Native Wildlife

Lumpkin, Aramus Guarana. Looking like something between a crane and a rail, this odd wading bird has no close relatives. Throughout most of its tropical range, its habitat and distribution are dictated by the presence of apple snails (Pomacea). They draw your attention with their piercing banshee wails, often heard at dawn or at night.

Photo taken 8/30/23 by Mark Ealy. 

This species is one of the most colorful bird species found in Texas. Painted buntings are common summer (breeding) residents in much of Texas. In the fall they migrate to western Mexico and then filter south through Central America.

Painted buntings are most commonly found at the forest edge, woods, and grasslands (savannah) habitats, and nest in areas with patches of native grasses and forbs. 

Photo by Rose Cooper, in Kinney County, Texas.