BIRDING

Harlingen is known worldwide as a tropical birder's paradise because of its location on the convergence of two major flyways. The city has several sites on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail co-sponsored by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Department of Transportation, including the Harlingen Thicket Bird Sanctuary, a 40-acre tract of native brush in the city center. Two national wildlife refuges and other birding hotspots are easily accessible from Harlingen. Laguna Atascosa NWR boasts 45,000 acres along the beautiful Laguna Madre, (956) 748-3607. Santa Ana NWR, to the west, offers tram tours during the winter months, (956) 787-3079. Sabal Palm Audubon Center and Sanctuary bird feeders attract tropical and migratory species to this Brownsville site. Los Ebanos Preserve near Harlingen features 82 acres with gardens, nature trails, birds and butterflies galore.

Harlingen also hosts the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival, the largest and oldest nature festival in the region.

Pick up a free birding guide and checklist at the Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce and see how many species you can identify. Start with Harlingen's official bird, the Great Kiskadee.

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