Austin Area Hotspots


The Austin area sits where the Texas Hill Country meets the Blackland Prairie, and that meeting of habitats makes for wonderfully varied birding. Spring-fed creeks, oak-juniper canyons, and a chain of Colorado River lakes draw everything from tiny songbirds to wading birds and wintering waterfowl, often within a short drive of downtown. It's home turf for me, and the mix of scenery and species keeps a camera busy in every season.

Birds to look for: Golden-cheeked Warbler, Black-capped Vireo, Painted Bunting, Vermilion Flycatcher, Canyon Wren, herons and egrets, and wintering ducks.

Best time to visit: Spring (April to May) for breeding warblers and vireos; winter for waterfowl and sparrows.

Birds I’ve Photographed in Austin Area 125 species · see them in the gallery →

Alder Flycatcher photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Alder Flycatcher American Coot photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter American Coot American Crow photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter American Crow American Golden-Plover photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter American Golden-Plover American Goldfinch photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter American Goldfinch American Pipit photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter American Pipit American Redstart photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter American Redstart American Robin photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter American Robin American Wigeon photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter American Wigeon Bald Eagle photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Bald Eagle Barn Swallow photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Barn Swallow Barred Owl photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Barred Owl Belted Kingfisher photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Belted Kingfisher Black-bellied Whistling-ducks photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Black-bellied Whistling-ducks Black-capped Vireo photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Black-capped Vireo Black-chinned Hummingbird photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Black-chinned Hummingbird Black-crested Titmouse photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Black-crested Titmouse Black-throated Green Warbler photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Black-throated Green Warbler Blackburnian Warbler photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Blackburnian Warbler Blue Grosbeak photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Blue Grosbeak Blue-gray Gnatcatcher photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Brown Pelican photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Brown Pelican Brown-crested Flycatcher photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Brown-crested Flycatcher Bufflehead photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Bufflehead Canada Warbler photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Canada Warbler Canvasback photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Canvasback Canyon Wren photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Canyon Wren Carolina Chickadee photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Carolina Chickadee Cassin's Sparrow photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Cassin's Sparrow Cedar Waxwing photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Cedar Waxwing Cerulean Warbler photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Cerulean Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Chestnut-sided Warbler Chipping Sparrow photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Chipping Sparrow Cinnamon Teal photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Cinnamon Teal Common Gallinule photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Common Gallinule Common Goldeneye photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Common Goldeneye Common Ground Dove photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Common Ground Dove Common Loon photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Common Loon Common Yellowthroat photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Common Yellowthroat Dickcissel photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Dickcissel Eastern Bluebird photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Eastern Bluebird Eastern Meadowlark photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Eastern Meadowlark Eastern Phoebe photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Eastern Phoebe Eastern Wood-Pewee photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Eastern Wood-Pewee Field Sparrow photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Field Sparrow Forster's Tern photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Forster's Tern Gadwall photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Gadwall Golden-cheeked Warbler photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Golden-cheeked Warbler Golden-crowned Kinglet photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Golden-crowned Kinglet Golden-fronted Woodpecker photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Golden-fronted Woodpecker Gray Catbird photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Gray Catbird Great American Egret photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Great American Egret Great Blue Heron photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Great Blue Heron Great Horned Owl photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Great Horned Owl Great-tailed Grackle photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Great-tailed Grackle Greater Roadrunner photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Greater Roadrunner Green-winged Teal photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Green-winged Teal Harris's Sparrow photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Harris's Sparrow Hooded Merganser photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Hooded Merganser Hooded Warbler photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Hooded Warbler House Finch photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter House Finch House Sparrow photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter House Sparrow Indigo Bunting photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Indigo Bunting Killdeer photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Killdeer Lesser Goldfinch photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Lesser Goldfinch Lesser Scaup photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Lesser Scaup Lincoln's Sparrow photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Lincoln's Sparrow Loggerhead Shrike photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Loggerhead Shrike Magnolia Warbler photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Magnolia Warbler Mallard photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Mallard Merlin photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Merlin Mississippi Kite photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Mississippi Kite Mourning Warbler photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Mourning Warbler Northern Flicker photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Northern Flicker Northern Mockingbird photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Northern Mockingbird Northern Pintail photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Northern Pintail Northern Rough-winged Swallow photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Northern Rough-winged Swallow Northern Waterthrush photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Northern Waterthrush Northern Yellow Warbler photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Northern Yellow Warbler Orchard Oriole photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Orchard Oriole Osprey photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Osprey Painted Bunting photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Painted Bunting Phainopepla photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Phainopepla Philadelphia Vireo photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Philadelphia Vireo Pileated Woodpecker photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Pileated Woodpecker Pine Warbler photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Pine Warbler Prairie Warbler photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Prairie Warbler Red-eyed Vireo photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Red-eyed Vireo Red-shouldered Hawk photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Red-tailed Hawk Red-winged Blackbird photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Red-winged Blackbird Reddish Egret photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Reddish Egret Ring-billed Gull photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Ring-billed Gull Ring-necked Duck photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Ring-necked Duck Ringed Kingfisher photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Ringed Kingfisher Rock Wren photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Rock Wren Roseate Spoonbill photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Roseate Spoonbill Ruby-crowned Kinglet photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Ruby-crowned Kinglet Rufous-crowned Sparrow photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Rufous-crowned Sparrow Sage Thrasher photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Sage Thrasher Savannah Sparrow photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Savannah Sparrow Scissor-tailed Flycatcher photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Snowy Egret photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Snowy Egret Snowy Plover photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Snowy Plover Song Sparrow photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Song Sparrow Sora photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Sora Spotted Towhee photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Spotted Towhee Summer Tanager photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Summer Tanager Surf Scoter photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Surf Scoter Swainson's Hawk photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Swainson's Hawk Swainson's Warbler photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Swainson's Warbler Turkey Vulture photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Turkey Vulture Upland Sandpiper photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Upland Sandpiper Verdin photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Verdin Vermilion Flycatcher photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Vermilion Flycatcher Western Bluebird photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Western Bluebird Western Kingbird photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Western Kingbird Western Meadowlark photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Western Meadowlark White-crowned Sparrow photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter White-crowned Sparrow White-eyed Vireo photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter White-eyed Vireo Yellow-bellied Sapsucker photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Yellow-billed Cuckoo photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Yellow-billed Cuckoo Yellow-crowned Night-heron photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Yellow-crowned Night-heron Yellow-rumped Warbler photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Yellow-rumped Warbler Yellow-throated Warbler photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Yellow-throated Warbler

Other Wildlife in Austin Area 26 species

American Rubyspot photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter American Rubyspot Celia's Roadside Skipper photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Celia's Roadside Skipper Eastern Pondhawk photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Eastern Pondhawk Familiar Bluet Damselfly photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Familiar Bluet Damselfly Fiery skipper photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Fiery skipper Four-spotted Pennant Dragonfly photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Four-spotted Pennant Dragonfly Great Spreadwing photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Great Spreadwing Julia photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Julia Lucerne Moth photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Lucerne Moth Neon Skimmer photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Neon Skimmer Robberfly photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Robberfly Sand Wasp photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Sand Wasp Springwater Dancer photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Springwater Dancer Walking Stick photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Walking Stick Western Spotted Orbweaver photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Western Spotted Orbweaver White-striped Longtail photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter White-striped Longtail Widow Skimmer Dragonfly photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Widow Skimmer Dragonfly Blue Mistflower photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Blue Mistflower Cattails photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Cattails Julia's Goldenrod photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Julia's Goldenrod Gray Fox photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Gray Fox Bull Frog photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Bull Frog Cottonmouth photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Cottonmouth Greater Earless Lizard photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Greater Earless Lizard Texas Spiny Lizard photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Texas Spiny Lizard Sunset photographed in the Austin Area region of Texas by Bryan Cotter Sunset

Birding Locations in Austin Area See all birds photographed here →

Bob Wentz Windy Point

A great area and very important for migrating birds. There's always a chance at rare birds here as well. If you hang out here long enough, you'll see some nice species like a Bald Eagle, Peregrine Falcons, Loons, and maybe a rare duck or two.


Bird Species Found Here

Commons Ford

This wonderful place holds a lot of bird species that live and forage in fields and pastures. It's along Lake Austin as well so there are more opportunities there.


Bird Species Found Here

Hornsby Bend

Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory is the top spot for waterfowl in the Austin area. There are plenty of other species as well as a huge population of the different swallows and shorebirds.


Bird Species Found Here

Platt Lane

This is a grat area with a min trail that stretches all the way to Hornsby Bend. Lots of wooded area and open fields here with views of the river that winds on by.


Bird Species Found Here

Reimer's Ranch

Reimer's Ranch

This is a great place in the Austin area to get a variety of great species of birds including most of the western birds that can be found in west Travis County.


Bird Species Found Here

Roy G. Guerrero

There are great views of the river here near downtown Austin. Many raptors nest here as well and in the colder months, many species of waterfowl congregate here.


Bird Species Found Here






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