The Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas is a world-class birding destination featuring over 40 species not easily found elsewhere in the United States! These unique subtropical specialties combined with a propensity for vagrant rarities, and South Texas' ideal positioning for congregations of fall migrants and wintering birds makes for very exciting birding! This tour is scheduled so that guests can also attend the annual Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival for extra opportunities to enjoy their visit to South Texas!

Brief Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrivals at McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE) in McAllen, Texas.. Afternoon birding to local hotspots. Night in Alamo.

Day 2 – Santa Margarita Ranch, Salineño, Falcon State Park, & Starr County Park. Night in Alamo.

Day 3 – Bentsen Rio-Grande Valley State Park, Anzalduas Park, & Santa Ana NWR. Night in Alamo.

Day 4 – Estero Llano Grande, Resaca de la Palma, & Sabal Palm Sanctuary. Night in Alamo.

Day 5 – Old Port Isabel Rd, Laguna Atascosa NWR, & Willacy County hotspots. Night in Alamo.

Day 6 – Cameron County hotspots, South Padre Island hotspots, Shrimp Basin Boat Ramp, Bolsa Chica NWR, Brownsville Landfill, & Brownsville Parrot Roost. Night in Alamo.

Day 7 – Morning birding at Quinta Mazatlán. Departures from McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE)  in McAllen, Texas.

The Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas provides birders with some of North America’s most diverse and exciting wildlife opportunities! There are over 40 bird species considered specialties of the region - more easily seen here than anywhere else in the United States. Over 500 species have been recorded in the region during fall migration, and over the years we have totaled 320 species seen on our weeklong tour, with an annual average of 200 species! Our tours are planned for the peak window in November when huge numbers of waterbirds, songbirds, raptors, and shorebirds from each of North America’s flyways converge here for the winter or continue moving south toward Mexico and beyond! You can count on an exciting week jam-packed with Texas birding at its finest! A vibrant cultural community, great food, and beautiful weather add to this region’s allure. Let’s go birding!

We’ll visit wetlands where large numbers of waterfowl and waders congregate for the winter; riparian woodlands and palm-fringed resacas beaming with colorful songbirds; and coastal lagoons loaded with shorebirds. During the course of the tour we will visit legendary hotspots like Estero Llano Grande State Park, South Padre Island, Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, and Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park. 

Lower Rio Grande Valley regional specialties include Audubon’s and Altamira Orioles, Great Kiskadee, Green Jay, Ringed and Green Kingfishers, Plain Chachalaca, Groove-billed Ani, Common Pauraque, Mottled Duck, Mexican Duck, White-tailed Hawk, Gray Hawk, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Long-billed Thrasher, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Least Grebe, Tropical and Couch’s Kingbirds, Chihuahuan Raven, Black-crested Titmouse, Spraque’s Pipit, Neotropic Cormorant, Reddish Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, Bronzed Cowbird, White-tipped Dove, Snowy Plover, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Olive Sparrow, and (last but certainly not least) the stunning Aplomado Falcon. With over 40 species easier to see here than anywhere else in the United States, the Valley is a bucket list destination for sure!

The Valley’s wildlife goes well beyond birds too, and we will take some time to appreciate South Texas’ unique mammals, butterflies, snakes, lizards, and dragonflies. The Valley is especially well-known for being the butterfly hotspot of the United States! In fact, we have recorded over 160 butterfly species on this tour over the last 10 years!

The Lower Rio Grande Valley is a well-known rarity hotspot, with a slew of exciting Mexican vagrants that could turn up at any moment! In previous years we’ve had success chasing down Tamaulipas Crow, Masked Booby, Hook-billed Kite, Roadside Hawk, Tropical Parula, Crimson-collared Grosbeak, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Muscovy Duck, Rose-throated Becard, Social Flycatcher, Cattle Tyrant, Brown Jay, Smooth-billed Ani, and Golden-crowned Warbler! You never know what crazy rarity might show up! Additionally, we’ve documented over 20 species on this tour that were rare birds for Texas in general, like Cackling Goose, Limpkin, American Flamingo, and Winter Wren! The geographic crossroads of South Texas makes it seem like almost any bird could show up!

South Texas is also home to both wild and established parrots and parakeets. There are large flocks of Red-crowned Parrots that live in urban areas as a result of natural range expansion from Mexico supplemented by released pets. Yellow-headed Parrot, Red-lored Parrot, White-fronted Parrot, and Lilac-crowned Parrot can be found mixed into the flocks as well! Large colonies of Green Parakeets thrive in this area, and at least one colony of Monk Parakeets can be found along the river.

Looking for even more opportunities to explore South Texas? This tour is scheduled to coincide with the annual Rio Grande Birding Festival in Harlingen, Texas. Consider joining some of the festival’s field trips, listen to a keynote speaker, or visit the conference hall for a few days in combination with our tour for a really thorough and enjoyable journey to the Valley in Fall!

Number of times this tour has been run: 9

Average Bird Species Total: 200

Arrivals at McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE) in McAllen, TX. We highly suggest early AM arrivals or to arrive the day ahead of the tour. We will spend the afternoon becoming acquainted with the regional birdlife and will likely encounter many regional specialties right off the bat! Towards sunset we will visit a large Green Parakeet roost in downtown McAllen. Night in Alamo, Texas.

This is the only very early morning departure on the trip. We will travel 1.5 hours up the Rio Grande to reach Santa Margarita Ranch and nearby Salineño Wildlife Preserve. These peaceful natural areas showcase some of the most pristine subtropical woodland habitat in the United States. Birding along the river can be teaming with notable species! Waterbirds like egrets, herons, pelicans, and ducks can be seen moving up and down the narrow section of the Rio Grande while the riparian subtropical forests are filled with birdsong. This is a great spot for seeing Mexican Duck, Green Kingfisher, Ringed Kingfisher, and Audubon’s Oriole. With a little luck we may also spot Red-billed Pigeons or Morelet’s Seedeater! Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Great Kiskadee, and Green Jays are abundant. In recent years we have even found wild Muscovy Ducks, Brown Jays, Rose-throated Becard, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Hook-billed Kite, and other major rarities at the ranch or at Salineño!

Falcon State Park is one of the most arid regions we’ll be visiting on this trip, nestled nicely into the desert scrublands. We’ll search for Crested Caracara, Northern Bobwhite, Scaled Quail, Greater Roadrunner, Pyrrhuloxia, and Black-throated Sparrow. Starr County Park’s habitat is like Falcon State Park but is a more reliable spot for finding Vermilion Flycatcher and Lark Sparrow. Night in Alamo, Texas.

Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park is one of the larger tracts of Rio Grande floodplain forest. It is a remnant of the once heavily wooded Lower Rio Grande Valley which is now largely converted to agricultural lands and urban developments. Birding targets here include Plain Chachalaca, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Green Jay, Gray Hawk, and Altamira Oriole. Hook-billed Kites can be seen here by very lucky birders.

Anzalduas Park is located right on the Rio Grande River and is a well-known birding hotspot for Mexican vagrants. The large, grassy field here is a reliable place for American Pipit and if we’re lucky, maybe even a Sprague’s Pipit! Anzalduas is another good spot for Vermilion Flycatcher and all 3 kingfishers.

Santa Ana NWR is the crown jewel of the Valley’s wildlife refuges, a fabulous place for birds. Many of the region’s specialties are residents here. This refuge is famous for the many astounding rarities that have been found such as Northern Jacana, Rose-throated Becard, and Hook-billed Kite. Groove-billed Ani is possible. Both Bentsen and Santa Ana are great locations to view raptor migration in action! Night in Alamo, Texas.

Estero Llano Grande State Park is the rising star of birding hotspots in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. If you only had one day in South Texas, this is the spot I would recommend. The diversity here is rich and birds are often easier to see here than many other places. Some of the birds we’ll be looking for will be Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Least Grebe, Inca Dove, White-tipped Dove, Common Pauraque, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Couch’s Kingbird, and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher and there’s always the chance we could turn up Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Tropical Parula, or Blue Bunting!

Southeast, toward Brownsville, lies Resaca de la Palm State Park. The feeder setup here is excellent and sometimes good birds can be found right in the parking lot; like Black-throated Gray Warbler or Townsend’s Warbler for instance. Olive Sparrows are regular feeder visitors affording birders good views of these typically shy and skulking specialties.

Sabal Palm Sanctuary showcases a massive, dense stand of palms that gives you a feeling like you are in another country. This is a great place for Olive Sparrow, Least Grebe, White-tipped Dove, and Green Kingfisher. Night in Alamo, Texas.

The drive along Old Port Isabel Road will give us our first opportunity of finding a rare Aplomado Falcon. We could see many other fine birds along the way too, including Northern Bobwhite, Cassin’s Sparrow, Least Grebe, Swainson’s Hawk, and the stunning White-tailed Hawk.

Laguna Atascosa NWR boasts one of the largest species lists of any National Wildlife Refuge in North America. Various waterfowl, White-tailed Hawk, Harris’s Hawk, Long-billed Curlew, Gull-billed Tern, Greater Roadrunner, Reddish Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, and White-tailed Kite roam this area, and there can be Aplomado Falcons too! Night in Alamo, Texas.

In the morning we’ll meander through the center of Cameron County with more chances for Aplomado Falcon and other raptors, plus Scissor-tailed Flycatchers and assorted odds and ends.

Our primary destination for the day will be to South Padre Island. This long, narrow barrier island can be absolutely hopping during fall migration. We’ll search multiple migrant traps along the island and see what’s hiding in the trees and brush. On a good day, there can be dozens of Indigo Buntings, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, vireos, flycatchers, and really any bird could show up! The list of rarities found here is astounding! In the coastal lagoons we’ll see American White Pelican, Franklin’s Gull, Long-billed Curlew, Reddish Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, Piping Plover, Sandwich Tern, and many other shorebirds and waterbirds. It’s pretty hard to try and pack all that SPI has to offer into one paragraph – it’s just an awesome place!

On our way back through Cameron County we’ll stop at the boat ramp along Texas Route 48 where large numbers of shorebirds, gulls, and terns gather to rest. We should have nice, close views of Franklin’s Gull, Laughing Gull, Caspian Tern, Gull-billed Tern, Marbled Godwit, Long-billed Curlew, and maybe Clapper Rail.

Driving down Boca Chica Boulevard, through the Boca Chica National Wildlife Refuge can be a great area for finding Harris’s Hawks, Northern Bobwhite, Northern Harrier, Reddish Egret, and thousands of shorebirds and other waterbirds. After passing by the SpaceX facility, we’ll pop out on the beach where we can scan the Gulf of Mexico for Common Loon, Common Tern, Northern Gannet, and see if any shorebirds are feeding along the surf. Nearby the famous (at least among birders) Brownsville Landfill congregates thousands of gulls and can be a great place for seeing Chihuahuan Raven. Some years we have been able to turn up the very rare Tamaulipas Crow too!

To end the day, we’ll stop by Oliveira Park in Brownsville. This small community sports complex has many large eucalyptus trees which provide an ideal roost location for the region’s huge population of Amazona parrots. The most common is the Red-crowned Parrot, but we should also be able to pick out White-fronted Parrot, Red-lored Parrot, and Lilac-crowned Parrot. Sometimes Scissor-tailed Flycatchers will gather to roost here as well! Final night in Alamo, Texas.

In the morning, prior to departures, we will spend an hour or two exploring the beautiful Quinta Mazatlan property. A stunning mansion and the surrounding gardens were donated as a wildlife refuge, and the birding here is great! It’s not uncommon for a rarity like Tropical Parula or Crimson-collared Grosbeak to be hiding out!

Departures from McAllen Miller International Airport (MFE) in McAllen, Texas. Airport drop-offs will be at 10:00am. Please plan for flights no earlier than 11:00am. Thanks for joining us in South Texas!

TEXAS: Rio Grande Valley in Fall 2025 eBird TRIP REPORT

TEXAS: Rio Grande Valley in Fall 2024 eBird TRIP REPORT

TEXAS: Rio Grande Valley in Fall 2023 eBird TRIP REPORT

TEXAS: Rio Grande Valley in Fall 2022 eBird TRIP REPORT

TEXAS: Rio Grande Valley with MOS 2021 eBird TRIP REPORT

TEXAS: Rio Grande Valley in Fall 2021 eBird TRIP REPORT

TEXAS: Rio Grande Valley in Fall 2019 eBird TRIP REPORT

TEXAS: Rio Grande Valley in Fall 2018 eBird TRIP REPORT

TEXAS: Rio Grande Valley in Fall 2017 eBird TRIP REPORT

iNaturalist Guide to Wildlife, Insects, & Plants seen on this tour!

• Scaled Quail

• Common Pauraque

• Snowy Plover

• Groove-billed Ani

• Hook-billed Kite

• Zone-tailed Hawk

• Tropical Kingbird

• Sedge Wren

• Olive Sparrow

• Audubon’s Oriole

• Tropical Parula

• Muscovy Duck

• American Flamingo

• Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

• Hook-billed Kite

• Roadside Hawk

• Rose-throated Becard

• Dusky-capped Flycatcher

• Fork-tailed Flycatcher

• Cattle Tyrant

• Social Flycatcher

• Brown Jay

• Golden-crowned Warbler

• Crimson-collared Grosbeak

• Cackling Goose

• Smooth-billed Ani

• Limpkin

• Whooping Crane

• Bar-tailed Godwit

• Red-necked Phalarope

• Lesser Black-backed Gull

• Masked Booby

• Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl

• Williamson’s Sapsucker

• Prairie Falcon

• Plumbeous Vireo

• Golden-crowned Kinglet

• Red-breasted Nuthatch

• White-throated Sparrow

• Spotted Towhee

• Common Grackle

• Black-headed Grosbeak

• Trails & Walking: We will walk a few miles per day on mostly flat, well-maintained paths, wide dirt tracks, boardwalks, and other reasonable paths with minimal tripping hazards. One half-mile trail at Santa Margarita Ranch is rocky and has some bigger rock steps in areas, but we will be walking slowly and helping each other along the way.

• Pace: Leisurely, but with frequent stops. Daily field time 8+ hours. Easy access right to the birding spots. Plenty of time to stop and enjoy the birds, with helpful tips from our expert guides! Due to remote location, there can be lengthy gaps between bathroom stops.

• Elevation: Near-sea level destination with minimal elevation gain.

• Weather: Generally subtropical climate - variable from cool, windy, with scattered rain but most often warm, sunny, and windy. Please consult forecasts leading up to the tour!

• Logistics: By staying in one hotel for the whole week, guests may elect to skip whole days or portions of some days, but please consult the detailed tour description.

• Vehicle Seating: We typically use 12-passenger Ford Transit rental vans for this tour, but we try to limit the number of guides + birders to 9 total people per van. Other times we use minivans or larger SUVs. There are no drives longer than 2 hours during the course of this tour, although staying in one hotel for the whole week does mean that some days we travel pretty far afield in order to reach all the hotspots.