Birdiest Festival in America

Experience spring migration on the Gulf Coast and private ranch hotspots including more regions of the world-famous King Ranch.  Nineteen different full or half-day field trips offer plenty of flexibility to attend presentations, workshops, and choice, guided bird walks. Two Pre-trips, Rio Grande Valley and Texas Hill Country; one Post-trip to Rio Grande Valley. Jonathan Wood’s photogenic Raptor Project returns along with Vendor Trade Show, Texas BBQ Welcome Dinner, Artisan Booths, Family Fun Day, and Friday’s Keynote! The Birdiest Festival in America will be held at the beautiful South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center.

Keynote speaker David Sarkozi, “Beyond the Birds of Texas” (interesting things that won’t fit into a field guide). David is a 45-year veteran birder, and past president and 16-year board member of the Texas Ornithological Society. He invented the Texas Century Club, a quest to record 100 species of Birds in 100 Texas Counties. He has completed two 500 bird big years (2015 and 2017) and, in 2019, was the first to bird every Texas County in a single year (254 counties). He manages the Facebook Group TexBirds with more than 8,000 followers, as well as the Texas email list TEXBIRDS with about 1,800 subscribers.

The festival has a six-year total of 341 species sighted; 92 species on a three-hour bird walk; and a 10-hour BIG DAY record of 156 species. The legendary Cattle Tyrant arrived in downtown Corpus Christi November 2023, the first-ever sighting north of Panama. He is back at his favorite hangouts downtown in 2026!

Visit our website for REGISTRATION, DETAILS, SCHEDULE.

Further questions to veteran Festival Chair, Denise Housler, 361-563-5968.