Birding Texas: Meridian State Park

If you are looking for some amazing bird watching experiences in Texas, Meridian State Park should definitely be on your list. The park is an incredible combination of bird watching habitats that include prairies, forests, floodplains, a 72-acre lake, and more. The woods are filled with Ashe Juniper and Oak, attracting a wide variety of birds to this Texas park. In addition to bird watching, you can swim, camp, boat and hike at Meridian State Park in Texas. For tips on finding and identifying just a few of the species you may see while bird watching at Meridian State Park in Texas, see below.

Golden-cheeked Warbler. This rare and endangered warbler is a summer resident at Meridian State Park in Texas. You can identify it while bird watching from its yellow face, black throat, black crown and back, and white belly. This is the only bird species that nests exclusively in Texas. Look for it hunting for insects and spiders while bird watching near the junipers and oaks of Meridian State Park.

Painted Bunting. This beautiful bird has a greenish-bronze back and bright red underparts, along with a bright red rump. Recognize it while bird watching from its blue head with a red eyering, and dark wings with green shoulder patches. This gorgeous little bunting winters at Meridian State Park in Texas, where you will find it while bird watching near the forest edges and in the swampier thickets near the lake.

Dickcissel. Look for this stocky little bird in the open areas of Meridian State Park in Texas, where you will find it foraging for grains, seeds and insects. Identify it while bird watching from its dark gray back and head, gray face with a yellow eyestripe, and yellow breast. It also has a V-shaped bib and white underparts.

Black-chinned Hummingbird. You'll find this little green hummingbird wintering in Meridian State Park in Texas. Recognize it while bird watching from the iridescent purple strip that borders its velvety black chin, as well as its thin black beak. These little birds hover over flowers and aggressively chase off competitors. Also look for it perched on high branches in Meridian State Park in Texas, surveying its territory.

Rufous-crowned Sparrow. This pretty sparrow is easy to identify while bird watching from the rufous crown above its gray face, as well its thick black moustache stripe. Its legs and feet are pink, and its brown upperparts are streaked with reddish brown. Look for it while bird watching in the open forests of Meridian State Park in Texas, especially where there are lots of oaks.

American Pipit. Recognize this small pipit while bird watching from its grayish brown upperparts and pale buff-colored underparts. It has a streaked breast and a long thin bill, as well as black legs and feet. Look for it in the winter at Meridian State Park in Texas, where you may see it along the lake shores, hunting for insects.

Mississippi Kite. This small Kite prefers the open areas of the forests of Meridian State Park in Texas, where you will find it hunting for large flying insects. Recognize it while bird watching from its dark gray upperparts and pale gray underparts and head. It has red eyes and a long, black tail. This bird is also known as the Mosquito Hawk and the Blue Snake-Hawk.

Source list:

Personal experience
http://www.allaboutbirds.org
http://identify.whatbird.com
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/meridian
http://www.stateparks.com/meridian.html