Whooping Crane Festival
Port Aransas
February 20 – 23, 2025
Each year since 1996, the Whooping Crane Festival in Port Aransas, Texas has celebrated the annual return of the cranes to their wintering habitat at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. In 2025, the festival is back and ready to celebrate its 28th anniversary! The four-day event will feature renowned speakers, birding trips, boating trips, nature tours, photography workshops, a trade show, and much more.
You’ll know you’ve seen a whooping crane if you see a large white crane with black wingtips, legs, and feet, some black markings on its face, and a red bald spot right on top of the head. Of course, the most distinctive feature is the whooping call it makes, which gives it its name. Unfortunately, you will only see these birds in the Coastal Bend region of Texas since this is the only region left in the U.S. where these cranes naturally occur.
In addition to the Whooping Crane, an awesome array of wintering migratory birds flock into the wetlands and onto the Texas shorelines of Mustang Island in and around Port Aransas. To see the schedule click here.
Mitchell Lake Migratory Bird Festival
March 22, 2025 – 9 am – 1 pm
Mitchell Lake Audubon Center is excited to bring back Migratory Bird Fest to kick off spring migration with a free community festival filled with live birds and animals, games, crafts, 20+ vendors, native plant sale, nature book sale, food trucks, nature walks and golf cart tours of the wetlands. More information here.
The Great Texas Birding Classic 2025
29th Annual Birding Classic
Tournament Dates: April 15 – May 15, 2025
The biggest, longest, wildest birdwatching tournament in the U.S.! 2025 Birding Classic registration is now open! Gather your teammates and sign up today to be a part of the next Great Texas Birding Classic.
2025 Team Registration Deadline: April 1, 2025; Registration is here.
Who Participates? All levels and ages of birders are welcome to join this Texas birdwatching event during the amazing spring migration. There's a tournament category for everyone - from the beginning backyard birder to the competitive lister! Registration fees raise money for Texas bird and birding conservation project grants. Gather your team, register, and go birding - it's truly that simple.
Birdiest Festival in America
Corpus Christi
April 23 – 27, 2025
Experience amazing spring migration along the Texas Gulf Coast in the busiest of U.S. flyways, with four-day pre- and post-trips; field trips to famous South Texas ranch and coastal hot spots; presentations and workshops; bird walks; and Jonathan Wood Raptor Project shows. Based at Corpus Christi’s South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center, a popular opening reception with Happy Hour cash bar and genuine Texas BBQ dinner; Vendor Trade Show; artisan booths; and Saturday ‘Family Fun Day’ still are only part your Texas Coastal adventure!
Keynote speaker is Cameron Cox.
The number of bird species seen in its six-year history to 341!
Registration began on December 1, visit https://www.birdiestfestival.org for registration, details, schedule. Further questions to veteran Chair Denise, 361-563-5968.
San Antonio Metro Area City Nature Challenge
April 25 - 28 2025
City Nature Challenge is an annual, global event that encourages people in cities around the world to observe and document the biodiversity present in their urban environments using INaturalist. Cities compete with each other in a friendly competition to see which location can document the most species in their local area. In 2024, San Antonio came in 3rd in the world for most species.
For the competition, Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Gillespie, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Guadalupe, Goliad, Medina, and Wilson Counties are included in the San Antonio Metro Area. For more info and activities click on SA City Nature Challenge