Further information is available through the Smith Point Hawk Watch at:

https://www.gcbo.org/avian-research-and-monitoring/smith-point-hawk-watch/

From August 15 through November 30, the Hawk Watch is held daily at the Candy Abshier Wildlife Management Area where GCBO has a 30-foot observation tower. The hawk watch is staffed daily from 8:00 am to 4:00 PM CDT. You are invited to come out any day during the season.

GCBO’s Smith Point Hawk Watch is celebrating its 29th year of raptor monitoring in 2025. On October 11 from 10:00am -1:00pm, we will be hosting our Smith Point Hawk Watch Celebration at the hawk watch. There will be food, drinks, a raptor presentation, and hopefully some live raptors on display. And, as always, plenty of raptors soaring through the sky! Our staff and volunteers will be manning the tower, monitoring the birds and pointing them out to guests. Visitors will be able to look through scopes and binoculars and see the migration up close. Come celebrate 29 years of research and conservation with us this fall!   For more info visit www.gcbo.org or call us at 979-480-0999.

Contact

Gulf Coast Bird Observatory

979-480-0999

View Organizer Website

csilling@gcbo.org (Celeste Silling)

Location

Candy Abshier Wildlife Management Area

Smith Point Road
Anahuac, TXUnited States

409-736-2551
View Venue Website

Held on Two Consecutive Saturdays:
September 13, 2025, 8 AM to 12 PM
September 20, 2025, 8 AM to 12 PM

Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza (XHX) is a yearly event at Gulf Coast Bird Observatory that takes place during the peak of Ruby-throated Hummingbird migration in the fall. It features symbolic hummingbird adoptions and live hummingbird banding where you get the opportunity to see these amazing birds up close and in the hand!

One of the big attractions at XHX is our live hummingbird banding. Hummers are caught in special traps and handled by professional banders. They are then weighed, measured, and banded. Ruby-throated hummingbirds weigh, on average, about as much as a penny. Despite their small size some make an annual journey of 1,300 miles from breeding grounds as far north as Canada to wintering grounds in Central America. In the fall most begin migrating south between late August and mid September. When they reach the Gulf some fly straight across, marathoning an 18 to 24 hour journey across the ocean! Banding data allows us to collect information on individual hummingbirds that help us study their health and migration patterns. Symbolically ‘adopt’ a hummingbird at XHX to support our conservation efforts. You will also receive updates if your bird is caught in the future!

There will be educational booths, activities for kids, plant sale, and our nature gift store.

Tickets are $5 for adults and children 12 and under get in for free!

Contact

Gulf Coast Bird Observatory

979-480-0999

View Organizer Website

csilling@gcbo.org (Celeste Silling)

Location

Gulf Coast Bird Observatory

299 Hwy 332 West
Lake Jackson, TX 77566

979-480-0999

https://www.rockport-fulton.org/HB

The HummerBird Celebration is an annual event held each September in the charming and friendly coastal towns of Rockport and Fulton. The purpose is to celebrate the spectacular fall migration of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird through the area, first documented by Connie Hagar in 1938, and to expand one’s knowledge of all birds and associated wildlife. The Celebration is fun, educational, and inspiring. There is something for everyone, and it’s designed for those who simply enjoy birds to the more experienced birder. If you enjoy nature, or some aspect of it, then this event is for you.

Located in the migratory flyway with beaches, bays, estuaries, inland woods, prairies, and fields, there is extraordinary birding throughout the area , including 10 birding sites on the Great Texas Birding Trail. Aransas Wildlife Refuge is home to migrating Whooping Cranes, and Rockport-Fulton area has a great diversity of birds. Visit our birding page: https://www.rockport-fulton.org/Birding.

Contact

Rockport-Fulton Area Chamber of Commerce

361-729-6445

View Organizer Website

chamberexec@1rockport.org (Makinzie Krnavek)

Location

Rockport-Fulton High School

1801 Omohundro St.
Rockport, TX 78382

https://houstonaudubon.org/birdweek

Houston Bird Week is about celebrating the important role Houston plays in the journey of billions of migratory birds and the everyday lives of our resident birds.

Houston Audubon and local conservation partners arrange a week of events centered around our region’s birds and wildlife – from bird walks to mindfulness talks to watch parties, there’s something for all Houstonians to enjoy. Your participation and excitement will help our city continue to be a welcoming home for birds.

Keep up with Bird Week on social media using #HoustonBirdWeek!

For dates, descriptions, and locations of all the events, check our website at www.houstonaudubon.org/birdweek .

Contact

Houston Audubon

713-932-1639

View Organizer Website

birdweek@houstonaudubon.org

Location

Houston Audubon

440 Wilchester Boulevard
Houston, TX 77079

Celebrate the magic of migration during the annual Celebration of Flight Festival at the Corpus Christi HawkWatch at Hazel Bazemore County Park. This is a family-friendly event with free activities in the park that coincide with peak Broad-winged Hawk migration in September. Thanks to our partners at the Audubon Outdoor Club of Corpus Christi and the many volunteers who make this festival possible.

Don’t miss our trivia night the night before the festival, or the birding tour after!

Vendors and food trucks will be present throughout the festival.

Friday

7:30am Guided Bird Walk
Migration is on, but not just for raptors! Come see why Corpus Christi is known as the USA’s Birdiest City.
Liam Wolff, President, Audubon Outdoor Club of Corpus Christi

12:00pm Parade of Raptors
Do you know the difference between a hawk and a falcon? You will after this program! Join us and meet two Raptor Ambassadors up close and learn more about what makes them different.

2:00pm Program TBD
From How to HawkWatch to an Intro to Raptor ID, join our experts to learn more about all things raptor migration! Specific program and speaker info coming soon!

Saturday

7:30am Guided Bird Walk
Liam Wolff, President, Audubon Outdoor Club of Corpus Christi

10:00am Reading with Raptors
Perfect for families! Listen to a story about a raptor while meeting an Ambassador bird up close!

11:00am Program TBD
From How to HawkWatch to an Intro to Raptor ID, join our experts to learn more about all things raptor migration! Specific program and speaker info coming soon!

12:00pm Parade of Raptors
Do you know the difference between a hawk and a falcon? You will after this program! Join us and meet two Raptor Ambassadors up close and learn more about what makes them different.

2:00pm What All Do Owls Eat?
We’re often asked: what do raptors eat? Now, you can learn for yourself! Dissect a pellet and learn what a wild owl really eats by examining the bones of its prey.

3:00pm Program TBD
From How to HawkWatch to an Intro to Raptor ID, join our experts to learn more about all things raptor migration! Specific program and speaker info coming soon!

Sunday

7:30am Guided Bird Walk
Clay Taylor, Naturalist, Swarovski Optik

10:00am What All Do Owls Eat?
We’re often asked: what do raptors eat? Now, you can learn for yourself! Dissect a pellet and learn what a wild owl really eats by examining the bones of its prey.

11:00am Program TBD
From How to HawkWatch to an Intro to Raptor ID, join our experts to learn more about all things raptor migration! Specific program and speaker info coming soon!

12:00pm Parade of Raptors
Do you know the difference between a hawk and a falcon? You will after this program! Join us and meet two Raptor Ambassadors up close and learn more about what makes them different.

1:00pm Native American Blessing Ceremony

1:30pm Danza Azteca

Directions to Hazel Bazemore County Park

Take FM624 west from SH77 for about 1 mile. Take a right onto County Road 69 at the stoplight (look for the park sign), which takes you to the park.

REGISTRATION WILL OPEN LATE AUGUST, 2025

See why birders have been flocking to this festival for more than 25 years—great birds (at least 30 new ones if you’ve never been to the Rio Grande Valley), fantastic professional guides, reunion-like socials, keynotes, workshops, huge trade show, and lots of goodies in the silent auction.

We are TEXAS FRIENDLY! Visit our website in July for details and for registration dates. For more information, contact (209) 227-4823 or (956) 423-5565; info@rgvbf.org.

Location

Harlingen Convention Center

701 Harlingen Heights Drive
Harlingen, TX 78550

https://friendsofbosquedelapache.org/festival/

Join us for the Bosque del Apache Festival of the Cranes as we come together in celebration of the return of the sandhill cranes to their winter home. Rated among the top wildlife, birding, and photography events in North America, this nationally recognized festival offers about 85 to 90 events/classes over five days. Regardless of your birding or photography skill, the Festival of Cranes offers an extraordinary opportunity for premiere photography and birding classes, as well as guided tours and hikes with world-renowned photographers and expert birders. Whatever your interests, Festival of the Cranes has something for you.

Bosque del Apache NWR offers expansive vistas, exquisite light, enchanting bird songs, and the unique proximity of wildlife. Avid birders and photographers from around the world flock to the festival to view the spectacular sights of Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese. While Bosque del Apache is known for sandhill cranes and snow geese, they are certainly not all you’ll see at the refuge. Come for the ducks, raptors (including bald eagles), iconic roadrunners, and much, much more!

Annual Photo Contest

Each year the Friends of Bosque del Apache host an art and a photo contest. The Art Contest calls for Sandhill Crane artwork in any medium: paintings, digital, printmaking, mixed media, two- or three-dimensional art, photography, as well as any other. Photographs can be unaltered originals or edited. Friends of Bosque del Apache also offer a free Expo booth or table during the festival, where the featured artist of the year can sell her/his artwork, from postcards to originals. Official rules and art submissions are available at our website.

The Annual Photo contest consists of these four categories: Sandhill cranes, Wildlife, People, and Landscapes.  Winning photos will be displayed at the Bosque del Apache Visitor Center atrium prior to and through the Festival of the Cranes and throughout the year until the next winners from the Photo Contest are selected.  Official rules and photo submissions are available at our website.

Contact

Friends of Bosque del Apache NWR

View Organizer Website

Festival@friendsofbosquedelapache.org

Location

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

1001 Hwy 1
San Antonio, NM 87832

With a rich and diverse river eco-system, Laredo is home to hundreds of species of local and migratory birds. Laredo is considered part of the “birdiest” corridor in North America. Our prized birds include the Morelet’s Seedeater, Scaled Quail, Gray Hawk, Audubon’s and Altamira Orioles, Green Parakeets, Muscovy Duck, Red-billed Pigeon, and Clay-colored Thrush, among many others.  Laredo is the only place in the U.S. to have boasted four species of kingfisher: the Ringed, Belted, Green, and Amazon.

For further information, see the Festival website at:

https://laredobirdingfestival.org/

If you have any questions contact LBF Planning Committee by email at laredobirdingfestival@rgisc.org

Each year since 1996, the Whooping Crane Festival has celebrated the annual return of the cranes to their wintering habitat at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. The Texas Coastal Bend is the only place where you can see the world’s last naturally occurring population of Whooping Cranes.

See you February 19–22, 2026!

https://tpwd.texas.gov/events/great-texas-birding-classic

Gather your friends, family, or fellow bird club members to join your team in the Great Texas Birding Classic—the biggest, longest, and wildest birdwatching tournament. The days of participation are your choice between April 15 and May 15 during peak spring migration. There’s a tournament category for everyone from beginning birders to competitive aces. Gather your team, register, pick your day of birding, and enjoy the experience. Registration fees raise money for Texas bird conservation project grants.

• All levels and ages of birders are welcome to join this Texas birdwatching event during the amazing spring migration.

• There’s a tournament category for everyone—from the beginning backyard birder to the competitive lister!

• Registration fees raise money for Texas bird and birding conservation project grants.

• Gather your team, register, and go birding—it’s truly that simple.

Review how to participate and all tournament rules. There are a number of tournament categories (length of time in the field, number of team members, dispersed vs. intact flock team rules, etc.).

The deadline to register for the Texas Birding Classic is April 1.

Visit our website for more details.

Contact

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

512-389-4500

View Organizer Website

shelly.plante@tpwd.texas.gov (Shelly Plante)

Location

State of Texas

TX

https://www.galvestonfeatherfest.com/

Mark your calendars to attend Galveston Island’s 24th FeatherFest Birding & Nature Photography Festival during the peak of spring migration. Galveston is one of the top locations in the country for birding because it hosts a diverse variety of habitats in a small geographical area where some 300 species make their permanent or temporary home throughout the year.

Choose from 100+ expert-led birding and nature photography activities to beach, bay, Bolivar Flats, High Island, and more! Go by bus, boat, kayak, electric bike, or drive your own vehicle for our meet-at-site trips.

Come experience spring migration, area charm, history, and hospitality in Galveston.

Pre-festival field trips to be announced.

Contact

Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council

409-789-8125

View Organizer Website

FeatherFest@gintc.org (Eowyn Johnson)

Location

Moody Gardens Hotel

1 Hope Boulevard
Galveston, TX 77554

https://matagordabaybirdfest.org/

Matagorda Bay Birdfest is a truly exceptional event and bird celebration. There will be expert-guided tours to Powderhorn Ranch, the Nature Conservancy’s Mad Island Marsh, Dog Island Preserve, JBH Burr Ranch, Harrison Ranch, Birding Nature Center and LeTulle Park, and other locations.

The Matagorda County Christmas Bird Count has been #1 in the bird species count for the Audubon Christmas bird count in 28 of the last 32 years! It is the undiscovered jewel of midcoast Texas! Our extensive panel of speakers will include many outstanding professionals including speakers from Audubon, Smithsonian, and International Crane Foundation.

Don’t miss the Keynote dinner at the Palacios Pavilion overlooking beautiful Matagorda Bay or the one-of-a-kind Bird Parade along the waterfront that is both fun and fabulous!

Contact

Matagorda Bay Birdfest

956-285 3234

View Organizer Website

lbeck@matagordabaybirdfest.org (Laurie Beck)

Location

The Peaceful Pelican

East Bay Boulevard 317
Palacios, TX 77465