This tour showcases why Spring in the Texas Hill Country offers a unique birding experience filled with beautiful scenery and a diverse mix of bird species. The region’s diverse habitats, combined with the area’s transitional climate, support bird communities that include species typical of eastern deciduous forests, western pine-oak woodlands, and southwestern desert regions.
The Hill Country serves as an important corridor for birds moving between breeding and wintering grounds. The region’s springs and riparian areas serve as critical stopover sites for migrants crossing the more arid regions to the west. The diversity of habitats create opportunities to encounter a wide variety of species within a short distance. In addition to the endemic Golden-cheeked Warbler, birders can also encounter other target species including Black-capped Vireo, Varied Bunting, Zone-tailed Hawk, Scott’s Oriole, and Gray Vireo, among others.
The opportunity to observe the endemic Golden-cheeked Warbler, along with an extensive list of several sought-after bird species, makes the Hill Country a must visit destination.
Experience Texas Hill Country bird specialties including the endemic Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo.
Marvel at the nightly flight of millions of Mexican Free-tailed Bats from the Frio Bat Cave.
Observe a variety of birds typical of both the eastern and western parts of Texas in this region.
Spot species typically found in south Texas including Green Jay, Great Kiskadee, Audubon’s Oriole, Ringed Kingfisher, Morelet’s Seedeater, and Olive Sparrow.
Appreciate the diverse landscapes and scenery encountered on our daily excursions.
Dates: April 8-13, 2026
May 6-11, 2026
Price: $3,030 per person (DBL)
$600 single supplement
Deposit: $300 per person
Starts/Ends:
San Antonio International Airport (SAT)
Each tour is limited to 8 participants
AVAILABLE: 8 (April)
8 (May)
The package includes all meals from dinner on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 6, 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.
TROY HIBBITTS (April 8-13, 2026)
CAMERON COX (May 6-11, 2026)
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.
Day 1: Arrive at San Antonio International Airport (SAT) before 2 pm. After meeting everyone at the airport, we head west to Uvalde which will be our base for the next six days.The drive to Uvalde is about an hour and a half from San Antonio and crosses the northern end of the Tamaulipan thorn scrub habitat. If time allows, we may visit a local spot in Uvalde for some birding before our orientation meeting and welcome dinner. Overnight: Hampton Inn, Uvalde.
Day 2: Cook’s Slough Nature Park, Uvalde National Fish Hatchery, and Frio Bat Cave. We spend the day birding the brush country in the Uvalde area, primarily the Cook’s Slough Nature Park. The park’s habitat is home to some of the best birding in the region. The arid habitat in areas of the park provide opportunities to see Ash-throated Flycatcher, Scaled Quail, Verdin, Pyrrhuloxia, Greater Roadrunner, Cactus Wren, and Black-throated Sparrow among others. In addition, some of the wetland areas and bordering riparian areas may harbor Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks and Audubon’s Oriole. We also visit the Uvalde National Fish Hatchery which consists of 93 acres of ponds, woodlands and open fields. This is a great place to see species such as Mottled Duck, Bullock’s Oriole, Bell’s Vireo and any late migrant shorebirds. After enjoying an early dinner, we drive north to Concan to visit the Frio Bat Cave between 7 pm and 9 pm to witness the evening flight of millions of Mexican Free-tailed Bats leaving the cave for their feeding grounds. Also, at the bat viewing area we will possibly see Cave Swallows, Rock and Canyon Wrens and raptors hunting bats as they exit the cave. Overnight: Hampton Inn, Uvalde.
Day 3: Kickapoo Cavern State Park and Fort Clark Springs. Today we drive northwest out of the South Texas brush country and up into the Edward’s Plateau to visit Kickapoo Cavern State Park. The park has one of the state’s eastern most stands of Piñon Pines and is also one of the best places to see both the Golden-cheeked Warbler, Black-capped Vireo as well as Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay, Varied Bunting, Painted Bunting and Zone-tailed Hawk. This is also a great place to see additional species including Gray Vireo, Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Bushtit and Canyon Towhee. We spend the afternoon at Fort Clark Springs which is an old frontier fort located in Brackettville. The lush riparian areas of oaks and pecan trees along Las Moras Creek provide habitat for Green Kingfisher, Olive Sparrow, Lesser Goldfinch, Hooded Oriole and Green Jay. If time allows, we may visit a few sites around Brackettville before returning to Uvalde. Overnight: Hampton Inn, Uvalde.
Day 4: Lost Maples State Natural Area. We drive north to Lost Maples State Natural Area to bird the park’s rugged canyons and along the serene Sabinal River. Although the park is well known for its stand of Uvalde bigtooth maples and colorful fall foliage, the park’s scenic beauty can be enjoyed year-round. Here we have the opportunity to see Golden-cheeked Warbler, Red-eyed and Yellow-throated Vireos, Yellow-throated Warbler, Green Kingfisher, Scott’s Oriole and Common Raven. This is one of the few places where the ranges of Carolina and Canyon Wrens overlap; hearing them sing simultaneously offers a unique experience. Tropical Parula has also become somewhat regular in this area in recent years. Depending on bird activity, we may depart Lost Maples in the early afternoon and bird some additional sites as we work our way back to Uvalde. Overnight: Hampton Inn, Uvalde.
Day 5: Vega Verde Road, Lake Amistad Dam, and Del Rio. We drive west to the border town of Del Rio to bird along Vega Verde Road. This road passes through rural areas along the Rio Grande River offering a variety of habitats including mesquite woodlands, South Texas brush country, river cane thickets, and the riverfront. This area has been a fairly reliable location to spot Morelet’s Seedeater. Other species we may encounter here include Mexican Duck, Couch’s Kingbird, Yellow-breasted Chat, Bronzed Cowbird and other species typically found in South Texas. We continue upriver to Lake Amistad Dam. The lake is a large reservoir located between the border of the United States and Mexico. Some of the birds we may observe below the dam include Ringed Kingfisher, Cliff Swallow, Chihuahuan Raven and Black Phoebe. We may also have the opportunity to see some overwintering duck species and migrant shorebirds. If time allows, we will visit a few birding hotspots in the Brackettville area to look for any birds we may have missed earlier in the week before returning to Uvalde. Overnight: Hampton Inn, Uvalde.
Day 6: Tour Conclusion & Departures. We may get in an hour or two of birding before our drive back to San Antonio. Airport drop-off by no later than 11 am. Participants may arrange departing flights from San Antonio International Airport (SAT) after 1 pm.
