A TEXAN’S GUIDE TO BIRDING

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Texas is one of the best places in the world to birdwatch. Its diverse landscapes—deserts and mountains out west, piney woods to the east, coastal regions in the south, and the Hill Country in the center—house a vast number of species (677 to be exact, according to the Texas Bird Records Committee, putting us just behind California), and its location along major migration routes means nearly 2 billion birds pass through annually. South Texas is especially popular, as vagrant birds enter from Mexico and allow birders to glimpse species they can’t see anywhere else in the U.S.  

“We have these sites that are internationally known as great birding destinations, and people come from all over the world to visit them,” says Shelly Plante, nature tourism manager at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. 

Each region boasts interesting avians. The golden-cheeked warbler, the only bird that nests exclusively in the state, calls Central Texas home. Red-cockaded woodpeckers roost in East Texas pines. In the Rio Grande Valley, you’ll find an abundance of green jays, great kiskadees, and plain chachalacas. Whooping cranes, of which fewer than a thousand remain, winter on the Gulf Coast. 

People are drawn to birdwatching for a variety of reasons: the peace and calm of being in nature, the rush of spotting and identifying a rare creature, the desire to contribute data to community science efforts. While some avid birders travel and hike to track hard-to-find species, others prefer to “slow bird,” simply observing the feathered individuals as they zip around their backyard or a nearby park. “There’s no wrong way to engage with nature,” Plante says, “The important part is just getting out there.”

From regional festivals to statewide bird counting tournaments, there are plenty of ways to get involved in Texas’ birding culture. Here’s how to get started.

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EQUIPMENT

You don’t need much to birdwatch, other than a field guide and weather-appropriate clothing. You might also want to bring:

MUST-VISIT TEXAS BIRDING SITES

While you can go birding anywhere in Texas, here are some top locations:

GET CONNECTED

Find your local Audubon chapter and see if they have a bird club or classes you can join. Your local Texas Master Naturalist chapter might also offer birding activities. 

EVENTS

Parks regularly offer birding tours. Texas Parks and Wildlife has a calendar of events that you can filter by “birding.”

ETIQUETTE

When birding, it’s important to respect birds, their habitat, and other people in the area. That means not disturbing nests, being quiet, staying on designated trails, and picking up your trash. The American Birding Association has a detailed Code of Birding Ethics.

TEXAS BIRDING BY THE SEASONS