Birding Society to host author Rufus Stephens

The Wimberley Birding Society will host Rufus Stephens, an award-winning wildlife biologist, author, and one of the founders of the Texas Master Naturalist program, on February 26, at 10 a.m. at the Wimberley Community Center. He will be discussing his book, “Land Stewardship for Birds: A Guide for Central Texas,” co-authored by educator Jan Wrede, published in August 2023. The talk is open to the public.

The book is a revised and re-titled edition of “Attracting Birds in the Texas Hill Country: A Guide to Land Stewardship,” that focuses on habitat improvement to benefit birds on properties of all sizes in central Texas. The new book is a comprehensive update to the previous handbook.

Published by Texas A & M University Press, the book is the product of “nearly 50 years of research that shows that, over time, the number of North American birds has declined by 2.9 billion. Breeding birds have declined by nearly 30 percent in virtually all habitats, and Central Texas is no exception.”

The publisher writes, “Just as human impact on the environment has contributed to habitat loss, so can our actions restore the habitats that once sustained thriving bird populations.”

The book discusses the habitat needs of central Texas resident, migrant and wintering birds — cover, food, and water — and the specific habitats required by breeding birds for raising their young.

The authors organized the types of habitats found in central Texas: woodlands and savannahs; grasslands; rivers and streams; canyons, springs, and seeps; constructed tanks, ponds, and lakes; and residential backyards. Three of the book’s chapters offer in-depth recommendations for addressing the management of predators, deer, cedar and other brush that impact habitat.

New material includes a section on wildfire, improved bird census guidelines, updated plant lists, the latest standards for managing bird boxes, a more robust guide to managing brush species, and helpful apps and online resources.

W. Rufus Stephens is a retired Texas Parks and Wildlife Department district leader for the 25-county Edwards Plateau. He is a certified wildlife biologist with over 30 years of professional experience who lives in Boerne, Texas.

Jan Wrede is former director of education and citizen science at the Cibolo Nature Center in Boerne and the author of “Trees, Shrubs, and Vines of the Texas Hill Country.” She also lives in Boerne