An Ovenbird in Texas is not an uncommon sight during the migration season. Tonight I had a small visitor to my patio.
Ovenbirds are a larger than average warblers that are about the size of a small sparrow. They are easily recognized by their boldly striped breast, olive green back, orange and black striped crown and white eye ring. Ovenbird in Texas breed in closed-canopy forests north of Texas and winter mostly south of our state. These are forest birds that spend much of their time on the ground, searching for mainly forest insects in deciduous and mixed woods.
Unfortunately this guy has something wrong with him. He cannot fly and stumbles when he walks. I suspect he won’t make it through the night. He is either a victim of agricultural poison, an in flight collision with a structure or maybe an unknown illness. With that said, there is nothing I can do but see if he recovers and manages to fly off. It seems unlikely, but one can never tell.
UPDATE: The Ovenbird was gone the following morning. I’d like to believe he recovered and flew off. But I don’t know what his fate was.
For posts on individual species, navigate to the “Birds I have Known” category