Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bird-Watching
Texas has nearly 600 documented bird species - over 75% of all species reported in the US.
Audubon Texas
( 512-306-0225;
http://tx.audubon.org
)
has loads of additional information on birding
in the state, as does Texas Parks & Wildlife (
www.tpwd.state.tx.us
). The latter publishes
full-color, interpretive guide-like Great Texas Wildlife Trails maps, which are available
from their website and some park ranger stations and visitor bureaus. The Coastal Birding
Trails maps are the best, but all of the regional series note local avian species.
West Texas
Keep your binoculars peeled for peregrine falcons, golden eagles, cactus wren and road runners at Guadalupe
National Park (
Click here
) and Davis Mountains State Park (
Click here
)
. In the Chisos Mountains of Big Bend National
Park (
Click here
)
you may spot the rare Colima warbler in its only US nesting site.
Rio Grande Valley
The preeminent winter bird-watching location. Headquartered in the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley
State Park (
Click here
), the World Birding Center has nine different locations across the Valley and on the far southern
coast. For a complete list of associated sites,
Click here
.
Lower Gulf Coast
Shore and seabirds such as herons, egrets and roseate spoonbills inhabit the Gulf Coast year round.
Migratory species, including numerous waterfowl, overwinter here as well as in the Valley. Aransas National Wildlife
Refuge (
Click here
), breeding ground to the endangered whooping cranes, is undoubtedly the star site.
Upper Gulf Coast
The area from Galveston to Port Arthur attracts water-related species. Sometimes large numbers of
migratory species drop in to High Island sanctuaries such as Boy Scout Woods (
Click here
). Anahuac National Wildlife
Refuge (
Click here
) is always a good birding spot.
