Fifteen Birds, One H-E-B Aisle, and a New Backyard Curiosity

Written By Bill Ross
Illustrated hero image titled “Backyard Birds of the Texas Hill Country” showing a Northern Cardinal, Eastern Bluebird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, and a soaring hawk against rolling Hill Country hills in soft cream, olive, and warm brown tones.

I wasn’t planning on buying a bird guide.

But there I was, standing in an H-E-B checkout line, and a “Texas Birds Folding Pocket Guide” caught my eye. One of those compact, no-nonsense guides you can toss in a drawer or glove box and actually use. Curiosity won.

It turns out the guide covers waterbirds and near-shore species as well — which I’m deliberately excluding here — and still includes 90 land-based bird species found in Texas. That’s a lot of birds.

So far, I’ve been able to positively identify just 15 of them in my own yard and around the neighborhood here in the Texas Hill Country. That’s humbling. And motivating.

What follows is my current list — birds I’ve clearly seen, identified, and confirmed. I’ve left space under each name to add photos as I collect them. Some are already in hand. Others are coming. NOTE: I did not take the photos they are royalty-free images I found online.

The 15 Birds I’ve Identified So Far

American Crow

American Crow perched on a tree branch, showing glossy black feathers and a stout black bill.

American Robin

American Robin standing on grass, displaying a gray back, orange breast, and white eye ring.

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Black-chinned Hummingbird hovering near flowers, with iridescent throat and rapidly beating wings.

Blue Jay

Blue Jay perched on a branch, showing bright blue feathers, white face markings, and a black necklace.

Cooper’s Hawk

Cooper’s Hawk perched upright, with slate-gray back, barred chest, and sharp hooked beak.

Dark-eyed Junco

Dark-eyed Junco standing on the ground, showing a gray head, white belly, and pinkish bill.

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird perched on a branch, displaying vivid blue wings and a rusty orange chest.

Indigo Bunting

Indigo Bunting perched in sunlight, showing deep blue plumage across head and body.

Lesser Goldfinch

Lesser Goldfinch perched on a branch, with yellow underparts, black cap, and greenish back.

Northern Cardinal (Male)

Northern Cardinal perched on a branch, displaying bright red plumage and a prominent crest.

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk soaring overhead, showing broad wings and a distinctive reddish tail.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Ruby-throated Hummingbird hovering mid-air, with a shimmering red throat and green body.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher perched with long forked tail feathers extending behind it.

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Sharp-shinned Hawk perched among branches, showing compact size and finely barred chest.

Turkey Vulture

Turkey Vulture gliding with wings spread, displaying dark feathers and a red featherless head.

Your Turn

This is where I’d love your help.

If you live here in the Texas Hill Country — Boerne, Fair Oaks Ranch, Comfort, Bandera, or nearby — what birds have you seen locally that aren’t on this list yet?

Drop a comment. Name the bird. Bonus points if you’ve got a photo or know roughly when and where you saw it. This isn’t about being an expert. It’s about paying attention.

Apparently, there’s a lot more flying around us than I realized.

Bill Ross https://BillRossRealtor.com
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Hill Country Gardening: Learning to Grow Where the Rock Is in Charge