At close range, an adult male Golden-cheeked Warbler’s rich black plumage and golden cheeks seem to be made of velveteen. This stunning but endangered warbler is found only in the Texas Hill Country where it nests in juniper-oak woodlands. Along with the Hermit, Townsend’s, and Black-throated Green Warblers, it is part of a fascinating evolutionary puzzle of similar species with black-and-gold plumage and buzzy songs, spread across evergreen forests from Alaska to Appalachia.

The Golden-cheeked Warbler is the only bird species whose population nests entirely in the state of Texas. The bird first became known to science in 1860, from specimens collected on its winter range, in Guatemala. The nesting grounds were not discovered in central Texas for another four years.