Galveston Island State Park
Texas · Southeast
Easy
March-May
$5 per person (ages 13+)
7:00 AM – 10:00 PM daily
About This Location
Galveston Island State Park occupies 2,000 acres spanning from the Gulf of Mexico beach to the shores of West Galveston Bay, providing an outstanding cross-section of Texas coastal habitats. Over 300 bird species have been recorded in the park's beach, dune, coastal prairie, bayou, and salt marsh environments, making it one of the most productive birding sites on the upper Texas coast.
The bay side of the park features paddling trails through sheltered marshes where Reddish Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills, and Tricolored Herons wade in the shallows, while Clapper Rails call from the spartina grass. The Gulf beach attracts migrating shorebirds including Piping Plovers and Red Knots, and spring migration brings Neotropical songbirds to the coastal live oaks and salt cedars. The park is a key stop on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail.
Location
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Live Bird Data
Powered by eBird / Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Notable Sightings
Rare or unusual species spotted nearby in the last 14 days
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Contopus virens
Tree Swallow
Tachycineta bicolor
Sandwich Tern (Cabot's x Cayenne)
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Groove-billed Ani
Crotophaga sulcirostris
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Empidonax flaviventris
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Polioptila caerulea
Acadian Flycatcher
Empidonax virescens
Recent Observations
Species reported at this location in the last 14 days
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Mottled Duck
Mourning Dove
Common Nighthawk
Clapper Rail
Black-necked Stilt
American Oystercatcher
Willet
Laughing Gull
Black Skimmer
Caspian Tern
Forster's Tern
Royal Tern
Neotropic Cormorant
White Ibis
White-faced Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Birding Tips
- 1
The bay side paddling trails offer the best wading bird viewing from a kayak
- 2
Walk the Gulf beach at low tide for shorebirds and terns during migration
- 3
Spring migrants concentrate in the live oaks near the campground in April
Amenities
Nearby Attractions
- Moody Gardens
- Galveston Island Beach
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Texas Birding Guide
Complete guide to birding in Texas →