Did you know that there are 9300 birds in the world? North America plays host to at least 900 hundred of them. A large percentage of the North American birds can be found in Texas at one time or another. How many, you ma ask? Over 600 is the answer. That's a lot of birds, but then, Texas is a big place with a lot of different environments, it can be divided into eight unique areas. Starting at the far west is the Trans-Pecos, then the High Plains, the Edwards Plateau, the Rolling Plains, the South Texas Plains, the Blackland Prairie and Post-Oak Savannah, the East Texas pineywoods, and the Coastal Plain. That is a lot of different habitats and the reason so many different verities of birds can be found in Texas.
Now, I wonder where the birds fit in the worlds animal kingdom? Well don't wonder any longer, I am going to tell you. A SPECIES (like the Bald Eagle) fits into a GENUS which fits into a FAMILY which fits into an ORDER (Falconiformes) which fits into a CLASS (Aves) which fits into a PHYLUM (Chordata) which fits into a KINGDOM (Animalia). Got that??
A lot of people keep records of the birds that they have seen and have been able to identity during an outing, a trip, a year, or a life time. I used to, but like a lot of things I used to do, it has slipped away somewhere. I still like to watch and hear birds. I still like to identify them. I just don't keep lists anymore. In the back of my Peterson's Field Guide, there is a live list with squares that can be checked off. I have checked quite a few. Now, I hope this day is not "for the birds". You all have a good one, you hear?