In Texas’ Coastal Bend, two unexpected visitors have captured the attention of birders and casual onlookers alike.
Since early November, a house crow, a species native to South and Southeast Asia and not to be confused with any U.S. crow or raven, has been making its unusual home in Port Aransas. This is likely the first recorded sighting of its kind in Texas. The crow has previously been spotted along the East Coast and Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Birders suspect the crow arrived via a cargo ship. One of the first sightings took place at Holt Paradise Pond, where its slender, blackish body, long bill, and pale-gray collar made it instantly recognizable. Primarily a scavenger, the crow feeds on human leftovers and thrives in habitats shaped by human activity, spreading to new continents via ships and sometimes becoming a nuisance.
In November, Rick Coleman was birding with his wife along the coast, moving from Rockport toward Goose Island State Park. “At the north end of Fulton, near the airport, we spotted about 4 or 5 people along the highway (TX 35) with binoculars and cameras,” he told Chron. “We stopped and they showed me the bird. It was perched on a power line when I first saw it, but came down to feed on a dead carcass.”
On Dec. 2, Ruben Torres also photographed the crow while in the area, but his main focus was another rare visitor, a red-footed booby spotted in Corpus Christi, often called “The Birdiest City in America.”…