South Padre Island
Texas · Southeast
Challenging
October-April
Free (public areas)
Open 24 hours
About This Location
South Padre Island is a productive birding destination in Texas, with 376 species recorded on eBird. This coastal habitat attracts a wide variety of species among many others. Mild winters attract waterfowl and sparrows, while spring and fall migration bring neotropical songbirds.
Location
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Notable Species
Live Bird Data
Powered by eBird / Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Notable Sightings
Rare or unusual species spotted nearby in the last 14 days
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Bridled Tern
Onychoprion anaethetus
Masked Booby
Sula dactylatra
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel
Hydrobates castro
Sooty Tern
Onychoprion fuscatus
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Setophaga pensylvanica
Northern Yellow Warbler
Setophaga aestiva
Lesser Scaup
Aythya affinis
Bay-breasted Warbler
Setophaga castanea
Greater Scaup
Aythya marila
Red-breasted Merganser
Mergus serrator
Brown Booby
Sula leucogaster
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
Yellow-throated Vireo
Vireo flavifrons
Gray-cheeked Thrush
Catharus minimus
Recent Observations
Species reported at this location in the last 14 days
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Mallard
Mottled Duck
Mourning Dove
Willet
Laughing Gull
Caspian Tern
Royal Tern
Magnificent Frigatebird
Neotropic Cormorant
Tricolored Heron
Reddish Egret
Green Heron
Great Egret
Great Blue Heron
Great Kiskadee
Barn Swallow
Northern Mockingbird
Hooded Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Birding Tips
- 1
Check rocky shorelines and jetties at low tide for shorebirds.
- 2
Scan offshore waters with a spotting scope for seabirds and waterfowl.
- 3
Check for wintering sparrows in brushy edges from November through February.
- 4
Onshore winds can push pelagic species closer to shore, making post-storm days excellent for rarities.
- 5
This is prime territory for Rio Grande Valley specialties — watch for Green Jay, Great Kiskadee, and Altamira Oriole.
Amenities
Nearby Attractions
- Laguna Atascosa NWR
- South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center
- Port Isabel Lighthouse
More in Texas
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Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge
Subtropical Rio Grande Valley forest with rare Mexican species found nowhere else in the US.
Big Bend National Park
Remote Chihuahuan Desert park with the only US breeding population of Colima Warbler.
Texas Birding Guide
Complete guide to birding in Texas →