 Ocelots were once found across much of Texas, but it's likely there are less than 100 of these little wildcats remaining. A new project is now underway in Kingsville to change that – the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Center of Texas A&M University-Kingsville is a new facility for ocelot breeding and rewilding.
The aim of this effort is to increase the total number of Texas ocelots to at least 200 for 10 years – one benchmark needed to take it off the endangered species list. Find details and more photos in the Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine story Bold New Kingsville Breeding Facility Aims to Give Texas Ocelots a Second Chance.
 L to R: blue jay, hybrid grue jay and green jay
A cross between a male blue jay and a female green jay has resulted in a rare hybrid bird, nicknamed a grue jay. It was first spotted by a backyard bird watcher in San Antonio. She posted a photo of the bird on social media, which caught the eye of a University of Texas researcher who I.D.'d it.
The range of green jays had never before overlapped with the blue jays' range. But shifts in weather patterns probably pushed the green jay north, the blue jay west, and... grue jay! Will we see more hybird birds? Maybe – keep an eye out.
 Great blue herons nesting in an American sycamore tree
Try wildlife watching in winter, when you can spot small mammals, birds that are only here in winter, and nesting birds. The bonus is trees are bare – giving you a clear view. Use iNaturalist to find where to look for your favorites and these 5 winter winners:
- Thousands of sandhill cranes overwinter at Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge.
- A variety of waterfowl is all over Texas, including at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge.
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Bald eagles nest in winter – report nest sightings.
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Great blue herons nest in winter. Watch for trees on waterways with multiple nests, and see our short video Urban Nests.
- Endangered whooping cranes spend winter in Texas – report sightings.
When you report wildlife sightings, you support conservation as a citizen scientist. Find out more in the Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine story Citizen Scientists Are an Essential Part of Research in Texas.
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