The last seven days on iNaturalist, checked against five years

Rare Birds in Texas This Week

Q: What rare birds are in Texas this week?

The lists above, read live from iNaturalist: first the birds within 25 miles of Houston, then the whole state. Each species is checked against five years of confirmed sightings, and the most unusual come first.

Q: How many bird species are seen in Texas?

713 bird species in 1,456,370 confirmed iNaturalist sightings between 2021-10-09 and 2026-10-01. 89 of those species have 3 or fewer confirmed sightings in the state, so a new one of them is news.

Q: What counts as rare in Texas?

Near Houston or your own ZIP, a species with 3 or fewer confirmed sightings within 25 miles in five years, or one that is seen there but almost never in these weeks of the year. On the statewide list, a species with 3 or fewer confirmed sightings anywhere in Texas.

Q: Who confirms rare bird records in Texas?

The Texas Bird Records Committee. From its page: “We actively solicit reports of any species on our TBRC Review List as well as any species not currently on the official Texas State List.”

Q: How do I see rare birds near me in Texas?

Enter your ZIP on the rare bird alert for a list around your own spot, and check it each week in spring and fall migration, when most strays turn up. Each bird links to its iNaturalist species page with photographs and a range map.

Q: Are needs ID sightings included?

Yes, for this week only, because confirmation takes days and a rare bird may be gone by then. The five year record the week is checked against counts research grade sightings only.

Texas logged 1,456,370 confirmed bird sightings across 713 species on iNaturalist in five years, and 89 of those species have 3 or fewer confirmed sightings. The live list near Houston covers 25 miles around the city. The Texas Bird Records Committee reviews rare bird records here.

Near Houston

Rare birds near Houston this week

Every bird posted within 25 miles of Houston in the last seven days, with the ones that are rare there, out of season or uncommon first and the reason for each.

Reading this week's bird sightings within 25 miles of Houston from iNaturalist.

Somewhere else in Texas? Enter your ZIP for the circle around it.

Texas birds on the record

iNaturalist, research grade

1,456,370

Confirmed bird sightings

research grade iNaturalist records, five years

713

Bird species on record

seen and confirmed in Texas

Species seen 3 times or fewer

12 percent of the state list, the birds that make news

25 mi

Live circle

around Houston, or any ZIP you enter

Counted from iNaturalist’s research grade bird records in Texas from October 9, 2021 to October 1, 2026, read October 9, 2026.

Across Texas

The whole state this week

Every bird reported anywhere in Texas in the last seven days, checked against the state’s own five year record: Rare here means 3 or fewer confirmed sightings in the whole state.

Reading this week's bird sightings across Texas from iNaturalist.

What turns up here

Who confirms a rare bird in Texas

713 bird species have confirmed iNaturalist records in Texas over five years, and 89 of them were confirmed 3 times or fewer. A sighting of one of those is the kind a state records committee reviews before it joins the official list.

Texas Bird Records Committee

The committee reviews rare bird records in Texas.

“We actively solicit reports of any species on our TBRC Review List as well as any species not currently on the official Texas State List.”

Texas Bird Records Committee, read October 9, 2026.

Nine birders and photographers on a wooden boardwalk over a marsh, with long lenses, a spotting scope and binoculars all pointed to the left, under spring trees — Birders and photographers setting up on an overlook. Word of an unusual bird travels this way: one person posts a photograph, and the people nearby go and look. “Birdwatchers stop to set up equipment at overlook”, Steve Hillebrand, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain

Texas rare bird questions

What rare birds are in Texas this week?

How many bird species are seen in Texas?

What counts as rare in Texas?

Who confirms rare bird records in Texas?

How do I see rare birds near me in Texas?

Are needs ID sightings included?

More for Texas birders

Rare birds near any ZIPEnter a ZIP for this week’s unusual birds around it.Texas fall migrationWhen the big flights pass over.Texas hummingbird migrationWhen they arrive and when they leave.Texas snowy owlsWhere the winter irruptions reach.Texas sandhill crane migrationWhere the cranes stage and when.Texas winter birdsWhat comes to the feeder when it snows.

Rare birds in other states

Sightings and records from iNaturalist, read live for this week. The lists are built from counts per species, and each bird links to its species page. For your own spot, enter a ZIP on the rare bird alert.