Birds in Texas in October: What to Photograph (60 Species)

60 birds were recorded seen in Texas in October in our iNaturalist sample; 3 of the top 50 are at their peak this month. The list is ranked by number of research-grade observations.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Top birds in October

Great Blue Heron4,035 obs.

Northern Mockingbird4,012 obs.

Great-tailed Grackle3,915 obs.

Great Egret3,841 obs.

Eastern Phoebe3,434 obs.

Northern Cardinal3,302 obs.

Turkey Vulture2,366 obs.

Black Vulture2,127 obs.

Red-shouldered Hawk2,091 obs.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher1,939 obs.

Red-tailed Hawk1,876 obs.

Snowy Egret1,702 obs.

All birds seen in Texas in October

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	4,035	Apr (past peak)
2	Northern Mockingbird	Mimus polyglottos	Mockingbirds and Thrashers	4,012	Apr (past peak)
3	Great-tailed Grackle	Quiscalus mexicanus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	3,915	Apr (past peak)
4	Great Egret	Ardea alba	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	3,841	Apr (past peak)
5	Eastern Phoebe	Sayornis phoebe	Tyrant Flycatchers	3,434	Oct (peak)
6	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinals and Allies	3,302	Apr (past peak)
7	Turkey Vulture	Cathartes aura	New World Vultures	2,366	Apr (past peak)
8	Black Vulture	Coragyps atratus	New World Vultures	2,127	Apr (past peak)
9	Red-shouldered Hawk	Buteo lineatus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	2,091	Feb (past peak)
10	Scissor-tailed Flycatcher	Tyrannus forficatus	Tyrant Flycatchers	1,939	Apr (past peak)
11	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	1,876	Jan (past peak)
12	Snowy Egret	Egretta thula	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	1,702	Apr (past peak)
13	White Ibis	Eudocimus albus	Ibises and Spoonbills	1,624	Apr (past peak)
14	American Kestrel	Falco sparverius	Falcons and Caracaras	1,581	Jan (past peak)
15	White-winged Dove	Zenaida asiatica	Pigeons and Doves	1,513	Apr (past peak)
16	Eastern Bluebird	Sialia sialis	Thrushes	1,487	Apr (past peak)
17	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	1,419	Apr (past peak)
18	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	1,418	Apr (past peak)
19	Osprey	Pandion haliaetus	Ospreys	1,360	Oct (peak)
20	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	1,356	Apr (past peak)
21	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus	Woodpeckers	1,353	Apr (past peak)
22	American Coot	Fulica americana	Rails, Gallinules, and Coots	1,341	Mar (past peak)
23	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	1,339	Jan (past peak)
24	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	1,313	Apr (past peak)
25	Killdeer	Charadrius vociferus	Plovers and Lapwings	1,258	Apr (past peak)
26	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	1,255	Apr (past peak)
27	Laughing Gull	Leucophaeus atricilla	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	1,239	Apr (past peak)
28	Pied-billed Grebe	Podilymbus podiceps	Grebes	1,230	Jan (past peak)
29	Lincoln's Sparrow	Melospiza lincolnii	New World Sparrows	1,174	Apr (past peak)
30	Belted Kingfisher	Megaceryle alcyon	Kingfishers	1,164	Oct (peak)
31	Carolina Wren	Thryothorus ludovicianus	Wrens	1,149	Apr (past peak)
32	American White Pelican	Pelecanus erythrorhynchos	Pelicans	1,072	Jan (past peak)
33	Crested Caracara	Caracara plancus	Falcons and Caracaras	1,046	Apr (past peak)
34	Carolina Chickadee	Poecile carolinensis	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	1,040	Jan (past peak)
35	Brown Pelican	Pelecanus occidentalis	Pelicans	1,010	Apr (past peak)
36	Nashville Warbler	Leiothlypis ruficapilla	New World Warblers	1,001	Apr (past peak)
37	Ruby-crowned Kinglet	Corthylio calendula	Kinglets	999	Jan (past peak)
38	Black-bellied Whistling-Duck	Dendrocygna autumnalis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	978	Apr (past peak)
39	Orange-crowned Warbler	Leiothlypis celata	New World Warblers	972	Jan (past peak)
40	Loggerhead Shrike	Lanius ludovicianus	Shrikes	953	Jan (past peak)
41	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	888	Apr (past peak)
42	Tricolored Heron	Egretta tricolor	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	884	Apr (past peak)
43	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	867	Jan (past peak)
44	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	850	Apr (past peak)
45	Willet	Tringa semipalmata	Sandpipers and Allies	847	Apr (past peak)
46	Northern Flicker	Colaptes auratus	Woodpeckers	834	Dec (rising)
47	Greater Roadrunner	Geococcyx californianus	Cuckoos	831	Apr (past peak)
48	Sanderling	Calidris alba	Sandpipers and Allies	822	Apr (past peak)
49	Neotropic Cormorant	Nannopterum brasilianum	Cormorants and Shags	808	Apr (past peak)
50	Blue-winged Teal	Spatula discors	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	802	Apr (past peak)

Birds Seen in Texas in October

Top birds in October

All birds seen in Texas in October