Last updated: July 22, 2024
Place
Window Trail Stop #6
NPS/R. Negele
Quick Facts
Location:
Big Bend National Park
The pine-oak-juniper woodlands of the Chisos Mountains attract many species of birds that would not otherwise be found in Big Bend. Of the 450+ bird species that have been recorded in Big Bend National Park, 312 of those species have been reported in the Chisos Mountains. Two distinctive birds to look for along the Window Trail include the large, blue and gray Mexican Jay, and the black and white Acorn Woodpecker. Both species are social birds that tend to hang out in flocks.
Mexican Jays forage on the ground or in trees, feeding primarily on acorns, insects, and fruit. In the fall they harvest acorns and bury them in the ground, often remembering the locations and retrieving them later. These beautiful blue birds often approach folks along the trail. Please do them a favor and do not feed them.
Acorn Woodpeckers are very unusual woodpeckers in that they live in large groups and breed cooperatively. Group members gather acorns by the hundreds and wedge them into holes they’ve made in a tree trunk or telephone pole. These caches serve as a food source for the lean times. Reminiscent of a troupe of wide-eyed clowns, these striking birds are often seen in the Chisos Basin Campground, hanging out near the tops of telephone poles.
Mexican Jays forage on the ground or in trees, feeding primarily on acorns, insects, and fruit. In the fall they harvest acorns and bury them in the ground, often remembering the locations and retrieving them later. These beautiful blue birds often approach folks along the trail. Please do them a favor and do not feed them.
Acorn Woodpeckers are very unusual woodpeckers in that they live in large groups and breed cooperatively. Group members gather acorns by the hundreds and wedge them into holes they’ve made in a tree trunk or telephone pole. These caches serve as a food source for the lean times. Reminiscent of a troupe of wide-eyed clowns, these striking birds are often seen in the Chisos Basin Campground, hanging out near the tops of telephone poles.