Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge encompasses over 34,000 acres of coastal prairie, freshwater marsh, and saltwater marsh along the upper Texas coast near Galveston Bay. With more than 300 bird species recorded, it is one of the premier birding destinations on the Gulf Coast and a critical habitat for wintering and migrant waterbirds along the Central Flyway.

The refuge is famous for its accessible populations of Yellow Rails, which can be heard calling from the rice prairies on calm winter evenings, and for the spectacular concentrations of Roseate Spoonbills, Reddish Egrets, and other wading birds that feed in the shallow marshes. The Shoveler Pond auto tour loop provides close views of ducks, coots, and shorebirds, while the surrounding prairies support nesting Dickcissels, Painted Buntings, and Mottled Ducks.