This tour targets the unique specialties and rarities that make South Texas a hotspot destination for birders worldwide.The Valley’s subtropical habitat is characteristic of what is found in northeastern Mexico and supports the distinctive bird species found in the region – these specialties include Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Brown Jay, Green Jay, Great Kiskadee, Hook-billed Kite, White-tipped Dove, Ringed Kingfisher, and Plain Chachalaca among others.
The Valley’s unique position also creates opportunities for finding vagrant species. Birds typically found further south of the U.S. border can continue north beyond their normal ranges. Winter is an ideal time to look for rarities in South Texas as factors such as post breeding or irregular dispersal, and environmental stresses can cause birds to show up in the area. Rarities found in recent years include Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Bat Falcon, Grey-collared Becard, Fan-tailed Warbler, Crane Hawk, and Social Flycatcher.
The thrill of seeing a brightly colored Green Jay for the first time, the excitement of hearing Plain Chachalacas’ loud morning chorus, the satisfaction of finally spotting a camouflaged Common Pauraque or seeing a species never seen before in the United States are moments that create lasting memories.
Look for desert species such as Black-throated Sparrow, Scaled Quail, Cactus Wren and Greater Roadrunner at Falcon State Park.
Marvel at the variety of tropical bird species that reach their northernmost range in this region including Green Jay, Altamira Oriole, Ringed Kingfisher, Plain Chachalaca, Morelet’s Seedeater and Hook-billed Kite.
Observe large numbers of waterfowl and shorebirds at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge and South Padre Island.
Spot several raptor species including Gray Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, Harris’s Hawk, Crested Caracara, Hook-billed Kite and Aplomado Falcon.
Witness the nightly flight of Amazon parrots and Green Parakeets as they come to their evening roost.
Possibility of seeing rare vagrant birds from south of the border.
Dates: November 12-18, 2025
November 11-17, 2026
Price: $2,975 per person (DBL)
$510 single supplement
Deposit: $300 per person
Starts/Ends:
Harlingen, Valley International Airport (VIA)
Each tour is limited to 8 participants
AVAILABLE: 3 (Nov 2025)
8 (Nov 2026)
The package includes all meals from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 7, ground transportation during the tour, entrance fees to parks/preserves, accommodations as stated in the itinerary, and guided services provided by the tour leader(s). It does not include travel expenses including but not limited to airfare to and from the tour destination, travel insurance, extended stays (before and/or after the tour), alcoholic beverages, gratuities, and items/expenses of personal nature.
CAMERON COX
Moderate (2-3 miles of daily walking). Field time each day is typically between 7-10 hours (weather permitting). Most of the birding is done on trails, boardwalks, beaches and along the road as we drive to various birding locations. Walking on uneven, soggy terrain, or in the rain is possible. Days start with breakfast at the hotel and departure for the field between 6:30 to 7:00 am. We bird throughout the morning, take a break for lunch and resume birding until 5:00 pm followed by dinner at a local restaurant.
While we cannot guarantee sightings of the birds listed below, we believe that encountering these species is quite likely during this tour.
ITINERARY - South Texas Specialties & Rarities, 2025
.pdf
Download PDF • 740KB
Wednesday, November 12 – Day 1: Arrive at Harlingen Valley International Airport (VIA) before 2 pm. After meeting everyone at the airport, we drive west to McAllen to check in to our hotel. If time allows, we try to get in a few hours of birding at local sites before the evening orientation session and welcome dinner. Overnight: Home2 Suites, McAllen.
Thursday, November 13 – Day 2: Santa Margarita Rach, Zapata, and Falcon State Park. Today we drive to the western end of the Rio Grande Valley to bird the arid thorn scrub and riparian areas along the Rio Grande River. Our first stop is Santa Margarita Ranch, which is a private ranch located downriver from Falcon Dam. This location offers a unique birding experience as you stand on high bluffs overlooking the Rio Grande River and the riparian woodlands of the property. Currently, the ranch is the only location in the United States where you can reliably see Brown Jay. In addition to the jays, we have a good chance to see Muscovy Duck, Red-billed Pigeon, Hook-billed Kite, Ringed Kingfisher, Green Kingfisher and a large number of wintering ducks in the river below. There have also been several rare birds seen in recent years on the ranch including Crane Hawk, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron and Mottled Owl. Next, we visit a local park in Zapata to look for the highly localized Morelet’s Seedeater which always proves a challenge to see. Our final stop of the day is Falcon State Park, which sits on the shores of Falcon Lake and provides opportunities to see Black-throated Sparrow, Cactus Wren, Pyrrhuloxia, Greater Roadrunner and other desert birds. The lake can also be a good place to see American White Pelican, Neotropic Cormorant and a variety of wintering ducks. Overnight: Home2 Suites, McAllen.
Friday, November 14 – Day 3: Salineño, Fronton, and Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park. We return to the upper Valley to pick up where we left off to explore Salineño, Fronton and a brief visit to Roma Bluffs. We will concentrate on any upper Valley specialties we may have missed on our first day as well as targeting any rarities that may be present in the area. In Salineño, volunteers often maintain bird feeding stations which gives us opportunities to get great views of various specialty birds including Audubon’s Oriole and Green Jay. The Rio Grande River at Salineño is also an ideal spot to scan the water and sky for Muscovy Duck and Red-billed Pigeon, while the surrounding upland areas may yield Scaled Quail, Rock Wren and Lark Bunting. Later in the day we head east to visit Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, which has hosted many rarities in the past including Masked Tityra, Stygian Owl and Collared Forest-Falcon. Here we have a chance to see an extensive list of Valley specialties, including White-tipped Dove, Olive Sparrow, Altamira Oriole, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet and more. The hawk watch tower is an excellent place to scan the treetops and sky above the park for both Hook-billed Kite and Gray Hawk. We end the day in McAllen where we look for Green Parakeets returning to their roosting sites, we may also see Bronzed Cowbird among the hundreds of Great-tailed Grackles. Overnight: Home2 Suites, McAllen.
Saturday, November 15 – Day 4: Anzalduas County Park, Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, and Estero Llano Grande State Park. Today we focus our efforts in the mid-Valley region visiting Anzalduas County Park, Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, and Estero Llano Grande State Park. Located right on the Rio Grande River, Anzalduas County Park is a great location to look for mixed species flocks which often include Tropical Parula and Black-throated Gray Warbler. The grassy fields near the entry of the park make it an optimal location to look for sparrows and Sprague’s Pipit. We continue downriver to the iconic Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge has a long history of being one of the top birding spots in the country and has hosted such rarities as Crane Hawk and Bat Falcon. We spend a few hours exploring the subtropical woodlands and ponds where we may see Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Golden-fronted Woodpecker and Least Grebe. Like Bentsen State Park, Santa Ana also has a hawk watch tower which we visit to get a bird’s eye view of the park’s canopy and open skies. Our final destination for the day is Estero Llano Grande State Park. This small park offers a variety of habitats and with that a large array of bird species. We can see Common Pauraque and Plain Chachalaca in the wooded areas as well as White-tailed Kite, Least Bittern and Black-bellied Whistling-Duck in the open fields and wetlands. Overnight: Hampton Inn and Suites, Harlingen.
Sunday, November 16 – Day 5: Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge and South Padre Island. We head to the eastern end of the Valley and bird the coastal areas including Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, South Padre Island and other nearby areas. The Laguna Madre is the bay that separates the mainland from South Padre Island. This bay hosts a large array of wintering waterfowl including approximately 75% of the North American population of Redhead ducks as well as a large variety of wintering ducks and shorebirds. The feeding station at Laguna Atascosa provides us with opportunities to see many species up close such as Green Jay, Olive Sparrow, Long-billed Thrasher among others. The driving loops in the refuge go through varied habitats like coastal prairies, resacas (oxbow lakes), and mudflats. Next, we depart for South Padre Island to visit the South Padre Island Convention Center Boardwalk as well as the Valley Land Fund Migratory Bird Sanctuary lots which provide habitat for neotropical migrants and overwintering species. The coastal marshes and mudflats are brimming with birds including Wilson’s Plover, Snowy Plover, Reddish Egret, American Oystercatcher, Black Skimmer, and Brown Pelican. Over the years, there have been a number of rarities sighted on the island including Great Black-Hawk, Yellow-billed Loon, Slate-throated Redstart and Flame-colored Tanager. We also spend time along the Gulf beach looking for ducks, shorebirds or pelagic species. We end our day in Brownsville at Oliveira Park to witness the nightly flight of Amazon parrots coming into the park to roost. We can see Red-crowned, Red-lored, Yellow-headed and White-fronted Parrots in addition to Green Parakeet. Overnight: Hampton Inn and Suites, Harlingen.
Monday, November 17 – Day 6: Resaca de la Palma State Park, Coastal Prairies, and Brownsville. We head east towards Brownsville and visit Resaca de la Palma State Park and some of the coastal prairie areas east of Brownsville. Resaca de la Palma is a great place to see various Rio Grande Valley specialty birds and has hosted several rarities in past years including Roadside Hawk and Gray-collared Becard. We spend the morning exploring the park before departing for the coastal prairies located between Brownsville and Port Isabel. Our main target in this location is to find the Aplomado Falcon, which has re-established a small population in this area after disappearing in the 1930s. Other birds we may see in the coastal prairies include White-tailed Hawk, Chihuahuan Raven and a variety of shorebirds and sparrows. The afternoon will be flexible to allow us to look for species we may have missed, rarities that may be in the area or to revisit a favorite birding location. Overnight: Hampton Inn and Suites, Harlingen.
Tuesday, November 18 – Day 7: Tour Conclusion & Departures. If time allows, we visit a few local birding spots in Harlingen including Hugh Ramsey Nature Park, to get in some final birding before your flight home. We will arrive at the airport by no later than 11 am. Participants may arrange departing flights from Harlingen Valley International Airport (VIA) after 1 pm.
