A pair of birds in central Texas

by Lani
(Copperas Cove, Texas, USA)

A pair of birds has begun building a nest on top of the ceiling fan base within our covered patio. The location is Central Texas, in the outskirts of Copperas Cove near Lampasas. It is a country like setting, as we are surrounded by rolling hills, ranches, and our subdivision is fairly small and very quiet. They often fly around seemingly chasing and harassing the bigger birds of prey and vultures that frequent this area. They appear to be a charcoal shade, with a rust colored neck, and a cream colored breast. They are very tiny, a they maneuver in flight exceptionally well. Their body shape reminds me of a little bitty hawk when they fly. They chirp, but not in a song like pattern. They do not seem bothered at all by our presence, or that of our two tiny chihuahua dogs, and most surprisingly they are not even concerned by our outdoor cat that watches them come and go. I am having difficulty identifying what type of bird they are. Please help! Thanks.