South Padre Island - Birding and Nature Center
Texas · Southeast
Easy
October-April
$8 adults, $5 children
Open daily, 9 AM - 5 PM
About This Location
South Padre Island - Birding and Nature Center is a productive birding destination in Texas, with 378 species recorded on eBird. This coastal habitat attracts Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Blue-winged Teal, and American Wigeon 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
Orchard Oriole
Icterus spurius
Bridled Tern
Onychoprion anaethetus
Band-rumped Storm-Petrel
Hydrobates castro
Sooty Tern
Onychoprion fuscatus
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Setophaga pensylvanica
Northern Yellow Warbler
Setophaga aestiva
Greater Scaup
Aythya marila
Bay-breasted Warbler
Setophaga castanea
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
Mottled Duck
Common Gallinule
Killdeer
Willet
Laughing Gull
Least Tern
Sandwich Tern
Royal Tern
Neotropic Cormorant
White Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Tricolored Heron
Reddish Egret
Green Heron
Great Egret
Great Blue Heron
Brown Pelican
Great Kiskadee
Purple Martin
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
- South Padre Island Convention Centre
- Laguna Madre Nature Trail
- Sea Turtle Inc.
More in Texas
High Island
Legendary Texas coast migrant trap where trans-Gulf birds make landfall during spring fallouts.
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 →