Rio Grande Valley birding guide

From WikiBird

The Birds of the Rio Grande Valley Species Lists Bird list Index to species Specialties Accidentals Potential species Recent sightings Resources Map & description Rare bird alerts Hotspots Events Restaurants & Lodging Tour Guides References Connections

The Lower Rio Grande Valley, along the South Texas border, is one of the top birding destinations in North America. Both the Central and Mississippi Flyways funnel through this area which extends south into the range of several subtropical species.

News & Announcements New Sightings (8/24/08) A female Ruff, called a Reeve, was seen 8/24 near the Jabiru location in southern Willacy County but has not been seen since.<(8/21/08) A Jabiru was photographed 8/20 in southern Willacy County and remained through 8/22 but has not been seen since.(8/13/08) A Rose-throated Becard was seen at Frontera Audubon Center in Weslaco, Texas. Email Notification added(1/5/05) See the Recent Sightings for details.

Biologic diversity comes from the subtropic, temperate, coastal and desert influences There are 11 distinct biotic communities that are host or home to 1,100 types of plants, 700 vertebrate species (including over 500 bird species) and over 300 species of butterflies.

Some of the species that are regularly seen in the valley are Green Jay, Plain Chachalaca, Tamaulipas Crow, and the Green and Ringed Kingfishers. Other species like Blue Bunting, Roadside Hawk, Crimson-collared Grosbeak, and White-throated Robin show up from Mexico on rare occasions and draw birders from all over the country.

The area covered by this guide has three ecological regions which are the South Texas Plains, the Edwards Plateau, and the Trans-Pecos.

The Trans-Pecos is the northern portion of the Chihuahuan Desert and includes plateaus, desert valleys, and wooded mountains. The flora consists of desert scrub, such as the creosote bush, desert grasslands, pinyon-oak juniper woodlands, yuccas, and agaves. A useful bar graph checklist to bird species and abundance can be found online at http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_w7000_0809.pdf

The Rio Grande River flows through a small part of the Edwards Plateau region near Del Rio. It consists primarily of limestone-based soils.

The Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) from Falcon Dam to the Gulf of Mexico is in the South Texas Brush Country or Plains. The characteristic plants are thorny shrubs, such as mesquite, acacia, and prickly pear. Smaller areas of palms, subtropical woodlands and riparian corridors are also present. A bar graph checklist with the species and abundances for this region can be found online at http://www2.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_bk_w7000_1033.pdf

Three pelagic trips are currently scheduled to leave South Padre Island in 2008. Eric Carpenter has trips scheduled on July 19 and September 6, and the Harlingen Birding Festival has a trip scheduled November 9.