Birds of Williamson County in the Texas Hill Country

Birds of Williamson County, Texas

Birdwatching at Scurlock Farms in the Texas Hill Country

Birdwatchers from across the country — and around the world — come to Scurlock Farms to experience the incredible diversity of birds of Williamson County, Texas. Many of our guests arrive as avid birders, while others discover a new appreciation for birds simply by spending time here. One thing they all have in common?
Every birder who has stayed with us has seen a “lifer” — a bird they had never seen in person before.

Several guests have returned multiple times, and remarkably, each visit has added another lifer to their list.

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Roadrunners: A Guest Favorite

Roadrunners are one of the most exciting and unexpected birds guests encounter at Scurlock Farms. On one farm tour, a couple from Kansas noticed something fluttering in the dusty ground near a gate. As we approached, we realized it was a roadrunner taking a dirt bath — a first-time sighting that thrilled them.

Another guest from Ukraine was equally delighted when a roadrunner ran, then flew right across the road in front of us. More than one guest has laughed and admitted they thought roadrunners were “just cartoon characters” until seeing one here in real life.

I’ve known the location of a roadrunner nest for five different years — one of them along our regular tour path. Guests are always amazed to learn that the nest sits about 15 feet in the air, and that roadrunners can indeed fly.

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Why Scurlock Farms Is Ideal for Birding

Jim Hailey, President of the Williamson County Audubon Society, spent a day birding across Scurlock Farms and noted that the diverse terrain makes it an exceptional location for seeing many species of birds in one place.

Our 172-acre farm includes:

• Open prairie pasture

• Heavily wooded limestone bluffs

• Standing snags favored by woodpeckers

• A 20-acre pecan orchard where hawks and owls nest

• River-bottom wetlands along the San Gabriel River that attract water birds

Because of this variety, Scurlock Farms offers outstanding opportunities for birdwatching in Williamson County, Texas — often with birds seen up close rather than from a distance.

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Great Blue Herons & River Birds

Each year, Great Blue Herons return to their rookery in tall cottonwood trees along the riverbank. They begin nest-building in mid-February, lay eggs, and raise their young right here on the farm.

We provide binoculars in every home so guests can quietly observe them at work. Each home also includes bird identification books, which many guests use daily during their stay.

My personal favorites along the river are the Great Blue Herons and Snowy Egrets, whose grace and presence never fail to impress.

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Evening Sounds & Unexpected Encounters

Not all bird experiences at Scurlock Farms are about checklists. Guests from around the world have told us how much they enjoy simply sitting under the trees, reading, and listening to songbirds during the day and owls at night.

One guest from Arizona spent a week here and told me the highlight of his entire trip was watching a Great Horned Owl fly in at dusk and perch on a telephone pole just 20 feet from where he was sitting.

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Scissortails & Seasonal Visitors

Scissortail Flycatchers — the Texas state bird — are frequent visitors. One year, a nesting pair with babies became fiercely protective, dive-bombing nearby vultures to drive them away. It was a dramatic and fascinating display of bird behavior that guests still talk about.

Some bird species are present year-round at Scurlock Farms. Others visit only in winter, while many arrive in spring and summer. Each season brings new sightings.

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Plan Your Birding Stay

If you enjoy birdwatching, nature, photography, or simply peaceful outdoor moments, Scurlock Farms is a wonderful place to explore the birds of Williamson County, Texas.

We encourage guests to visit at different times of the year and see how many species they can add to their list — or simply enjoy the beauty, sounds, and serenity of life on a working Texas Hill Country farm.

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Check out this Mockingbird that was only 5′ or so from me as I worked in the pasture.

 

List of Common Birds of Williamson County Texas

* birds seen on Scurlock Farms

1. Bittern, American
2. Bittern, Least
3. Blackbird, Brewer’s
4. Blackbird, Red-Winged *
5. Blackbird, Yellow-headed
6. Bluebird, Eastern *
7. Bluejay *
8. Bobwhite, Northern *
9. Bufflehead
10. Bunting, Indigo *
11. Bunting, Painted * (male has been seen several years, hundreds of females seen each year)
12. Canvasback
13. Caracara, Crested * (Mexican Eagle)
14. Cardinal, Northern *
15. Cattle Egret *
16. Chat, Yellow-breasted
17. Chickadee, Carolina *
18. Coot, American *
19. Cormorant, Double-crested * (this is the bird that my dad called a Water Turkey) *
20. Cowbird, Brown-headed *
21. Crane, Sandhill * Seen and heard flying over many times during migration
22. Creeper, Brown *
23. Crow, American *
24. Cuckoo, Yellow-billed *
25. Dickcissel (looks like a miniature Eastern Meadowlark – sings beautifully and often)*
26. Dove, Eurasian Collared *
27. Dove, Inca *
28. Dove, Mourning *
29. Dove, Rock (AKA Feral Pigeon) *
30. Dove, White-winged *
31. Duck, Ruddy
32. Duck, Mottled *
33. Egret, Great *
34. Egret, Snowy *
35. Finch, House *
36. Finch, Purple *
37. Flicker, Northern *
38. Flycatcher, Scissor-tailed *
39. Gadwall *
40. Gnatcatcher, Blue-gray (we saw 3 of them today) *
41. Goldfinch, American *
42. Goldfinch, Lesser *
43. Goose, Canada *
44. Goose, Greater White-fronted*
45. Goose, Snow *
46. Grackle, Common *
47. Grackle, Great-tailed *
48. Grebe, Pied-billed *
49. Grosbeak, Blue
50. Gull, Laughing *
51. Gull, Ring-billed *
52. Harrier, Northern
53. Hawk, Common Night *
54. Hawk, Cooper’s *
55. Hawk, Red-shouldered *
56. Hawk, Red-tailed *
57. Hawk, Sharp-shinned *
58. Hawk, White-tailed *
59. Heron, Black-crowned Night
60. Heron, Great Blue *
61. Heron, Green *
62. Heron, Little Blue
63. Hummingbird, Black-chinned *
64. Hummingbird, Ruby-throated *
65. Junco, Dark-eyed *
66. Kestrel, American *
67. Kildeer *
68. Kingbird, Eastern *
69. Kingbird, Western
70. Kingfisher, Belted *
71. Kinglet, Ruby-crowned *
72. Kite, Mississippi
73. Lark, Horned
74. Mallard *
75. Martin, Purple *
76. Meadowlark, Eastern *
77. Merganser, Red-breasted
78. Merlin
79. Mockingbird, Northern *
80. Nuthatch, Red-breasted
81. Nuthatch, White Breasted *
82. Oriole, Baltimore *
83. Oriole, Orchard
84. Owl, Barn *
85. Owl, Burrowing (Seen near Scurlock Farms)
86. Owl, Eastern Screech *
87. Owl, Great Horned *   (nesting near The Studio)
88. Pelican, American White *
89. Pigeon *
90. Phoebe, Eastern *
91. Pintail, Northern *
92. Pipit, American (we saw several dozen today) *
93. Redhead
94. Roadrunner, Greater *
95. Robin, American *
96. Sandpiper, Least *
97. Sandpiper, Spotted
98. Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied *
99. Scaup, Lesser
100. Shoveler, Northern *
101. Shrike, Loggerhead (the bird that Daddy called the Butcher Bird) *
102. Siskin, Pine
103. Snipe, Wilson’s
104. Sparrow, Chipping *
105. Sparrow, Grasshopper
106. Sparrow, Harris’
107. Sparrow, House *
108. Sparrow, Lark *
109. Sparrow, Lincoln’s *
110. Sparrow, Savannah *
111. Sparrow, Song *
112. Sparrow, Swamp
113. Sparrow, Vesper (very common there in winter) *
114. Sparrow, White-crowned *
115. Sparrow, White-throated
116. Starling, European *
117. Swallow, Barn *
118. Swallow, Cliff (These are the swallows that nest on overpasses in mud nests) *
119. Swift, Chimney *
120. Tanager, Summer *
121. Teal, Blue-winged *
122. Teal, Green-winged
123. Tern, Forster’s
124. Thrasher, Brown
125. Thrush, Hermit
126. Titmouse, Tufted *
127. Towhee, Spotted *
128. Turkey, Wild *
129. Vulture, Black *
130. Vulture, Turkey *
131. Warbler, Black and White *
132. Warbler, Prothonotary *
133. Warbler, Yellow-rumped *
134. Waxwing, Cedar *
135. Whip-poor-will *
136. Wigeon, American *
137. Woodpecker, Downy *
138. Woodpecker, Harry *
139. Woodpecker, Ladder Backed *
140. Woodpecker, Pileated *
141. Woodpecker, Red-Bellied *
142. Woodpecker, Red-headed *
143. Wren, Bewick’s *
144. Wren, Carolina *
145. Wren, House*
146. Yellowlegs, Greater *
147. Yellowlegs, Lesser
148. Yellow-throat, Common

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