USA – Texas Spring: Set Departure Trip Report, March 2025

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25 MARCH – 05 APRIL 2025

By Jacob Roalef

USA Texas spring report

Stellar, close-up views of this Whooping Crane was a top highlight of the tour!

Overview


This birding tour of south Texas began in Corpus Christi, Texas on the 25th of March, and concluded back there on the 5th of April after making a large loop through this massive state. The trip visited a wide variety of fantastic birding sites, such as Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, King Ranch, Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center, Resaca de la Palma State Park, Estero Llano Grande State Park, National Butterfly Center, South Padre Island, Santa Margarita Ranch, Frio Bat Cave, Lost Maples State Park and so much more. With so many great locations, the tour birded many different habitats like coastal marshes, riparian forests, dry desert scrubland, and oak-maple forest of the Texas hill country.

The tour connected with all of the south Texas valley specials plus a solid assortment of migrants, so when it was all said and done, we left with an impressive list for our 12 days in Texas. Avian highlights included Whooping Crane, Altamira and Audubon’s Orioles, Golden-cheeked Warbler, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Green Jay, Gull-billed Tern, Least Grebe, White-tailed Hawk, Green and Ringed Kingfishers, Cassin’s Sparrow, Red-billed Pigeon, and Morelet’s Seedeater. There were also several rarities spotted like Brown Jay, Hook-billed Kite, Rose-throated Becard, and American Flamingo.

A total of 236 bird species were seen, a fantastic number for any USA trip. In addition to birds, we enjoyed several mammal highlights such as millions of Mexican Free-tailed Bats, close sightings of Collared Peccary (Javelina), Common Bottlenose Dolphin, and more. Full mammal and bird lists can be found at the end of the report and be sure to check out our eBird Trip Report for more details on specific lists and birding locations.

USA Texas spring report

This colorful Altamira Oriole foraged from these gorgeous white flowers.

Detailed Report

Day 1, 25th March 2025. Arrival and Corpus Christi birding

While the first day of a tour is typically meant for arrival and introductions, everyone arrived early enough to allow for some afternoon birding. We enjoyed some lunch near the water in Corpus Christi and then headed off to the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center. This coastal estuary habitat features an impressive boardwalk that allows visitors to get close to many species of waterbirds. We spent several hours here and really racked up the species count with birds like Blue-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, American Avocet, Long-billed Dowitcher, Stilt Sandpiper, Reddish Egret, Tricolored Heron, and Osprey. In front of the center are some small willows which typically host some variety of migrant species and today was no different as we spotted Northern Parula, Yellow-throated Warbler, and Lincoln’s Sparrow here. We were off to a fantastic start with over 50 species on our first afternoon of birding! We caught the ferry back to the mainland, along with some Double-crested Cormorants, checked into our hotel, and enjoyed our first dinner together on the bay.

USA Texas spring report

Northern Shoveler was one of several waterfowl species we saw up close on our first day.

Day 2, 26th March 2025. Aransas National Wildlife Refuge boat trip

Today was full of excitement as we had a private boat trip on Aransas Bay planned for the entire morning. We ate breakfast and headed off for the docks in Rockport where we met up with the captain a little after sunrise. It was a beautiful morning to be out on the water, and we began to tally species right away at the docks. Species like Laughing Gull, Brown Pelican, Sandwich Tern, and Black-bellied Whistling Duck were all spotted before we set sail. Our first stop once we departed was the break wall area and nearby mudflats. This area was teeming with birds, and the species count really started to pile up with things like Wilson’s Plover, Willet, Dunlin, Least Sandpiper, Black Skimmer, Royal Tern, American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Northern Pintail, Mottled Duck, and Franklin’s Gull. Eventually, we made the turn and entered into the estuary areas of Aransas National Wildlife Refuge where we began to search for our main target. Thankfully, the massive size and bright white body made it easy to spot a Whooping Crane, even from a great distance. Of course, we kept cruising along and added even more species out over the estuaries like Northern Harrier, Merlin, Tricolored Heron, Snowy Egret, Neotropic Cormorant, and American White Pelican. We managed to spot several Whooping Cranes and even got onto a pair that were foraging close to the water’s edge where we were in the open canal. We positioned the boat and waited. These impressive birds walked right by us for an unreal experience! A sneaky Seaside Sparrow was singing as we waited, but with the right patience, we all managed to see this great bird too. At the end of our journey, we scanned through a large group of birds on a rock jetty and added several great species like Gull-billed Tern, Hudsonian Whimbrel, and Ruddy Turnstone. We turned around and headed back to the channel where we spotted a cute Belted Kingfisher and a whole family of Collared Peccaries digging in the sand, how strange! We made it to the docks and back to dry land after an incredible time tallying 60 species from the boat!

USA Texas spring report

With a little patience, we all managed to get nice views of this Seaside Sparrow.

After lunch, we headed out for some late afternoon birding around the Guadalupe Delta Wildlife Management Area. We stopped and scanned a few areas before really finding a sweet spot that was loaded with birds. As we scoped through everything, we saw a storm quickly approaching. We knew this would be our final birding for the day, so we made it count with a full search right until we felt drops and saw lightning. Our efforts were successful as we added Fulvous Whistling Duck, Virginia Rail, American Wigeon, Common Gallinule, American Golden-Plover, Caspian Tern, Pied-billed Grebe, Anhinga, Roseate Spoonbill, White-tailed Hawk, and more! The storm came in fast and strong, so we hung around the hotel until dinner. After we ate, a few Black-crowned Herons flew over the car as we drove back to the hotel, final bird of the day.

Day 3, 27th March 2025. Corpus Christi area birding and transfer to Kingsville

The forecast for today was a bit dicey at best, but things were OK after we ate, so we headed off to do some birding in the Rockport area. First up was a check of some coastal marshlands. We enjoyed the classic wetland species like Reddish Egret, Little Blue Heron, Seaside Sparrow, Forester’s Tern, and more. It began to drizzle a little bit, but we toughed it out and headed for an inland reservoir which hosted loads of birds. We added many new trip birds like Lesser Scaup, Eared Grebe, Bronzed Cowbird, Loggerhead Shrike, American Kestrel, and Western Cattle Egret. After this, we headed back to the hotel, grabbed our luggage and began our transfer south towards Kingsville. However, since the weather was still cooperating for the most part, we headed to Sunset Lake, a small strip of habitat underneath a large bridge crossing. We made our way through the park with frequent stops to scan and check for shorebirds. Our efforts yielded Long-billed Curlew, Sanderling, Semipalmated Plover, Semipalmated and Western Sandpipers, and American Avocet. It was just about lunch time, and the rain was coming fast, so we loaded up, and headed off. By now, it was storming and the rain poured down. There were no real chances for birding. We made the several-hour drive to Kingsville. When we arrived, it felt almost like a hurricane with heavy rain and intense winds! Nothing to do but call it a day and wait for dinner. Even by dinner, the weather had not let up but we braved the conditions to enjoy a tasty meal together and rest before an early start to tomorrow.

USA Texas spring report

Everyone loves the alien-like Roseate Spoonbill.

Day 4, 28th March 2025. King Ranch and transfer south

It was an early morning with a quick breakfast at the hotel before departure in the dark. We rolled into the meeting place at the King Ranch headquarters about 30 minutes before sunrise and got checked in for a full day exploring the Norias division of their property. As we waited for the rest of our group to arrive, we heard and then spotted a few Pauraque as they got their last activity in before bed. We loaded up and made the 45-minute transfer to the Norias division. Thankfully the storms from the previous day had subsided and it looked like a beautiful day to bird King Ranch. Right away we were greeted by Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Brewer’s Blackbird, and Golden-fronted Woodpecker. As we approached the restrooms, a Greater Roadrunner shot across the road and a pair of Hooded Orioles were nestbuilding in their usual palm tree. We notched several other nice species here like Couch’s Kingbird, Curve-billed Thrasher, Lark Sparrow, Wild Turkey, and Western Meadowlark. Once everyone was set, we headed off to our first stop in an old growth oak forest. It was a bit quiet here, but eventually we came across a small mixed flock of Northern-Beardless Tyrannulet, Yellow-throated Warbler, Black-crested Titmouse, and Audubon’s Oriole. Along the road we managed to get into a nice group of sparrows which contained Grasshopper, Lark, Vesper, and Savannah Sparrows, not to mention the many Scissor-tailed Flycatchers in the background and a stunning Pyrrhuloxia along the fence row. As we pulled into the lunch site, we spotted a few new trip species like Summer Tanager and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, before we enjoyed a tasty lunch provided by the King Ranch staff.

Pyrrhuloxia is a real desert scrub specialist.

As we finished up lunch, we heard some nice activity nearby, so we got up and sorted through a great mixed flock. In it were Black-and-white and Hooded Warblers, Yellow-throated Vireo, Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, and the top highlight of the trip, Tropical Parula. King Ranch is one of the only places in the US to reliably see Tropical Parula and we had to work a bit to get a look at this one, but we all managed to with some patience. It was time to make the long drive back out of the Norias division as we had ventured deep into the property. On our way out, we enjoyed a real show as a male Bronzed Cowbird was giving his best efforts to impress a nearby female. The puffed-up collar and bright red eye didn’t do the trick and sadly the female flew off unimpressed, but the rest of us were quite impressed. We said our goodbyes to the group and left King Ranch behind and made the several-hour drive to McAllen and into the Lower Rio Grande Valley. We got to the hotel, checked in, took a little break, and then headed for dinner. Of course, when in the valley the birding is never over. After dinner we checked the nearby neighborhoods before sunset and enjoyed finding Clay-colored Thrush, Plain Chachalaca, Yellow-crowned and Black-crowned Night-Herons in the front yards. Eventually we heard our main target, a large group of Red-crowned Amazons. We managed to get in the car and track them to some nearby power lines where the group gathered and became 120+ individuals. What a way to cap off a long and amazing day of birding!

Day 5, 29th March 2025. Lower Rio Grande Valley birding

This morning, we slept a little bit after a long day yesterday, ate breakfast, and headed off for our first full day birding the LRGV! Our first stop was a small area near the University of Texas RGV. It was humid and hazy this morning and the storm from the previous day really had a major impact on the valley. As we drove along, we noticed a tremendous amount of flooding, and it even washed out some roads. However, it didn’t slow down our birding efforts, and we began the day with a valley special, Green Parakeet! A perfect way to start off the day as we checked off the second member of the parrot family. We then headed off to Resaca de la Palma State Park for our first real taste of birding in the area and the incredible state parks in south Texas. Sadly, the usual feeding stations in the parking lot were flooded out, but we still ventured around the building and began to check off targets like Green Jay, White-tipped Dove, Olive Sparrow, Tropical Kingbird, and Long-billed Thrasher. Once we got our fill here, we headed off to a special viewing area near Laguna Atascosa. As soon as we pulled in, an Aplomado Falcon flew right by and over our heads! That was easy. We waited a little bit to see if we could get another good view but to no avail. We continued along the highway, crossed the bridge, and enjoyed lunch on South Padre Island.

The South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center is a great place to look for migrants as well as walk some boardwalk trails through estuary habitat, so we headed there after lunch for a few hours. Migration was a bit slow in front near the water feature, but we still enjoyed Myrtle and Hooded Warblers, Orchard Oriole, and White-eyed Vireo. We decided to hit the boardwalks and enjoyed the plethora of waterbirds like Green, Little Blue, and Tricolored Herons, Snowy Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, Common and Purple Gallinules, Sora, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, and Neotropic Cormorant. By now, we were hot and needed to cool off, so we headed to the nearby store for some cold drinks and a drive in the nice air conditioning of our car as we made our way to Estero Llano Grande State Park. This was our final birding stop for the day, one of the best places to bird in all the valley. We made our way down to the pond area first and scanned from there. We noted Least Grebe, Least Bittern, Blue-winged Teal, and Great Kiskadee. The nearby feeders hosted Buff-bellied and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, and Plain Chachalaca. From here, we went off to explore the tropical zone of Estero. We took a short loop hike and explored around the camper area where we noted Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Altamira Oriole, Black-crested Titmouse, and Clay-colored Thrush. The water drip feature was buzzing with activity, so we decided to park ourselves on the bench nearby and wait to see what dropped in for a drink and a bath. Several nice migrants were utilizing this feature like Worm-eating and Nashville Warblers, Ovenbird, and even a lingering Winter Wren made a visit. We were tired and hungry by now, so we packed our things and headed for dinner and the hotel to call it a day.

USA Texas spring report

The colorful Green Jay was a fan favorite and a special species of South Texas.

Day 6, 30th March 2025. More LRGV birding

It was a beautiful morning today, so we ate breakfast and headed off for the National Butterfly Center to explore the grounds and trails. We started off strong, adding Ladder-backed Woodpecker, which somehow eluded us all day yesterday, to our list. As we continued along, we were treated to some excellent views of Audubon’s, Altamira, and Hooded Orioles, a great show for these color species! It was a good day for raptor migration as well and we noted many Broad-winged Hawks circling overhead. Eventually we arrived at the back where some bird feeders were set up but empty. The birds didn’t know this though and still tried to visit the area, so we sat down and enjoyed Plain Chachalaca, Long-billed Thrasher, Inca Dove, and Green Jay. After a solid morning, we ventured back towards the river section of the park and made it only as far as the canal as the recent flooding prevented us from going further to the actual Rio Grande River. That was OK though as we picked up Cave Swallow and Eastern Phoebe here. We left the butterfly center and headed off to Anzalduas Park, located right on the Rio Grande. We made several stops throughout the park and scanned the river, peered over into Mexico, and noted a few nice species like Gull-billed and Caspian Terns, Lesser Scaup, Black-necked Stilt, and Long-billed Dowitcher. The highlight though was when a pair of Muscovy Ducks flew down river just long enough for us to catch a glimpse! It was getting hot, and we were getting hungry, so it was time for lunch and some air conditioning.

For the afternoon, we made the journey over to the Edinburgh Scenic Wetlands, an enjoyable little park with some larger bodies of water to check. We had a pleasant couple of hours birding here and noted Indigo Bunting, Least Grebe, Ring-necked and Ruddy Ducks, Great Kiskadee, Couch’s Kingbird, Orange-crowned Warbler, and a rare female Lazuli Bunting. It was hot and humid at this point, and we all needed a break, so we headed back to the hotel to rest and then enjoyed a tasty dinner together.

USA Texas spring report

This Plain Chachalaca became territorial when another male was nearby.

Day 7, 31st March 2025. Bentsen and Falcon Dam State Parks

On our final morning in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, we only had two real targets left, both kingfishers. That was our goal, so we loaded up the vehicle and headed back to the Edinburgh Scenic Wetlands. This morning, we fared better than yesterday afternoon and, after a little searching, managed to find a Green Kingfisher as it flew around some water edges. Of course, we enjoyed the other species on offer here, like Long-billed Thrasher, Olive Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, and Least Grebe. With one target down, we headed off for Bentsen State Park to spend the rest of the morning. It was such a nice morning that we decided to walk the beginning portion of the park and took the road towards the water overlook. We spotted several great birds along the way like Altamira Oriole, Harris’s Hawk, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Green Jay, and Clay-colored Thrush. When we made it to the water, we set up the scope and scanned to see what was perched around and what might fly by. Across the water was a stunning Grey Hawk, a new species for the trip, as well as Osprey, Anhinga, and Belted Kingfisher. Finally, we heard a loud rattle call, and a pair of Ringed Kingfishers flew by! We managed to get one into the scope for some better views of its massive bill. With the kingfishers in the bag and a bonus hawk, we flagged down the tram here and enjoyed a ride back to the visitor’s center and our car. It was getting late and hot, so we took a break for a quick lunch and some fuel for our drive towards Zapata.

After a few hours, we pulled into Falcon Dam State Park for a short break and squeezed some more birding in. It was toasty outside so our birding efforts, hiking around, didn’t last too long. We managed to pick up some new species for the trip like Black-throated and White-crowned Sparrows, Northern Bobwhite, and Bullock’s Oriole. The rest of our time we spent birding from the vehicle and the cool air conditioning. We checked out the water here and found Northern Mockingbird, Greater Roadrunner, and Pyrrhuloxia. After this, we made the rest of the journey to Zapata, checked into our hotel, and then headed off for dinner and a rest before our long day of birding tomorrow.

USA Texas spring report

The adorable Least Grebe is a South Texas specialty and was great to see.

Day 8, 1st April 2025. Santa Margarita Ranch

Today was a real treat for us as we had special access to bird on Santa Margarita Ranch, a private piece of land on the Rio Grande River, full of spectacular birding! There were many potential targets for us here, including some rarities for the US. We grabbed an early and quick breakfast and then hit the road to arrive at the ranch just before sunrise to meet up with our local guide who would be escorting us today. He entered the security code and we crossed the huge boarder wall to get closer to the Rio Grande River. We spent the first few morning hours scanning from up on the bluffs. Our efforts proved fruitful, with some nice birds like Red-billed Pigeon, Muscovy Duck, Lesser Scaup, Least Sandpiper, Caspian Tern, Green and Ringed Kingfishers, and a low flying Zone-tailed Hawk. Throughout the morning, we noticed the many migrating Swainson’s Hawks and a few of us managed to get onto a very distant Hook-billed Kite mixed into the raptor movement. As we packed up to head out to the next spot, we spotted a few Chihuahuan Ravens, another new species for us, goofing around on the boarder wall.

We loaded up in the car and headed down into the riparian zone to search for our main target. Luckily, we didn’t have to search for them, as this now famous family of Brown Jays were waiting for us, asking if we had brought them any food. We set up the feeders, sat down for our own lunch, and enjoyed eating with some excellent birds. Brown and Green Jays, Audubon’s and Altamira Orioles, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, and Olive Sparrow all made visits to the feeder area. After everyone was satisfied, we moved deeper into the riparian habitat. Here we connected with another rare bird nesting in this area, Rose-throated Becard. Both the male and female made some quick appearances, and we managed some solid views despite them being up high and in the tangles. As we made our way out, we noticed a few stunning red birds, Summer Tanager and Vermillion Flycatcher, just amazing! We still had a little time left to explore the desert scrub habitat away from the river. Ryan took us to some good spots, and we picked up several new species for our trip list, like Scaled Quail, Verdin, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Bewick’s Wren, and Cassin’s Sparrow. We said goodbye to Ryan and thanked him for our tour through Santa Margarita Ranch! Just before we hit the highway, we heard the loud calls of a Cactus Wren. We quickly hopped out and enjoyed this charismatic bird, a great cap to the ranch.

Our birding efforts for the day weren’t yet complete . We took a short break because of the heat and then met up again for a little evening pre-dinner birding around Zapata. Down by the river we managed to pick up Black Phoebe and Gadwall. We had one final target for the day and one more place to check. We pulled into the local park in Zapata and amazingly our target appeared right away in the reeds by the water, Morelet’s Seedeater! This was another difficult species and specialty of this region. Time to celebrate with dinner and some sleep, after a long, hot day of productive birding with a total of nearly 100 species for the day!

USA Texas spring report

This family of Brown Jays has taken a liking to Santa Margarita Ranch recently.

Day 9, 2nd April 2025. Transfer to hill country and bat viewing

After such a long day of birding yesterday, we all enjoyed a much more leisurely morning today, with breakfast at the hotel. The plan for today was a long transfer out of the valley and into the Texas hill country, with one or two birding stops along the way. We loaded our luggage and set off. Our first stop was a local park in Loredo along the US/Mexico border. There was a large Cliff Swallow colony under the international bridge. After explaining to border patrol what we were looking at, we moved on to another area of the park and found Clay-colored Sparrow, Grey Hawk, Mexican Duck, and Couch’s Kingbird. We kept moving and checked out another local park on the north side of Loredo. It was a lovely place, and we picked up several new species including Bell’s Vireo, Black-chinned Hummingbird, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet. We also scored our best views yet of Ringed Kingfisher, we all got kicks out of this, considering the effort we had put in for this species only a few days prior. Time for lunch and then a few hours in the car before arriving in Uvalde, where we checked in to our hotel and had a short break.

This evening we had some big plans with a few bats, but first was a little more birding. We made our way over to Garner State Park. It was a pleasant evening, and we drove around exploring this large park as quickly as we could. We made several stops when we heard or saw something, and we managed to pick up Eastern Bluebird, House Finch, and Ash-throated Flycatcher. We found a nice patch of maple habitat, so we got out to explore and managed to find a Golden-cheeked Warbler rather quickly! It was great to have some incredible views and get this huge hill country target under our belt. We moved on to the Concan Frio bat cave for the real show of the evening. We waited patiently by the cave entrance and, just around sunset, millions of Mexican Free-tailed Bats began to pour out of the cave! It is the second largest mammal congregation in the world. Several raptors like Merlin and Red-tailed Hawk were waiting around to snag some tasty bats before bed. This was truly a spectacle and one of the top highlights.

USA Texas spring report

It was great to catch up with a Golden-cheeked Warbler while in the Texas hill country.

Day 10, 3rd April 2025. Lost Maples and more hill country

Today was fully dedicated to exploring the Texas hill country and all this new habitat and region had to offer us. There were several new targets for us, including one major one. We began at Lost Maples State Park, and we knew it would be a great day when we spotted a Golden-cheeked Warbler from the entrance parking lot. We gathered some intel from the visitor center and headed off towards one of the trails for a short hike, but we didn’t get far. A small flock of Cedar Waxwings was perched near the road and allowed for some great views, along with a Yellow-throated Vireo nearby. At the trailhead we noted Chipping Sparrow and Hutton’s Vireo. It was a great morning for a hike, so we ventured on and ticked White-eyed Vireo, Northern Parula, and Rufous-crowned Sparrow along the way. We eventually came to some nice scrub habitat where we could search for our main target, Black-capped Vireo. Thankfully, this time of year these birds are noisy. It wasn’t long before we heard one and then spotted it. We spent some time with this Black-capped Vireo, really taking in the sharp contrast of its white and black, before heading back to the vehicle. On our way out we heard the unmistakable call of a Canyon Wren echoing throughout the valley. We managed to track it down and got some views of it singing from the rocks.

The rest of our time at Lost Maples was spent at a small bird feeder blind. Several nice species came in while we watched, such as Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay, Lesser Goldfinch, Scott’s Oriole, and Black-chinned Hummingbird. Just outside of the blind, we found a few Eastern Phoebes nesting under the nearby structures. After a fantastic morning of birding, it was time for lunch. The remainder of the afternoon was spent at South Llano River State Park. By now it was getting hot, and the bird activity had dropped off, so we spent our time going to various feeder stations. We managed to find a few new trip birds like Brown Thrasher and Spotted Towhee, plus several other nice species like Orange-crowned Warbler, Bewick’s Wren, and Black-throated Sparrow. From here we headed off to Kerrville for dinner, and our hotel for the night.

USA Texas spring report

Black-capped Vireo has quite a striking contrast between head and body.

Day 11, 4th April 2025. Fredericksburg and back to Corpus Christi

At this point we were extremely thin on potential targets for new trip species. We cleaned up along the coast, in the valley, and in the hill country. After some digging for targets, we hatched a plan for the day and set off to a nearby local park in Kerrville. Here we managed to find both Blue Jay and Carolina Chickadee, adding two more species to our list. We had a little spare time today, so we ventured over to Fredericksburg to allow those who wanted to visit the National Museum of the Pacific War a chance to do so. The rest of us went birding around the area and managed to find two more new trip birds, Downy Woodpecker and American Robin, as well as a Red Fox at the nearby cemetery. It was time to start making the long drive back to Corpus Christi with a few stops around the San Antonio area after lunch. Woodlawn Lake netted us a lingering Greater White-fronted Goose plus Egyptian Goose, an established species here. One final stop at some city powerlines had us on another established exotic, Monk Parakeet. These birds like to nest in the power grids of the city and form colonies. This was our final new species for the day; we made the rest of the few hours’ drive from San Antonio to Corpus Christi for our final dinner together.

This Golden-fronted Woodpecker has a subtle beauty that is to be admired.

Day 12, 5th April 2025. Final birding and transfer to airport

On our final morning, we all had late afternoon flights, leaving the morning for birding. The forecast was a little spotty, so we tried to dodge the rain a bit. We also seriously lacked targets for new trip birds and we were scraping the bottom of the barrel after a very successful trip. We checked a few tidal spots at Mustang Island and managed a few Marbled Godwits out on the flats, new for the trip! As we cruised along the road we spotted a nighthawk, strangely flying mid-morning over the fields. We tracked it down and managed some distant views of this Lesser Nighthawk, another new one! The migrant traps were slow, so we decided to finish the trip at the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center, where we had started the trip. Thus, we could tie a nice bow on everything and come full circle. As we walked out on the boardwalk we spotted a tall pink bird out in the water, but this one wasn’t a spoonbill, it was an American Flamingo, incredible! The usual suspects were also present, but it was hard to get over this amazing bird as our final new trip bird. What a way to cap things off! We headed to the Corpus Christi airport to say goodbye, after what was certainly an incredible tour of south Texas!

USA Texas spring report

This rare American Flamingo was quite a surprise on our final day of birding!

Bird ListFollowing IOC (15.1)

The following notation after species names is used to show conservation status following BirdLife International: CE = Critically Endangered, EN = Endangered, VU = Vulnerable, NT = Near Threatened.

Common NameScientific Name
Ducks, Geese, Swans (Anatidae)
Black-bellied Whistling DuckDendrocygna autumnalis
Fulvous Whistling DuckDendrocygna bicolor
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifrons
Egyptian GooseAlopochen aegyptiaca
Muscovy DuckCairina moschata
Blue-winged TealSpatula discors
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
GadwallMareca strepera
American WigeonMareca americana
Mottled DuckAnas fulvigula
Mexican DuckAnas diazi
Northern PintailAnas acuta
Green-winged TealAnas carolinensis
RedheadAythya americana
Ring-necked DuckAythya collaris
Lesser ScaupAythya affinis
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensis
  
Chachalacas, Curassows, Guans (Cracidae)
Plain ChachalacaOrtalis vetula
  
New World Quail (Odontophoridae)
Scaled QuailCallipepla squamata
Northern BobwhiteColinus virginianus
  
Pheasants & Allies (Phasianidae)
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavo
  
Nightjars (Caprimulgidae)
Lesser NighthawkChordeiles acutipennis
PauraqueNyctidromus albicollis
  
Swifts (Apodidae)
Chimney Swift – VUChaetura pelagica
  
Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)
Black-chinned HummingbirdArchilochus alexandri
Ruby-throated HummingbirdArchilochus colubris
Buff-bellied HummingbirdAmazilia yucatanensis
  
Cuckoos (Cuculidae)
Greater RoadrunnerGeococcyx californianus
  
Pigeons, Doves (Columbidae)
Rock Dove (Introduced)Columba livia
Red-billed Pigeon 
Eurasian Collared Dove (Introduced)Streptopelia decaocto
Inca DoveColumbina inca
Common Ground Dove 
White-tipped Dove 
Mourning DoveZenaida macroura
White-winged DoveZenaida asiatica
  
Rails, Crakes & Coots (Rallidae)
Clapper RailRallus crepitans
Virginia RailRallus limicola
SoraPorzana carolina
Common GallinuleGallinula galeata
American CootFulica americana
Purple GallinulePorphyrio martinica
  
Cranes (Gruidae)
Whooping Crane – ENGrus americana
  
Grebes (Podicipedidae)
Least GrebeTachybaptus dominicus
Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podiceps
Black-necked GrebePodiceps nigricollis
  
Flamingos (Phoenicopteridae)
American FlamingoPhoenicopterus ruber
  
Oystercatchers (Haematopodidae)
American OystercatcherHaematopus palliatus
  
Stilts and Avocets (Recurvirostridae)
Black-necked StiltHimantopus mexicanus
American AvocetRecurvirostra americana
  
Plovers (Charadriidae)
Grey Plover – VUPluvialis squatarola
American Golden PloverPluvialis dominica
KilldeerCharadrius vociferus
Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatus
Wilson’s PloverAnarhynchus wilsonia
  
Sandpipers, Snipes (Scolopacidae)
Hudsonian WhimbrelNumenius hudsonicus
Long-billed CurlewNumenius americanus
Marbled Godwit – VULimosa fedoa
Long-billed DowitcherLimnodromus scolopaceus
Short-billed Dowitcher – VULimnodromus griseus
Spotted SandpiperActitis macularius
Lesser Yellowlegs – VUTringa flavipes
WilletTringa semipalmata
Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleuca
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpres
Stilt SandpiperCalidris himantopus
SanderlingCalidris alba
DunlinCalidris alpina
Least SandpiperCalidris minutilla
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotos
Western SandpiperCalidris mauri
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusilla
  
Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)
Black SkimmerRynchops niger
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon nilotica
Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
Forster’s TernSterna forsteri
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensis
Royal TernThalasseus maximus
Laughing GullLeucophaeus atricilla
Franklin’s GullLeucophaeus pipixcan
Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus
  
Loons (Gaviidae)
Common LoonGavia immer
  
Anhingas, Darters (Anhingidae)
AnhingaAnhinga anhinga
  
Cormorants, Shags (Phalacrocoracidae)
Neotropic CormorantNannopterum brasilianum
Double-crested CormorantNannopterum auritum
  
Ibises, Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae)
American White IbisEudocimus albus
White-faced IbisPlegadis chihi
Roseate SpoonbillPlatalea ajaja
  
Herons, Bitterns (Ardeidae)
Least BitternBotaurus exilis
Yellow-crowned Night HeronNyctanassa violacea
Black-crowned Night HeronNycticorax nycticorax
Little Blue HeronEgretta caerulea
Tricolored HeronEgretta tricolor
Reddish EgretEgretta rufescens
Snowy EgretEgretta thula
Green HeronButorides virescens
Great EgretArdea alba
Western Cattle EgretArdea ibis
Great Blue HeronArdea herodias
  
Pelicans (Pelecanidae)
American White PelicanPelecanus erythrorhynchos
Brown PelicanPelecanus occidentalis
  
New World Vultures (Cathartidae)
Black VultureCoragyps atratus
Turkey VultureCathartes aura
  
Ospreys (Pandionidae)
OspreyPandion haliaetus
  
Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae)
Hook-billed KiteChondrohierax uncinatus
Cooper’s HawkAstur cooperii
Northern HarrierCircus hudsonius
Harris’s HawkParabuteo unicinctus
White-tailed HawkGeranoaetus albicaudatus
Grey HawkButeo plagiatus
Red-shouldered HawkButeo lineatus
Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterus
Swainson’s HawkButeo swainsoni
Zone-tailed HawkButeo albonotatus
Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis
  
Kingfishers (Alcedinidae)
Green KingfisherChloroceryle americana
Ringed KingfisherMegaceryle torquata
Belted KingfisherMegaceryle alcyon
  
Woodpeckers (Picidae)
Golden-fronted WoodpeckerMelanerpes aurifrons
Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus varius
Ladder-backed WoodpeckerDryobates scalaris
Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens
  
Caracaras, Falcons (Falconidae)
Crested CaracaraCaracara plancus
American KestrelFalco sparverius
Aplomado FalconFalco femoralis
MerlinFalco columbarius
  
African & New World Parrots (Psittacidae)
Monk ParakeetMyiopsitta monachus
Red-crowned Amazon – ENAmazona viridigenalis
Green ParakeetPsittacara holochlorus
  
Tyrant Flycatchers, Calyptura (Tyrannidae)
Northern Beardless TyrannuletCamptostoma imberbe
Eastern PhoebeSayornis phoebe
Black PhoebeSayornis nigricans
Say’s PhoebeSayornis saya
Vermilion FlycatcherPyrocephalus obscurus
Great KiskadeePitangus sulphuratus
Tropical KingbirdTyrannus melancholicus
Couch’s KingbirdTyrannus couchii
Scissor-tailed FlycatcherTyrannus forficatus
Ash-throated FlycatcherMyiarchus cinerascens
Brown-crested FlycatcherMyiarchus tyrannulus
  
Tityras, Becards, Sharpbill (Tityridae)
Rose-throated BecardPachyramphus aglaiae
  
Vireos, Greenlets, Shrike-babblers (Vireonidae)
Hutton’s VireoVireo huttoni
Yellow-throated VireoVireo flavifrons
White-eyed VireoVireo griseus
Bell’s VireoVireo bellii
Black-capped VireoVireo atricapilla
  
Shrikes (Laniidae)
Loggerhead ShrikeLanius ludovicianus
  
Crows, Jays (Corvidae)
Brown JayCyanocorax morio
Green JayCyanocorax luxuosus
Blue JayCyanocitta cristata
Woodhouse’s Scrub JayAphelocoma woodhouseii
Northern RavenCorvus corax
Chihuahuan RavenCorvus cryptoleucus
  
Waxwings (Bombycillidae)
Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorum
  
Tits, Chickadees (Paridae)
Black-crested TitmouseBaeolophus atricristatus
Carolina ChickadeePoecile carolinensis
  
Penduline Tits (Remizidae)
VerdinAuriparus flaviceps
  
Swallows, Martins (Hirundinidae)
Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor
Purple MartinProgne subis
Northern Rough-winged SwallowStelgidopteryx serripennis
Barn SwallowHirundo rustica
American Cliff SwallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonota
Cave SwallowPetrochelidon fulva
  
Goldcrests, Kinglets (Regulidae)
Ruby-crowned KingletCorthylio calendula
  
Wrens (Troglodytidae)
Cactus WrenCampylorhynchus brunneicapillus
Canyon WrenCatherpes mexicanus
Marsh WrenCistothorus palustris
Bewick’s WrenThryomanes bewickii
Carolina WrenThryothorus ludovicianus
Winter WrenTroglodytes hiemalis
Northern House WrenTroglodytes aedon
  
Gnatcatchers (Polioptilidae)
Blue-grey GnatcatcherPolioptila caerulea
Black-tailed GnatcatcherPolioptila melanura
  
Mockingbirds, Thrashers (Mimidae)
Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottos
Brown ThrasherToxostoma rufum
Long-billed ThrasherToxostoma longirostre
Curve-billed ThrasherToxostoma curvirostre
  
Starlings, Rhabdornises (Sturnidae)
Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
  
Thrushes (Turdidae)
Eastern BluebirdSialia sialis
American RobinTurdus migratorius
Clay-colored ThrushTurdus grayi
  
Old World Sparrows, Snowfinches (Passeridae)
House SparrowPasser domesticus
  
Finches, Euphonias (Fringillidae)
House FinchHaemorhous mexicanus
Lesser GoldfinchSpinus psaltria
  
New World Sparrows (Passerellidae)
Cassin’s SparrowPeucaea cassinii
Grasshopper SparrowAmmodramus savannarum
Olive SparrowArremonops rufivirgatus
Black-throated SparrowAmphispiza bilineata
Lark SparrowChondestes grammacus
Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina
Clay-colored SparrowSpizella pallida
White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys
White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollis
Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineus
Seaside SparrowAmmospiza maritima
Savannah SparrowPasserculus sandwichensis
Lincoln’s SparrowMelospiza lincolnii
Swamp SparrowMelospiza georgiana
Rufous-crowned SparrowAimophila ruficeps
Spotted TowheePipilo maculatus
  
Oropendolas, New World Orioles, Blackbirds (Icteridae)
Western MeadowlarkSturnella neglecta
Eastern MeadowlarkSturnella magna
Scott’s OrioleIcterus parisorum
Audubon’s OrioleIcterus graduacauda
Altamira OrioleIcterus gularis
Bullock’s OrioleIcterus bullockii
Hooded OrioleIcterus cucullatus
Orchard OrioleIcterus spurius
Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceus
Bronzed CowbirdMolothrus aeneus
Brown-headed CowbirdMolothrus ater
Brewer’s BlackbirdEuphagus cyanocephalus
Boat-tailed GrackleQuiscalus major
Great-tailed GrackleQuiscalus mexicanus
  
New World Warblers (Parulidae)
OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapilla
Worm-eating WarblerHelmitheros vermivorum
Blue-winged WarblerVermivora cyanoptera
Black-and-white WarblerMniotilta varia
Orange-crowned WarblerLeiothlypis celata
Nashville WarblerLeiothlypis ruficapilla
Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas
Hooded WarblerSetophaga citrina
Northern ParulaSetophaga americana
Tropical ParulaSetophaga pitiayumi
Myrtle WarblerSetophaga coronata
Yellow-throated WarblerSetophaga dominica
Golden-cheeked Warbler – ENSetophaga chrysoparia
  
Cardinals & Allies (Cardinalidae)
Summer TanagerPiranga rubra
Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis
PyrrhuloxiaCardinalis sinuatus
Indigo BuntingPasserina cyanea
Lazuli BuntingPasserina amoena
  
Tanagers & Allies (Thraupidae)
Morelet’s SeedeaterSporophila morelleti
  
Total Recorded236

Mammal List

Common NameScientific Name
Squirrels and Relatives (Sciuridae)
Easetern Grey SquirrelSciurus carolinensis
Fox SquirrelSciurus niger
  
Rabbits and Hares (Leporidae)
Black-tailed JackrabbitLepus californicus
Eastern CottontailSylvilagus floridanus
  
Free-tailed Bats (Molossidae)
Mexican Free-tailed BatTadarida brasiliensis
  
Canids (Canidae)
Red FoxVulpes vulpes
  
Armadillos and allies (Daypodidae)
Nine-banded ArmadilloDasypus novemcinctus
  
Raccoons and Relatives (Procyonidae)
Northern RaccoonProcyon lotor
  
Oceanic Dolphins (Delphinidae)
Common Bottlenose DolphinTursiops truncatus
  
Peccary (Tayassuidae)
Collared PeccaryDicotyles tajacu
  
Deer, Elk, Mooses (Cervidae)
White-tailed DeerOdocoileus virginianus
  
Total11

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