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TEXASRIO GRANDE VALLEY WINTER RARITIES & SPECIALTIES TOUR
January 11 - 19, 2025
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South Texas in January is the perfect destination for birders hoping to add some special species to their North American bird list while enjoying a little winter sun. This birdy, relatively easy-paced tour offers a wealth of remarkable birds including many that only inhabit the US in this tropical little corner of Texas. Our adventure starts in the Corpus Christi area as we search for wintering groups of the charismatic Whooping Crane along with the many other wonderful birds that call this region home: Roseate Spoonbill, Gull-billed Tern, Snowy Plover, White-tailed Hawk, and Sedge Wren.
As we head south, we will find some of the more festively adorned avian regulars – garrulous Green Jays, raucous Great Kiskadees, and stunning Altamira Orioles. We will also seek out other local specialties that only irregularly find themselves on the US side of the border: Brown Jay, Red-billed Pigeon, and Hook-billed Kite.
Perhaps the main draw of a visit to Texas at this time is the lure of southern vagrants that are found wintering along the Rio Grande each year, such as Crimson-collared Grosbeak, Blue Bunting, and White-throated Thrush. Part of the excitement is that one never knows what rarities each winter here will produce, and our trip has the flexibility built in to go find them.
S
ome species possible on this tour:
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Muscovy Duck*, Mottled Duck, Plain Chachalaca, Northern Bobwhite, Least Grebe, Neotropic Cormorant, Reddish Egret, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbill, White-tailed Kite, Hook-billed Kite, Harris's Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, Gray Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, Whooping Crane, Long-billed Curlew, Red-billed Pigeon, Inca Dove, Common Ground-Dove, White-tipped Dove, Greater Roadrunner, Groove-billed Ani, Common Pauraque, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Ringed Kingfisher, Green Kingfisher, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Crested Caracara, Aplomado Falcon, Red-crowned Parrot, Green Parakeet, Northern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Vermilion Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Couch's Kingbird, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Green Jay, Chihuahuan Raven, Cave Swallow, Black-crested Titmouse, Verdin, Sedge Wren, Black-tailed Gnatcatcher, Clay-colored Thrush, Curve-billed Thrasher, Long-billed Thrasher, Sprague's Pipit*, Painted Redstart, Morelet's Seedeater, Cassin's Sparrow, Olive Sparrow, Green-tailed Towhee, Pyrrhuloxia, Bronzed Cowbird, Altamira Oriole, Audubon's Oriole, Hooded Oriole, and Mexican rarities. *= rare.
Join us for a winter birding escape to South Texas & the Rio Grande Valley!
It's birdy and tons of fun!
Questions? Contact fgallo@sunrisebirding.com
Photos from top: Altamira Oriole, Green Jay, Aplomado Falcon, Plain Chachalaca, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Long-billed Thrasher.
Sunrise
Birding has organized
many
successful birding
trips
to Texas.
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past trip reports>
ITINERARY (This is a necessarily flexible itinerary subject to change depending upon the birds!)
Day 1 - Saturday: Arrival in Corpus Christi, Texas
We will meet at the airport in Corpus Christi (Airport code: CRP) by 2 p.m. Time permitting, we will start birding right away before checking into our hotel and enjoying our welcome dinner. Night Port Aransas.
Day 2 - Sunday: Corpus Christi / Rockport / Harlingen
The diversity and abundance of birds that winter in southern Texas is impressive. We'll begin our day at the famous Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center in Port Aransas, often home to one of North America’s rarest bird species: Whooping Crane. A pair and their young have often wintered here.
The coastal marshes and pastures of Port Aransas support these iconic cranes and a host of other coastal species including shorebirds, gulls, terns, waders, and land birds. Other highlights here may include such beauties as Roseate Spoonbills, Reddish Egrets, Gull-billed Terns, and Black-necked Stilts. On the way from the Birding Center, we’ll also be on the lookout for any Aplomado Falcons and White-tailed Hawks reported locally.
After lunch, we’ll head to either Pollywog Pond or Hazel Bazemore State Park in Corpus Christi. Both are home to a wide variety of habitats and South Texas specialties including Vermilion Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Tropical and Couch's Kingbirds, and Sedge Wren.
In the late afternoon, we’ll journey south to Harlingen. On our way, we’ll watch for birds of prey. We may well find a White-tailed Hawk perched atop a yucca or a Harris’s Hawk or Crested Caracara. Other local specialties we hope to see today include Golden-fronted Woodpecker, White-winged and Inca Doves, Loggerhead Shrike, Brewer’s Blackbird, Bewick’s Wren, and Black-crested Titmouse. Night Harlingen.
Day 3 - Monday: Laguna Atascosa NWR / South Padre Island Nature Center
Heading east from our base in Harlingen to the famous Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, we’ll cross coastal prairies that support both White-tailed Hawk and Crested Caracara; our focus today is on finding a real beauty, the rare Aplomado Falcon. Although this stunning falcon ranges from the southern tip of South America all the way to the U.S., it can only reliably be found in the U.S., at a handful of spots in the very southernmost tip of Texas. Happily, it has been elevated to countable status by the ABA.
The wealth of waterfowl at Laguna Atascosa and nearby South Padre Island, includes thousands of Redheads and other ducks, notable numbers of waders including Reddish Egret and White-faced Ibis, and wintering shorebird goodies such as Marbled Godwit, Long-billed Curlew, and Stilt Sandpiper. Gull-billed and Sandwich Terns are possible. Land birds we may encounter in the area include Couch’s and Tropical Kingbird, Sedge Wren, Curve-billed and Long-billed Thrashers, and Cassin’s Sparrow. The boardwalk at South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center provides wonderful photo opportunities of shorebirds, waterfowl, and waders, and access to a small population of “Mangrove” Yellow Warblers.
In the afternoon, we’ll visit the campus of the University of Brownsville, which often hosts wintering rarities, Green Parakeets, and other RGV specialties. Past rarities found here include Black Hawk, Social Flycatcher, and Texas’s second record of Fan-tailed Warbler.
Brownsville and Harlingen are both known for their communal roosts of parrots and blackbirds. Tonight, we will enjoy the amazing spectacle of parrots (mainly Red-crowned Parrots) and Great-tailed Grackles as they come to roost. The cacophony is something to behold and this spectacle is an integral part of any tour to this part of the world.
Every day in the Rio Grande Valley holds the possibility for something rare and exciting to appear, so we will be keeping our ear to the ground for something like a Blue Bunting, Gray-crowned Yellowthroat, Rose-throated Becard, Crimson-collared Grosbeak, or who knows what else to throw an exciting wrench into our day’s plans! Night Harlingen.
Day 4 - Tuesday: Brownsville and Weslaco
This morning, we’ll return to Brownsville to explore the wonderful Resaca de la Palma State Park, often the wintering home to RVG rarities such as Rose-throated Becard, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, and Tropical Parula. Olive Sparrow, Plain Chachalaca, Altamira Oriole, and White-tipped Doves are resident here. Past rarities found in this lovely park include Grey-collared Becard, Roadside Hawk, and Crimson-collared Grosbeak.
After lunch, we’ll visit the beautiful and birdy Estero Llano Grande. At this lovely site, we hope to sweep up specialties such as Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Common Pauraque, Neotropic Cormorant, Least Grebe, White-tailed Kite, Black Phoebe, White-tipped Dove, Vermillion Flycatcher, and many others.
The impoundments at Estero Llano Grande are known for attracting waders, shorebirds, and waterfowl, including Black-bellied and Fulvous Whistling Ducks, Tricolored Heron, White Ibis, and many other species. Sora and Virginia Rails are seen here regularly, as are American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, and Wilson’s Snipe. The park’s thickets have produced Clay-colored Thrush, the rare White-throated Thrush, Tropical Parula, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Western Tanager, as well as other rarities. This small park’s bird list tops 345 species! Night Pfarr
Day 5 – Wednesday: Santa Ana NWR / Weslaco Areas
We have three full days to explore the McAllen/Weslaco Area. Today, we’ll visit the renowned Santa Ana NWR, home to species like Ringed and Green Kingfishers, Black-bellied and Fulvous Whistling Ducks, Plain Chachalacas, and Green Jays. In addition, a host of Mexican rarities have seen here over the years.
We’ll arrive early at the Santa Anna hawk-watch platform to scan the skies along the Rio Grande for tropical raptor species, such as Gray and Zone-tailed Hawks, and the rarest of Southern Texas raptors: the Hook-billed Kite. Other local specialties here include Ringed and Green Kingfisher, Great Kiskadee, Long-billed Thrasher, Northern Beardless Tyrannulet, and Clay-colored Thrush.
Santa Ana’s many ponds support a variety of waterfowl, including both Whistling Duck species. The refuge’s bustling feeders often attract such goodies as Altamira Oriole, Green Jay, White-tipped and Inca Doves, Black-crested Titmouse, and Ladder-backed Woodpeckers. This is a great place to enjoy the often-raucous antics of the Plain Chachalaca flocks. Santa Ana’s bird list tops 400 species and the rarities seen over the years include some whoppers, such as Blue Mockingbird, Roadside Hawk, Slate-
throated Redstart, Black-headed Nightingale-Thrush, and Blue Bunting.
After lunch, we’ll visit one or more smaller sites such as the Progresso Lakes Grain Silos, Frontera Audubon Center, or Valley Nature Center, productive natural oasis’s that make Rio Grande Valley birding so rewarding.
Frontera Audubon’s thickets and ponds are always a joy to explore, and anything is possible here. Past rarities seen include Blue Bunting, Tropical Parula, and Crimson-collared Grosbeak. Valley Nature Center hosted a Golden-crowned Warbler in 2022, and the Grain Silos attract hordes of blackbirds, including Bronzed Cowbirds and Yellow-headed Blackbirds. Night Pfarr.
Day 6 - Thursday: McAllen Area
We will start our morning following up leads and exploring a couple of the smaller sites in the McAllen area. Depending on what’s needed, we may visit parks such as the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands, which attract a wide array of water birds, is one of best sites in the RGV for Ringed, and Green Kingfishers, or Quinta Mazatlán World Birding Center, another world-class birding site with a nice mix of habitats and species. If time allows, we’ll stop at the wonderful NABA Butterfly Center, where one can witness an incredible array of multicolored Lepidoptera that are often found in few other places in the US. Edge habitat here can be productive for woodland birds and the park's fields provide good habitat for sparrows and other open-country species. The center's feeders are known for attracting such goodies as Audubon's Oriole and Clay-colored Thrush. Night Pharr
Day 7 - Friday: McAllen / Zapata
Today, we will make an early start and wing our way northwest along the Rio Grande to the tiny town of Salineño nestled on the river’s banks. Scanning from the river overlook gives us our best chance to find wild Muscovy Ducks and Red-billed Pigeons and with great good fortune, perhaps a Black Hawk, Brown Jay, or Morelet's Seedeater. The famous feeding station here offers opportunities for views of Audubon’s Oriole, and a wide array of species, including Altamira and Hooded Orioles, Scaled Quail, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, and Blue Grosbeak.
As we leave Salineño and head further northwest, we’ll start to encounter drier and more desert-like habitats. At places like Falcon Dam State Park and Starr County Park, we’ll search for Black-throated Sparrow, Pyrrhuloxia, Vermillion Flycatcher, Scaled Quail, Greater Roadrunner, Verdin, and Black-tailed Gnatcatcher. Other exciting South Texas specialties to be found include Chihuahuan Raven, Cactus Wren, Western Meadowlark, and both Red-billed Pigeon, and Morelet's Seedeater. Night Zapata.
Day 8 - Saturday: Zapata / Rio Grande City/ Corpus Christi
The Zapata area is traditionally the place to find the tiny Morelet’s Seedeater. If we haven’t found one already, we’ll spend the early morning in search of these diminutive seedeaters before slowly working our way back to Corpus Christi. We’ll concentrate on finding any birds that we may have missed: whether dry habitat species or the more tropical species we encounter further south. We will also be keeping a close eye on reports of rare birds that we might chase. Depending on our intel and chosen route back to Corpus, there may be a chance to search for Mountain Plover or to look for scrub-loving birds such as Cassin's Sparrow or the elusive Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl. We plan to arrive in Corpus Christi with time to freshen up before heading for a celebratory dinner. Night Corpus Christi.
Day 9 - Sunday: Departures from Corpus Christi, Texas after 2 p.m.
LEADER: Frank Gallo
 TEXASRIO GRANDE VALLEY WINTER RARITIES & SPECIALTIES TOUR January 11 - 19, 2025 Registration Form> TOUR PRICE: US$2795.00 per person based on double occupancy from Corpus Christi, Texas (Airport code: CRP). Deposit: $750.00
per person. Note: Tour deposits can be paid by check or credit card via PayPal. Use this link to make your credit card payment. Please advise gina@sunrisebirding.com when you have made payment. Not included: Round-trip travel/flight to Corpus Christi, Texas (Airport code: CRP), group airport pickup on arrival, insurance, drinks, tips, and items of a personal nature such as: laundry, telephone, beverages, gratuities for porterage, guides, or personal services. Also, any and all costs arising from pandemic or Covid-19 related issues are not included in the tour cost and are the sole responsibility of the traveler. These include, among others, the costs of Covid treatment, hospitalization, medical fees, transport, meals and accommodation in case of illness or quarantine, and the costs of any Covid tests needed before, during and after the tour.
Flights: Once we have reached the subscription level, we will confirm the tour and send out confirmations with specific timings so that you can book your flights for this tour. Please do NOT book your flights until you have received the official confirmation letter from us with the flight schedule. There is a flight agent who can help you and we will provide their contact information in the confirmation letter. Please
note: Tour
prices are
based on quoted
costs from
ground operators,
estimated
fuel costs,
and the rate
of exchange
the time of
itinerary
publication.
The erratic
nature to
financial
markets makes
it difficult
to predict
changes in
costs over
the long term.
Since tours
are priced
well in advance
of the actual
operation
of the tour,
tour costs,
and fuel costs
can change,
sometimes
drastically.
Depending
on the extent
of such changes,
it may be
necessary
to implement
a surcharge
on this tour.
If a surcharge
is necessary,
every effort
will be made
to minimize
the amount.
Note, we have
rarely had
to do this
but we need
to be clear
what could
happen due
to changing
costs. Cancellations
and Refunds:
TRIP INSURANCE:
PLEASE NOTE:
Questions?
Contact Gina
Nichol at gina@sunrisebirding.com |