TBRC Update 2021
The TBRC is pleased to announce that both Steller’s Sea-Eagle and Limpkin have been added to the official State List, bringing it to 657!
The Steller’s Sea-Eagle is perhaps one of the more unexpected addition in recent years, with an adult bird seen and photographed by Kris & Jeff Groscop and Gene & Sandi Roesler on 7 March 2021 while they were boating & fishing on Coleto Creek Reservoir in Victoria County. A search of the area the subsequent week by other birders to refind this striking raptor was not successful. Though some initial thoughts were that this bird could have been an escapee, there was no evidence in the photos (no jess present on legs) and no potential owners or zoos (no birds were reported missing) who would certainly want their bird back was ever heard from; the Texas falconry community was intrigued by this sighting as well, noting that there are no known Steller’s Sea Eagles held by falconers in or near Texas. Adding to the puzzle, a few months later, an adult Steller’s Sea Eagle was discovered and has been making the rounds in parts of eastern Canada. The prevailing thought on the bird in eastern Canada is that it is the same individual as a vagrant documented east of Denali National Park in Alaska in August of 2020; it is certainly possible that the Coleto Creek Reservoir bird could be this same bird as well, one on a rather long walk-about around North America. With all these things considered, the TBRC felt that it was at least as likely that the bird seen in Texas was wild and not some escaped captively-held bird.
On the other hand, the addition of Limpkin was perhaps one of the more expected new-adds to the state list. The species has been expanding out from Florida in the last several years with multiple records of multiple birds now seemingly resident in Louisiana, plus there was a July 2020 record at Red Slough WMA in far southeast Oklahoma, almost within sight of the Texas border. The first documented sighting in Texas finally happened on 6 May 2021 when Christi Gallier photographed one at Brazos Bend State Park in Fort Bend County. Excited birders following up on this found at least two individuals there in the following week and there are at least a handful of birds still present, with breeding activities already noted (nest site and recently fledged birds have been photographed). Limpkins at other locations soon followed, with the TBRC having accepted 7 records in total thus far. Besides the Brazos Bend birds, multiple birds seem to have taken up residence (and are continuing to be seen) at Sheldon Reservoir in Harris County though the remainder of current sightings thus far have perhaps all been birds still wandering around. The TBRC expects Limpkins to be found at additional locations and quite possibly to become a regular breeder in areas of Texas where the species’ preferred food source (apple snails) are found.
