AT: A Winter Wonderland of Waterfowl by Kristine Rivers

The Upper Texas Gulf Coast provides a variety of habitats that attract winter waterfowl and other water birds such as loons and grebes, making it a wonderful birding destination during the fall and winter months. Identification of these birds can be somewhat tricky, however! This interactive presentation will cover the different family groups and provide information about behavior, habitat, and plumage that can aid in identification. Bring your favorite field guide if you would like to practice your identification skills.
Kristine Rivers grew up in Manvel, Texas and began birding at a very young age; by the time she was 14, she was serious enough about it that she participated in her first Christmas Bird Count with the National Audubon Society. She attended the University of Oklahoma as a Professional Zoology major with a primary interest in Ornithology and was accepted into the Junior/Senior
level Ornithology class as a Freshman. Although she didn’t end up following that career path, she has continued to be an avid birder for her entire life. She has participated in every year of the
Brazoria Christmas Bird Count since its inception in 1984, and was instrumental in working with the founder and compiler to start it back up again in 2010 after a 16
-year lapse (the last year it had been held prior to that was 1994.) She has been an Area Leader for the Brazoria CBC (now known as the Brazoria-Columbia Bottomlands CBC) since 2013.