Why Texas as a birding destination? Due to its large size, varied topography, vegetation and climate, its Gulf coast and geographic shape, it serves as a funnel for migrations to and from central America. At 674 species, Texas has the second most bird species of any state in the U.S.
Adding to the spice of Texas tours are quirky small towns, historically-preserved lodges, private bird refuges and good Tex-Mex food – not to mention warm and sunny weather. This vicarious tour features highlights from three birding trips in the Lone Star State: Big Bend National Park/Davis Mountains; Texas Hill country/Gulf Coast, and Galveston/High Island.
Big Bend and The Davis Mountains
Having led eight Big Bend/Davis Mountain tours as a guide for Naturalist Journeys, this tour is near and dear to my heart. I still want to go back!.
To get there, you fly to El Paso, 300 miles northwest of Big Bend National Park. From there, the long drive across the Chihuahuan Desert is broken up by great spots to bird along the way. Interesting small towns like Marathon, Fort Davis and Alpine also provide welcome breaks with good food, lodging, museums, and regional art.
Driving east from El Paso through the Chihuahuan Desert, at 170 miles, you reach Balmorhea State Park. We were captivated by these miraculous fresh water springs that occur in North America’s driest desert and by the multiple species of birds they attract including Say’s Phoebes, Ash-throated Flycatchers, several species of Orioles, and Vermillion Flycatchers.
Hiking up Madera Canyon early the next morning took us alongside a 33,000-acre Nature Conservancy preserve in the heart of the Davis Mountains. Several miles up the trail, we heard the signature “chew-lick” song, then saw the rare Buff-breasted Flycatcher perched on top of an Alligator Juniper. A remnant population of this flycatcher exists in the Davis Mountains.
A lively scene at the Davis Mountains State Park feeding station prompted one tour participant to dub the experience “ornithological overload.” Among the species seen in the multiple feeders and flowing water were: Scott’s Oriole, Summer Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Canyon Towhee, Ladderback Woodpecker and Lesser Goldfinch. Just before we left, a Montezuma Quail appeared!
At nightfall, we ended our day with the sight of the smallest own in the world, an Elf Owl. All of us saw it first sitting in its nest hole, then taking flight in search of insects, lizards, and other food for its nestlings. We lingered after it flew, watching fire flies and gazing at Jupiter’s four visible moons through the spotting scope. What a fantastic night to be in the Davis Mountains!
From Ft. Davis, we drove to Big Bend National Park. We were captivated by the majestic landscape (below left) and its relative lushness in contrast to the heavily grazed lands we before. Although Big Bend National Park is the 16th least visited national park, it ranks #1 in bird species, species of cacti and acres of the Chihuahuan Desert among US National Parks. It is part of an enormous assembly of protected lands totaling 3 million acres with lands on both sides of the border that harbor diverse flora and fauna. Chisos Basin (below right), in the heart of Big Bend National Park was our home base.
At daybreak on our first day in Chisos Basin, we set out for Rio Grande Village in the far southeastern corner of this huge 800,000-acre park. Scaled Quail, Greater Roadrunner, and Black-tailed Jackrabbits provided roadside entertainment as we descended 3,700 feet from Chisos Basin to the Rio Grande River.
Almost immediately after stepping out of our vans at Rio Grande village, a Brown-crested Flycatcher perched and sang on an exposed branch. Several Desert Cottontails bounded out into the open and a Golden-fronted Woodpecker peered out of its nest hole high in a cottonwood tree, showing its brilliantly-colored head markings. Continuing down-river, we saw and heard a variety of interesting birds in the dense riparian vegetation along the Rio Grande, such as Bell’s Vireo, Wilson’s and Yellow Warblers, a Yellow-breasted Chat, and a Black-tailed Gnatcatcher.
On the following morning, our group set out on the epic ten-mile round trip hike to Boot Springs in search of the Colima Warbler; and for those who opted to stay in the Chisos Basin, the shorter but beautiful and birdy Window Trail. It was a beautiful day to begin with a pleasant cool breeze for both groups.
The hike to Boot Springs is a phenomenal natural history experience. It showcases spectacular geology, diverse vegetation, rare birds, and mammals. I consider it one of my top five hikes for its scenery, flora and fauna.
The Colima crew encountered a colorful Hepatic Tanager just a few steps into their hike, while the Window Trail walkers found several Varied Buntings. Mexican Jays were tame and common. As the Colima Crew hiked through the first of many switch-backs up Pinnacle Pass, we heard our first Colima Warbler song. We paused frequently to search for them, but to no avail. We took a rest break on the pass after the 1,500-foot climb to admire the skill and tenacity of White-throated Swifts riding the powerful winds by the Pinnacles formation.
We continued hiking to Boot Springs campground, reaching it by noon. While we ate lunch, Blue-throated Hummingbirds fluttered by – as many as four at a time – perching, peeping, and scuffling. We continued to hear Colima Warbler songs, along with those of a Western Flycatcher and a Warbling Vireo. A Painted Redstart with its flashy red and black plumage accented by white eyebrows and wing tips, foraged through the pine/oak canopy.
After lunch, we hiked into Boot Springs canyon – a famous place for birds, bears, and other wildlife. It did not take long to hear another Colima Warbler followed by our first look at this iconic, highly sought-after bird that perched and sang from the top of a Mexican Pine. Big Bend National Park is the ONLY place where Colima Warblers breed in the United States; most of their breeding range is in Mexico. This makes finding them even more special.
The next day, we drove to Christmas Mountains Oasis over a rugged stretch of gravel road. Once there, we were joined by the owner, Carolyn Ohl-Johnson, who personally escorted us to find special birds, flowers, and dragonflies in her refuge/oasis. She has created a wildlife hot spot.
One of the first new finds were several Lucifer Hummingbirds. They perched on feeders, performed aerial displays, and strafed us at times. Black-chinned, Broad-tailed, and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds joined them on multiple hummingbird feeders that Carolyn has set up for visitors. A Varied Bunting came to a feeder – the fifth of these beauties we had seen in the past two days. Black-headed Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeaks and Orchard Orioles were also seen in Aspen trees.
The drive back to Big Bend from Christmas Mountains was unforgettable. Desert Cottontails and Black-tailed Jackrabbits darted across the road, at times barely averting our vehicle. A Mojave Rattlesnake slithered across the highway. On the top of Panther Pass which leads to Chisos Basin, a family of Mexican Black Bear walked along the road and climbed over a rock retaining wall. This once extirpated species is now some 25 strong in Big Bend National Park – a testimony to the habitat corridors linking Big Bend NP to Mexico. We arrived at Chisos Basin in time for another spectacular sunset — an appropriate end to another fascinating, birding and natural history tour of Big Bend National Park and the Davis Mountains.
Texas Hill Country
We were encouraged to take this trip in April 2022 when friends invited us to combine birding with a wedding in Austin. Our itinerary combined Gulf coast birding with time spent in the hill country near San Antonio. It included a Whooping Crane boat tour and a full-day of exploration on foot at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, with hikes in Golden-cheeked Warbler habitat outside of San Antonio.
Following a fantastic morning at Mitchell Lake Audubon Center just south of San Antonio, where we saw 45 species of birds ranging from waders, to waterfowl, to shorebirds to a Blue-headed Vireo, we drove south toward Corpus Christi, a 130-mile journey. Then drove the last 30 miles to Rockport, our base for several days.
To the din of Laughing Gulls and Large-tailed Grackles, we crossed the street to Fulton Harbor early the next morning to board the Whooping Crane tour boat piloted by Captain Tommy. He smiled broadly as he welcomed his 30 guests on board – mostly birders, equipped with expensive binoculars and cameras with long lenses.
While Captain Tommy summarized the history of the area and the establishment of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in the late 1930s, we motored into the protected waters between Mustang Island and the Texas Gulf coast. Hundreds of Laughing Gulls screamed at us as Caspian, Forster’s, Royal, and Sandwich Terns soared by. It did not take long for most of us to experience our first Life bird – a Gull-billed Tern – perched on a nearby sand spit.
Suddenly a bird guide from North Carolina said “There are three suspiciously large white birds at 11 o’ clock!” We focused our binoculars on the three birds that towered above the other egrets, herons, and ibis. Captain Tommy confirmed: they were Whooping Cranes!
The tallest bird in North America, Whooping Cranes almost went extinct in the 1940s when their numbers plummeted to only 20 individuals. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, this trend was eventually reversed “through captive breeding, wetland management and an innovative program that teaches young cranes how to migrate” between Wisconsin and Florida. The combined effects of these efforts have resulted in today’s population of 800.
Whooping Cranes, however charismatic, were only part of our attraction to Texas. Another major trip highlight occurred when the boat pulled up next to a small, low lying two-acre island that was packed with nesting birds of multiple species. Among the colorful array of birds were: Great, Snowy, Reddish and Cattle Egrets, Roseate Spoonbill and American Oystercatcher. By the end of this remarkable boat tour, we had seen 50 species of birds including two Life Birds: Whooping Cranes and Gull-billed Terns.
How to follow this amazing experience? By further exploring the Aransas NWR by car and by foot. That is what we did the next day and it was once again rewarding. Our first walk in the refuge was on the Rail and Heron trails. The Rail Trail was aptly named because we saw and heard three species of rails withing the first 50 yards: King, Virginia, and a Sora.
As we crossed over the marsh, a loud jungle-like roar alarmed us. It sounded like the roar of a lion, prompting our friend to ask: “Is it safe to walk here?” We heard a number of these roars until we finally found the culprits: American Alligators bellowing in the marsh.
A day in Aransas NWR passes by quickly. The entire refuge teems with birds and wildlife. One of the refuge’s many short and rewarding trails took us to Jones Pond where we saw several Least Grebes, an Orchard Oriole and two Wilson’s Snipe. Another short trail brought us to a lookout tower with panoramic views of Aransas Wildlife Refuge, consisting of green fingers of low-lying vegetation surrounded by the powdery blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Following two awe-inspiring days in Aransas NWR, we decided to switch things up by visiting sites that attract migrating warblers. The Port Aransas area had several known warbler hot spots, so we rode the ferry across to Mustang Island and the schlocky tourist town of Port Aransas. Between and betwixt the seashell, t-shirt, salt-water taffy, and shops with over-sized fake shark jaws outside, were several outstanding bird refuges.
Leona Belle Turnbull Birding Center is one of them. In Spring, it is loaded with warblers, shorebirds, waterfowl, and waders. We found a total of 45 species of birds here including seven species of warblers: Louisiana Waterthrush, Black and White, Tennessee, Orange-crowned, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Parula, and Yellow-rumped Warbler. Shorebirds were abundant too, including: Stilt Sandpiper, Dunlin, Western Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, Willett, and Lesser Yellowlegs. Last, but not least, were several calling, visible Clapper Rails.
By lunch time, we had seen 60+ species and soon saw our 61st from our picnic table at Roberts Park: a Loggerhead Shrike. All three of the refuge/park areas were within a ten-mile radius in Port Aransas. This proved to be another outstanding day and a warbler bonanza!
On the way back to San Antonio, we stopped at Hazel Bazemore Park near Corpus Christ where we found 37 species there including a Green Kingfisher, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Couch’s Kingbird, Warbling Vireo, and a Nashville Warbler.
For the next two days, we combined birding outings with cultural explorations in San Antonio. On the first day, we hiked in Eisenhower Park, north of San Antonio, where we had a close encounter with a Black-crested Titmouse, thanks to a U. of Texas field researcher who banded one and held it close to us.
A mile further up the trail we heard the tell-tale song of the Golden-cheeked Warbler. Denise came up with a fabulous mnemonic: “La Cu-ca-RA-CHA!” after hearing a recorded version of the song. This mnemonic is even more fitting when you realize that this warbler winters in Mexico. We ended up seeing a total of ten of these endangered warblers in two parks around San Antonio. In each case, we heard its “La Cucaracha” song first.
Photographing a final close-encounter with a Golden-cheeked Warbler was a fitting way to end this fabulous eight-day birding adventure in Texas with our good friends Bill and Denise. In total, our trip yielded 145 species of birds, including four Life Birds for me and more for the rest of our crew. We enjoyed warm, sunny weather throughout, good seafood, Mexican food, and the cultural attributes of San Antonio.
Galveston and High Island
About an hour southeast of Houston, past its vast suburbs and endless refineries, lies the port city of Galveston. Situated on the Gulf Coast, Galveston has beaches, a historic district and wonderful birding parks within city limits. One of these is Kempner Park, an unassuming two-square block city park that is loaded with birds during spring migration. In just an hour there, we spotted 31 species, including nine species of warblers. Nearby Galveston Island State Park is another fantastic birding spot where we tallied 61 species one morning, including several species of rails.
But the star attraction lies 34 miles east of Galveston on a small salt dome formation near the Gulf coast called High Island Sanctuary. This amazing refuge, managed by Houston Audubon, provided two spectacular birding days for us in mid-April. At the entry sign at High Island, there was an avian “welcome committee” composed of a Painted Bunting and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo – both at close range! This set the tone for an astounding bird experience for the next two days that was reminiscent of the Galapagos in the abundance and relative tameness of its birds.
On our first day at High Island in Boy Scout Woods, we tallied 45 species, including 15 different species of warblers. On the following day, at Smith Oaks Sanctuary, we found 55 species, including 15 species of warblers. In addition to the incredible variety of warblers, High Island is loaded with wading birds, orioles, tanagers, vireos, thrushes,buntings, grosbeaks and many more
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High Island was a high point in more ways than one, and a good place in which to conclude this Texas Birding blog. Good birding awaits those who visit the Lone Star State in spring! If you would like to take a Naturalist Journey to these places, here are three tours that I highly recommend:
