracks we leave" Dakota Indian Saying --- On Mon, 6/10/13, Collins, Fred (Commissioner Pct. 3) <Fred_Collins@xxxxxxxx> wrote: From: Collins, Fred (Commissioner Pct. 3) <Fred_Collins@xxxxxxxx> Subject: [texbirds] Nutmeg Mannikin, candidate for the official state list To: "1 Texbirds (texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Date: Monday, June 10, 2013, 12:28 PM 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&newsletterid‘3&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> Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at //www.freelists.org/list/texbirds Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission from the List Owner Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at //www.freelists.org/list/texbirds Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission from the List Owner Edit your Freelists account settings for TEXBIRDS at //www.freelists.org/list/texbirds Reposting of traffic from TEXBIRDS is prohibited without seeking permission from the List Owner