Spring in the Valley

BIRDING TEXAS

&   B E Y O N D

RIO GRANDE VALLEY

The Rio Grande Valley is an exciting place to bird at any time of the year, but during spring migration the region becomes a true birding paradise.  Sitting at the crossroads of all the major North American migratory flyways, an incredible diversity of migrating passerines, raptors, and shorebirds pass through on their migration northward joining the resident South Texas specialties.

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Sanctuaries along the coast provide shelter and food for hundreds of passerines including buntings, orioles, tanagers, and warblers. We can observe over 20 species of warblers in a short period of time, along with other spring migrants including Painted Bunting, Orchard Oriole, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Scarlet Tanager, and Blackburnian Warbler. The skies above the region are also filled with thousands of migrating raptors like Broad-winged Hawk, Swainson’s Hawk, and Mississippi Kite.

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In addition to this spring spectacle, inland birding locations such as Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, and Salineño host a wide variety of Valley specialties including Green Jay, Plain Chachalaca, Brown Jay, Muscovy Duck, Morelet’s Seedeater, Hook-billed Kite, and Altamira Oriole, among others.  ​The opportunity to observe a rare species from south of the border is always present, enhancing the birding experience in the Rio Grande Valley during this unique time of the year.  This tour showcases why Spring in the Valley offers one of the most exciting birding opportunities in North America.