American Bird Grasshopper

About the American Bird Grasshopper

The American Bird Grasshopper is one of the largest grasshoppers in North America, and it earns its name honestly. When flushed it does not hop so much as fly, sailing twenty or thirty yards on strong wings like a small bird before dropping back into cover. That long, powerful flight is often the first clue you are not watching an ordinary grasshopper.

Its mottled brown body with a pale stripe down the back blends beautifully into dry grass and bark. In South Texas these grasshoppers are active nearly all year, and they sometimes gather in loose swarms when conditions are right.

This individual was photographed at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in Mission, where they are a favorite snack of everything from kestrels to roadrunners.