The Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail is a state-designated system of

trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or a small paved road (though it can also be a route along a navigable waterways) generally not intended for usage by motorized vehicles, usually passing through a natural area. Ho ...

bird sanctuaries Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight ...

, and

nature preserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geolog ...

s along the entire length of the

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

Gulf Coast The Gulf Coast of the United States, also known as the Gulf South or the South Coast, is the coastline along the Southern United States where they meet the Gulf of Mexico. The coastal states that have a shoreline on the Gulf of Mexico are Tex ...

in the United States. As the state of Texas hosts more bird species than any other state in the U.S. the trail system offers some of the most unusual opportunities for

bird-watching Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device such as binoculars or a telescop ...

in the world.Schultz (2007), pp. 779–780.Wauer (1998), p. 1. The "trail" is actually 43 separate hiking and driving trails that include 308 birding sites. The sites themselves feature a variety of viewing opportunities with boardwalks, observation decks, and other amenities. The trails boast more than 450 bird species.White (2003), pg. 2. The trail system is managed by the

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) is a Texas state agency that oversees and protects wildlife and their habitat (ecology), habitats. In addition, the agency is responsible for managing the state park, state's parks and historical ar ...

as part of the Great Texas Wildlife Trails which also include the

Heart of Texas Wildlife Trail The Heart of Texas Wildlife Trail is a state-designated system of trails and wildlife sanctuaries in Central Texas in the United States. It is one of the four major wildlife trail systems designated by the State of Texas. The trail system is d ...

, the

Panhandle Plains Wildlife Trail The Panhandle Plains Wildlife Trail is a state-designated system of trails and wildlife sanctuaries in the Texas Panhandle in the United States. It is one of the four major wildlife trail systems designated by the State of Texas. The trail syst ...

, and the

Prairies and Pineywoods Wildlife Trail The Prairies and Pineywoods Wildlife Trail is a state-designated system of trails and wildlife sanctuaries in the Texas Panhandle in the United States. It is one of the four major wildlife trail systems designated by the State of Texas. The tra ...

. Apart from bird watching the trail system includes many

s which feature a wide variety of wildlife. In addition, the various sites cover many types of natural terrain and flora including forests, marshes, and beaches. This trail network was the first of its kind in the U.S. though many states have since followed. The trail system remains the nation's largest. One of the most well-known locations along the trail system is the

Aransas National Wildlife Refuge Aransas National Wildlife Refuge is a 115,324-acre (466.7 km2) protected area situated on the southwest side of San Antonio Bay along the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Texas. It is located in parts of Aransas, Refugio, and Calhoun ...

, which holds the winter home of the only natural flock of

whooping crane The whooping crane (''Grus americana'') is an endangered Crane (bird), crane species, native to North America, named for its "whooping" calls. Along with the sandhill crane (''Antigone canadensis''), it is one of only two crane species native to ...

s in the world.

Trail system

Apart from bird watching the trail system includes many

s which feature a wide variety of wildlife. In addition the various sites cover many types of natural terrain and flora including forests, marshes, and beaches. The trail system is the nation's largest. One of the most well-known locations along the trail system is the

, which holds the winter home of the only natural flock of

s in the world.

History

The Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail 467

The Texas coast has been popular among bird watchers in the United States for decades. Located where the

Central Flyway The Central Flyway is a bird migration route that generally follows the Great Plains in the United States and Canada. The main endpoints of the flyway include the Canadian Prairies and the region surrounding the Gulf of Mexico; the migration route ...

meets the Gulf Coast and the

Mississippi Flyway The Mississippi Flyway is a bird migration route that generally follows the Mississippi, Missouri, and Lower Ohio Rivers in the United States across the western Great Lakes to the Mackenzie River and Hudson Bay in Canada. The main endpoints of t ...

, the region sees a large number of

migrants Migrant is a term that may refer to: Human migration *Human migration, including: **Emigration, leaving one's resident country with the intent to settle elsewhere. 1988 Webster's Definition. One who migrates, esp. from 1 region to another in sear ...

; in addition, the southern part of the Texas coast is far enough south to host a number of tropical species. A 1991

American Birding Association The American Birding Association (ABA) is a nonprofit organization, founded in 1969, dedicated to recreational birdwatching, birding in Canada and the United States. It has been called "the standard-bearer for serious birding in North America." ...

(ABA) study by Roland Wauer showed that Texas was the top bird-watching destination in the United States for its members. In 1993 the

began a $1.5 million project to develop public and private resources to utilize as bird sanctuaries and observation sites. The plan and the concept were largely developed by Ted Eubanks and Madge Lindsay. Site improvements included trail markers, trail development, boardwalks, observation stations, and many others. The goal was both to encourage environmental protection and to establish a tourism network that would benefit businesses throughout the Texas Gulf Coast region catering to ecotourists. The Central Coast section of the trail network was opened in 1994 with more than 95 sites. The other sections opened soon afterward. The trail system was completed in 2000. Markers featuring a logo with a

black skimmer The black skimmer (''Rynchops niger'') is a tern-like seabird, one of three similar bird species in the Rynchops, skimmer genus ''Rynchops'' in the gull family Laridae. It breeds in North America, North and South America. Northern populations bir ...

are present on each of the viewing sites. Soon other wildlife trail networks were developed in other parts of Texas, and other states established their own wildlife trail systems patterned after the Texas model. Sites along the trail systems are popular among birding enthusiasts, both domestic and international. Events such as the state's Great Texas Birding Classic continue to build interest in the trails among nature lovers.

Geography

The region covered by the trail network is part of the

Gulf Coastal Plains The Gulf Coastal Plain extends around the Gulf of Mexico in the Southern United States and eastern Mexico. This coastal plain reaches from the Florida Panhandle, southwest Georgia, the southern two-thirds of Alabama, over most of Mississippi, we ...

. With annual rainfall averages ranging from about , this is a nearly level, drained plain dissected by streams and rivers flowing into

estuaries An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...

and

marsh In ecology, a marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous plants rather than by woody plants.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p More in genera ...

es. Windblown

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural ...

s and

dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominance (ecology), dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes such as clover, and other Herbaceo ...

s, oak mottes, and

salt marsh A salt marsh, saltmarsh or salting, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. I ...

es make up the seaward areas. The region stretches from the Piney Woods of

East Texas East Texas is a broadly defined cultural, geographic, and ecological region in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Texas that consists of approximately 38 counties. It is roughly divided into Northeast Texas, Northeast, Southeast Texas, Sout ...

to the Texas Coastal Prairies that dominate the majority of the coast south of

Houston Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

. The Piney Woods area features groves of

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

and other

hardwood Hardwood is wood from Flowering plant, angiosperm trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostl ...

trees such as

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendr ...

, and American Sweet Gum (''

Liquidambar styraciflua ''Liquidambar styraciflua'', commonly known as the American sweetgum among other names, is a deciduous tree in the genus ''Liquidambar'' native to warm temperate areas of eastern North America and tropical montane regions of Mexico and Central A ...

''). This wooded area which has supported Texas' lumber industry since the 19th century is now considered one of the most critically endangered ecosystems in the world. These woodland areas of the trail network stretch from the

Big Thicket The Big Thicket is the name given to a somewhat imprecise region of a heavily forested area of Southeast Texas in the United States. This area represents a portion of the mixed pine-hardwood forests or " Piney Woods" of the Southeast US. The Nat ...

area in the east to

Sam Houston National Forest The Sam Houston National Forest, one of four National Forests in Texas, is located 50 miles north of Houston. The forest is administered together with the other three United States National Forests and two National Grasslands located entirely i ...

in the west, with pockets of woodlands stretching down into the area around

Galveston Bay Galveston Bay ( ) is a bay in the western Gulf of Mexico along the upper coast of Texas. It is the seventh-largest estuary in the United States, and the largest of seven major estuaries along the Texas Gulf Coast. It is connected to the Gulf of ...

near Houston. The prairie regions feature a variety of grass types, particularly Indiangrass (''

Sorghastrum nutans ''Sorghastrum nutans'', known as Indiangrass, is a North American prairie grass found in the United States and Canada, especially in the Great Plains and tallgrass prairies. It is sometimes called Indian grass, yellow Indian-grass, or wood gras ...

''),

big bluestem ''Andropogon gerardi'', commonly known as big bluestem, is a species of tall grass native to much of the Great Plains and grassland regions of central and eastern North America. It is also known as tall bluestem, bluejoint, and turkeyfoot. Taxon ...

(''Andropogon gerardii''),

little bluestem ''Schizachyrium scoparium'', commonly known as little bluestem or beard grass, is a species of North American prairie grass native to most of the contiguous United States (except California, Nevada, and Oregon) as well as a small area north of t ...

(''Schizachyrium scoparium''), and switchgrass (''

Panicum virgatum ''Panicum virgatum'', commonly known as switchgrass, is a perennial warm season bunchgrass native to North America, where it occurs naturally from 55th parallel north, 55°N latitude in Canada southwards into the United States and Mexico. Switch ...

''). The grasslands around the

Laguna Madre The Laguna Madre is a long, shallow, hypersaline lagoon along the western coast of the Gulf of Mexico in Nueces County, Texas, Nueces, Kenedy County, Texas, Kenedy, Kleberg County, Texas, Kleberg, Willacy County, Texas, Willacy and Cameron Coun ...

near Corpus Christi are considered some of the most important. Parts of extreme

South Texas South Texas is a geographic and cultural region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of—and includes—San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of th ...

around Brownsville and the

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( or ) in the United States or the Río Bravo (del Norte) in Mexico (), also known as Tó Ba'áadi in Navajo language, Navajo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the Southwestern United States a ...

feature forests of sabal palm (''

Sabal mexicana ''Sabal mexicana'' is a species of palm tree that is native to far southern North America. Common names include Rio Grande palmetto, Mexican palmetto, Texas palmetto, Texas sabal palm, palmetto cabbage and palma de mícharos. The specific epith ...

'') and Texas ebony (''

Ebenopsis ebano ''Ebenopsis ebano'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, that is native to the coastal plain of southern Texas in the United States and eastern Mexico. It is commonly known as Texas ebony or ''ebano'' (in Spanish language, Span ...

''). These forests, once widespread in the region, were mostly cleared during the 1900s though some clusters, particularly the Sabal Palm Audubon Center and Sanctuary, remain. The areas around Zapata and Laredo, which though significantly inland are considered part of the "coastal" trail system, feature a

semi-arid climate A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...

as they lie near the eastern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert. Scrub vegetation dominates the area with the Rio Grande and lakes supporting substantial wildlife diversity. The coastline features numerous bays and lakes including

Sabine Lake Sabine Lake is a bay on the Gulf coasts of Texas and Louisiana, located approximately east of Houston and west of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge, adjoining the city of Port Arthur, Texas, Port Arthur. The lake is formed by the confluence ...

, Galveston Bay,

Matagorda Bay Matagorda Bay () is a large Gulf of Mexico bay on the Texas coast, lying in Calhoun and Matagorda counties and located approximately northeast of Corpus Christi, east-southeast of San Antonio, south-southwest of Houston, and south-southea ...

San Antonio Bay San Antonio Bay is a bay on the Texas Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast situated between Matagorda Bay, Matagorda and Aransas Bay. It consists mainly of the combined waters of the San Antonio River, San Antonio and Guadalupe River (Tex ...

Copano Bay Copano Bay is a northwestern extension of Aransas Bay, west of Rockport, Texas in Refugio and Aransas counties. It is supplied with seawater from the Gulf of Mexico via Aransas Bay, and fed freshwater from the Aransas River, Mission River and ...

Corpus Christi Bay Corpus Christi Bay is a scenic semi-tropical bay on the Texas coast found in San Patricio and Nueces counties, next to the major city of Corpus Christi. It is separated from the Gulf of Mexico by Mustang Island, and is fed by the Nueces River ...

Baffin Bay Baffin Bay (Inuktitut: ''Saknirutiak Imanga''; ; ; ), located between Baffin Island and the west coast of Greenland, is defined by the International Hydrographic Organization as a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. It is sometimes considered a s ...

, and the Laguna Madre.

Wildlife

Typical varieties of birds along the length of the system include

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family (biology), family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and goose, geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfam ...

geese A goose (: geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera '' Anser'' (grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (black geese). Some members of the Tadorninae subfamily (e.g., Egyp ...

, and

seagull Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the subfamily Larinae. They are most closely related to terns and skimmers, distantly related to auks, and even more distantly related to waders. Until the 21st century, most gulls were placed ...

s with many other species found in particular locations. The endangered

s that winter in

are among the most famous. The

, adopted as a symbol of the trail system, can be found throughout almost the entire coastline. Apart from the many varieties of bird species, many other types of animals can be found along the trails. American alligators,

bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the wildcat, bay lynx, or red lynx, is one of the four extant species within the medium-sized wild cat genus '' Lynx''. Native to North America, it ranges from southern Canada through most of the c ...

coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans''), also known as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf, is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the Wolf, gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the c ...

s, and

nutria The nutria () or coypu () (''Myocastor coypus'') is a herbivore, herbivorous, semiaquatic rodent from South America. Classified for a long time as the only member of the family Myocastoridae, ''Myocastor'' has since been included within Echimy ...

are common in areas of the Upper Coast.

Collared peccaries The collared peccary (''Dicotyles tajacu'') is a peccary, a species of artiodactyl (even-toed) mammal in the family Tayassuidae found in North, Central, and South America. It is the only member of the genus ''Dicotyles''. They are commonly ref ...

, the

Texas spiny lizard The Texas spiny lizard (''Sceloporus olivaceus'') is a species of phrynosomatid lizard native to the south central United States, in the states of Texas, Arizona and Oklahoma, and northeastern Mexico in the states of Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tama ...

, and the Texas indigo snake can be found further south. In the Central Coast, the northern cottonmouth (''

Agkistrodon piscivorus ''Agkistrodon piscivorus'' is a species of venomous snake, a pit viper in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. It is one of the world's few semiaquatic vipers (along with the Florida cottonmouth), and is native to the Southeaster ...

'') snake is prominent, not to mention

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal in the cetacean clade Odontoceti (toothed whale). Dolphins belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontopori ...

s and other marine mammals along the Gulf.

Nine-banded armadillo The nine-banded armadillo (''Dasypus novemcinctus''), also called the nine-banded long-nosed armadillo or common long-nosed armadillo, is a species of armadillo native to North America, North, Central America, Central, and South America, making ...

s and

white-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known Common name, commonly as the whitetail and the Virginia deer, is a medium-sized species of deer native to North America, North, Central America, Central and South America. It is the ...

can be seen throughout. The

Rio Grande Valley Lower Rio Grande Valley (), often referred to as the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of South Texas, is a region located in the southernmost part of Texas, along the northern bank of the Rio Grande. It is also known locally as the Valley or the 956 (the ...

is particularly known for the many varieties of

butterflies Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

that inhabit the area (celebrated by the annual Texas Butterfly Festival in Mission). Resident species include the

Julia Julia may refer to: People *Julia (given name), including a list of people with the name *Julia (surname), including a list of people with the name *Julia gens, a patrician family of Ancient Rome *Julia (clairvoyant) (fl. 1689), lady's maid of Qu ...

zebra Zebras (, ) (subgenus ''Hippotigris'') are African equines with distinctive black-and-white striped coats. There are three living species: Grévy's zebra (''Equus grevyi''), the plains zebra (''E. quagga''), and the mountain zebra (''E. ...

, Mexican bluewing, and white peacock.

Sections

*The Great Texas Wildlife Trail is divided into three major sections: the Upper Coast, Central Coast, and Lower Coast regions.

Within each section, there are 43 "loops," hiking and driving trails containing specific birding sites ranging from parks and observatories to nature preserves and wildlife refuges. Individual sites may contain any number of individual hiking trails through a wide variety of terrain. Some venues are particularly well known for specific viewing opportunities. The Bolivar Flats area is especially well known for its abundance of

shorebird 245px, A flock of Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflats in order to foraging, ...

s. The wetlands of

Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge The Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife conservation area along the coast of Texas (USA), east of the towns of Angleton and Lake Jackson, Texas. It borders Christmas Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway, separated from the Gulf of Me ...

are known for the multitude of

waterfowl Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which i ...

High Island Geologically, a volcanic island is an island of volcanic origin. The term high island can be used to distinguish such islands from low islands, which are formed from sedimentation or the uplifting of coral reefs (which have often formed on ...

is known for its nesting colonies of

spoonbill Spoonbills are a genus, ''Platalea'', of large, long-legged wading birds. The spoonbills have a global distribution, being found on every continent except Antarctica. The genus name ''Platalea'' derives from Ancient Greek and means "broad", refe ...

s and

heron Herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 75 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genus ''Botaurus'' are referred to as bi ...

s. The Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge is a major preserve created for the protection of the endangered

Attwater's prairie chicken Attwater's prairie-chicken (''Tympanuchus cupido attwateri'') is a highly endangered subspecies of the greater prairie-chicken that is native to Western Gulf coastal grasslands, coastal Texas and formerly Louisiana in the United States. Descript ...

. The loops of the Lower Coast feature a variety of

snowbirds Snowbird may refer to: Places * Snowbird, Utah, an unincorporated area and associated ski resort in the United States * Snowbird Lake, a lake in the Northwest Territories, Canada * Snowbird Glacier, a hanging alpine glacier in the Talkeetna Moun ...

from

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and the northern U.S. which winter in the region. Along the coast near Port Arthur one can find

pelican Pelicans (genus ''Pelecanus'') are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before ...

cormorant Phalacrocoracidae is a family of approximately 40 species of aquatic birds commonly known as cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed, but in 2021 the International Ornithologists' Union (IOU) ado ...

horned grebe The horned grebe or Slavonian grebe (''Podiceps auritus'') is a relatively small and Threatened species, threatened species of waterbird in the family Podicipedidae. There are two subspecies, ''P. a. auritus'' (Slavonian grebe), which breed ...

orioles Oriole or Orioles may refer to: Animals * Old World oriole, colorful passerine birds in the family Oriolidae * New World oriole, a group of birds in the family Icteridae Music * The Orioles, an R&B and doo-wop group of the late 1940s and early ...

Cape May warbler The Cape May warbler (''Setophaga tigrina'') is a species of New World warbler. It breeds in northern North America. Its breeding range spans all but the westernmost parts of southern Canada, the Great Lakes region, and New England. It is migrat ...

s, and

laughing gull The laughing seagull (''Leucophaeus atricilla'') is a medium-sized gull of North America, North and South America. Named for its laugh-like call, it is an opportunistic omnivore and scavenger. It breeds in large colonies mostly along the Atlantic ...

s. The area around Galveston Bay and Houston is home to

Henslow's sparrow __NOTOC__ Henslow's sparrow (''Centronyx henslowii'') is a passerine bird in the family Passerellidae. It was named by John James Audubon in honor of John Stevens Henslow. It was originally classified in the genus ''Emberiza'' and called ''Hens ...

roseate spoonbill The roseate spoonbill (''Platalea ajaja'') is a social wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. It is a resident breeder in both South and North America. The roseate spoonbill's pink color is diet-derived, consisting of ...

s, white-faced ibises,

marsh wren The marsh wren (''Cistothorus palustris'') is a small North American songbird of the wren Family (biology), family. It was formerly called the long-billed marsh wren to distinguish it from the sedge wren, then known as the short-billed marsh wren ...

seaside sparrow The seaside sparrow (''Ammospiza maritima'') is a species of American sparrow. Description Adults have brownish upperparts with gray on the crown and nape, and a grayish-buff-colored breast with dark streaks; they have a dark face with gray che ...

snow geese The snow goose (''Anser caerulescens'') is a species of goose native to North America. Both white and dark morphs exist, the latter often known as blue goose. Its name derives from the typically white plumage. The species was previously placed ...

yellow Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In t ...

and

black rail The black rail (''Laterallus jamaicensis'') is a mouse-sized member of the rail family Rallidae that occurs in both North and South America. Taxonomy The black rail was Species description, formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist J ...

s, and

northern harrier The northern harrier (''Circus hudsonius''), also known as the marsh hawk or ring-tailed hawk, is a bird of prey. It breeds throughout the northern parts of the northern hemisphere in Canada and the northernmost United States, USA. The northern ...

s. The Smith Point peninsula contains a 20-foot observation tower offering views of

broad-winged hawk The broad-winged hawk (''Buteo platypterus'') is a medium-sized hawk of the genus '' Buteo''. During the summer, some subspecies are distributed over eastern North America, as far west as British Columbia and Texas; they then migrate south to wi ...

s and other

hawk Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are very widely distributed and are found on all continents, except Antarctica. The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks, and others. This ...

species. Closer to the coast

peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known simply as the peregrine, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family (biology), family Falconidae renowned for its speed. A large, Corvus (genus), cro ...

s, and

s may be visible.

Upper Coast

The Upper Texas Coast Wildlife Trail (UTC), also referred to as the Big Thicket Loop, spans the Port Arthur and Big Thicket areas, the

and Houston areas, and the Brazosport areas. The Piney Woods area of the Upper Coast section is home to species such as

red-cockaded woodpecker The red-cockaded woodpecker (''Leuconotopicus borealis'') is a woodpecker endemic to the southeastern United States. It is a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Description The red-cockaded woodpecker is small- to mi ...

bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche ...

Bachman's sparrow Bachman's sparrow (''Peucaea aestivalis''), also known as the pinewoods sparrow or oakwoods sparrow, is a small American sparrow that is endemic to the southeastern United States. This species was named in honor of Reverend John Bachman. Adults ...

s, the

great crested flycatcher The great crested flycatcher (''Myiarchus crinitus'') is a large insect-eating bird of the tyrant flycatcher family. It is the most widespread member of the genus ''Myiarchus'' in North America, and is found over most of the eastern and mid-weste ...

, the

pine warbler The pine warbler (''Setophaga pinus'') is a small songbird of the New World warbler family. Description These birds have white bellies, two white wing bars, dark legs and thin, relatively long pointed bills; they have yellowish 'spectacles' ...

, the

red-shouldered hawk The red-shouldered hawk (''Buteo lineatus'') is a medium-sized buteo. Its breeding range spans eastern North America and along the coast of California and northern to northeastern-central Mexico. It is a permanent resident throughout most of its ...

, and the

barred owl The barred owl (''Strix varia''), also known as the northern barred owl, striped owl or, more informally, hoot owl or eight-hooter owl, is a North American large species of owl. A member of the true owl family, Strigidae, they belong to the genus ...

among many others. There are 19 sites listed by the UTC designation number. :::::::::::UTC sites

Central Coast

The Central section spans the

and

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

areas down to the Port Aransas and Corpus Christi areas. The Central Coast section offers many bird species of its own. The

area contains

American oystercatcher The American oystercatcher (''Haematopus palliatus''), occasionally called the American pied oystercatcher, is a member of family Haematopodidae. Originally called the "sea pie", it was renamed in 1731 when naturalist Mark Catesby claimed that h ...

Hudsonian godwit The Hudsonian godwit (''Limosa haemastica'') is a large shorebird in the sandpiper family, Scolopacidae. It is a long distance migratory species that breeds at remote sites in northern Canada and winters in southern South America. The genus name ...

s, and

white-rumped sandpiper The white-rumped sandpiper (''Calidris fuscicollis'') is a small shorebird that breeds in the northern tundra of Canada and Alaska. This bird can be difficult to distinguish from other similar tiny shorebirds; these are known collectively as "pee ...

s. The Corpus Christi area features

groove-billed ani The groove-billed ani (''Crotophaga sulcirostris'') is a tropical bird in the cuckoo family with a long tail and a large, curved beak. It is a resident species throughout most of its range, from southern Texas, central Mexico and The Bahamas, thr ...

olive sparrow The olive sparrow (''Arremonops rufivirgatus'') is a species of American sparrow in the family Passerellidae. (Other names include green finch and Texas sparrow.) Its range includes Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and s ...

long-billed thrasher The long-billed thrasher (''Toxostoma longirostre'') is a medium-sized resident songbird of South Texas and eastern Mexico. It bears a strong resemblance to its close relative the brown thrasher in appearance, calls, and various other behaviors ...

Couch's kingbird Couch's kingbird (''Tyrannus couchii'') is a passerine tyrant flycatcher of the kingbird genus. It is found from southern Texas along the Gulf Coast to the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, Belize and northern Guatemala. It is also found in the lowe ...

s, and

black-crowned night heron The black-crowned night heron (''Nycticorax nycticorax'') r black-capped night heron commonly shortened to just night heron in Eurasia, is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, including parts of Europe, Asia, and Nort ...

Lower Coast

The Lower section spans the

South Padre Island South Padre Island is a barrier island in the U.S. state of Texas. The remote landform is located in Cameron County, Willacy County, and accessible by the Queen Isabella Causeway. South Padre Island was formed when the creation of the Port Ma ...

and Brownsville areas up the Rio Grande to Laredo. The Lower Coast section which lies around the

offers its own species diversity.

and the

areas feature

magnificent frigatebird The magnificent frigatebird (''Fregata magnificens''), frigate petrel or man o' war is a seabird of the frigatebird family Fregatidae. With a length of and wingspan of , it is the largest species of frigatebird. It occurs over tropical and subtr ...

bridled tern The bridled tern (''Onychoprion anaethetus'')Sometimes the name is (wrongly?) spelled as ''S. anaestheta'', for instance in: is a seabird of the family Laridae. It is a bird of the tropical oceans. The scientific name is from Ancient Greek. Th ...

s, and

Cory's shearwater Cory's shearwater (''Calonectris borealis'') is a large shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. It breeds colonially on the archipelago of the Azores in the eastern Atlantic. Outside the breeding season it ranges widely in the Atlantic. ...

. Further up the Rio Grande around Santa Ana and

McAllen McAllen is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Hidalgo County. It is located at the southern tip of the state in the Rio Grande Valley, on the Mexican border. The city limits extend south to the Rio Grande, across ...

one can find

elf owl The elf owl (''Micrathene whitneyi'') is a small grayish-brown owl about the size of a sparrow found in the Southwestern United States, central Mexico, and the Baja California peninsula. It has pale yellow eyes highlighted by thin white "eyebrow ...

white-tipped dove The white-tipped dove (''Leptotila verreauxi'') is a large New World tropical dove. Its scientific name commemorates the French naturalists Jules and Edouard Verreaux. Distribution and habitat The dove is a resident breeder from southernmost ...

green jay The green jay (''Cyanocorax luxuosus'') is a species of the New World jays, found in Central America, Mexico, and South Texas. Adults are about long and variable in color across their range; they usually have blue and black heads, green wings a ...

green kingfisher The green kingfisher (''Chloroceryle americana'') is a species of "water kingfisher" in the subfamily Cerylinae of the family Alcedinidae. It is found from southern Texas in the United States south through Central America, and in every mainland ...

s, and

Mississippi kite The Mississippi kite (''Ictinia mississippiensis'') is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Mississippi kites have narrow, pointed wings and are graceful in flight, often appearing to float in the air. It is common to see several ci ...

. The

brown pelican The brown pelican (''Pelecanus occidentalis'') is a bird of the pelican family, Pelecanidae, one of three species found in the Americas and one of two that feed by diving into water. It is found on the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey to the mouth ...

is found especially on South Padre Island in addition to other locations on the coast. The inland areas around Zapata are home to Morelet's seedeaters,

lesser goldfinch The lesser goldfinch (''Spinus psaltria'') is a small finch in the genus '' Spinus'' native to the Americas. As is the case for most species in the genus ''Spinus'', lesser goldfinch males have a black forehead, which females lack. Males in this ...

ash-throated flycatcher The ash-throated flycatcher (''Myiarchus cinerascens'') is a passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family. Taxonomy First described in 1851 by George Newbold Lawrence from a specimen collected in western Texas in the United States, the ash-th ...

s, and

black-tailed gnatcatcher The black-tailed gnatcatcher (''Polioptila melanura'') is a small, insectivorous bird which ranges throughout the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is nonmigratory and found in arid deser ...

Nature preserves

The

is the largest of the national refuges in Texas. The

Big Thicket National Preserve The Big Thicket is the name given to a somewhat imprecise region of a heavily forested area of Southeast Texas in the United States. This area represents a portion of the mixed pine-hardwood forests or " Piney Woods" of the Southeast US. The Nat ...

features the largest number of wetlands boardwalks in the state (75). Other major nature preserves along the trail system include

Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge The Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge, formerly the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, is a wildlife conservation area along the coast of Texas, southeast of Anahuac, Texas. It borders the East Bay, part of the Galveston Bay complex. His ...

, Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge,

Big Boggy National Wildlife Refuge The Big Boggy National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife conservation area along the coast of Texas (USA) in southeastern Matagorda County, south of the towns of Bay City and Wadsworth. It borders a bay behind a barrier island at the Gulf of Me ...

Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge is the largest protected area of natural habitat left in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The refuge is located almost entirely in Cameron County, Texas, east of Harlingen, although a very small part of it ...

, Texas Point National Wildlife Refuge.

Ecotourism

The trail systems lie in and around numerous communities along the coast, many of which specifically cater to ecotourists. Annual nature festivals are held in Rockport, Port Aransas,

Galveston Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...

, Harlingen, and

Mission Mission (from Latin 'the act of sending out'), Missions or The Mission may refer to: Geography Australia *Mission River (Queensland) Canada *Mission, British Columbia, a district municipality * Mission, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * ...

attracting large numbers of visitors each year.Wauer (2004), p. 19. The system includes numerous important urban nature centers including the

Armand Bayou Nature Center Armand Bayou Nature Center is an Urban area, urban Nature reserve, preserve located in Pasadena, Texas, Pasadena and southeast Houston, Texas, Houston between the Johnson Space Center and the Bayport Industrial District. The nature center is the ...

, Baytown Nature Center, Beaumont Botanical Gardens and Cattail Marsh located in Tyrrell Park, the Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center, and the Texas City Prairie Preserve.

Notes

References

* * * * * * * * *

External links

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department: Great Texas Coastal Birding Trails

{{coord, 29, N, 96, W, type:landmark_scale:10000_region:US, display=title Hiking trails in Texas Nature reserves in Texas Bird sanctuaries of the United States Birdwatching sites in the United States Gulf Coast of the United States Protected areas of Texas 1994 establishments in Texas

Trail system

History

Geography

Wildlife

Sections

Upper Coast

Central Coast

Lower Coast

Nature preserves

Ecotourism

See also

Notes

References

External links