Wildlife photographers can sharpen their skills at the Birdiest Festival’s photo tours and lectures. Courtesy photo
Birds of a feather flock together when avian enthusiasts gather in South Texas. Corpus Christi’s second annual “Birdiest Festival in America” is Thursday through Sunday, April 19-22. Purposefully timed for the peak spring migration in South Texas, birders have the opportunity to see more than 250 species throughout the Coastal Bend.
The Birdiest Festival celebrates the wide abundance of birds that migrate through South Texas. Join in on the festivities to see species that are found nowhere else in North America: Couch’s Kingbird, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, White-tipped Dove, and more.
The festival is based at the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. There are several events throughout the weekend: raptor shows, birding lectures, workshops, and field trips. Register for festival events online at birdiestfestival.com.
Join a field trip to Choke Canyon State Park, Hazel Bazemore Park, King Ranch, or even a boat ride at Fulton Harbor. Sit in on one of several presentations, ranging from wildlife photography demonstrations — such as “Raptor Photography: Up Close and Personal” — to birding tips and tricks.
The Botanical Gardens will have food trucks, arts and crafts booth, and a Family Fun Area. The Trade Show Tent features vendors selling high-tech binoculars, camera equipment, bird art, and gifts.
Visitors to the Botanical Gardens can enjoy reduced general admission — $5 for adults and $3 children ages 3-12 — to the Gardens & Nature Center. Guests can enjoy the Gardens’ floral exhibits, trails, wetlands, parrots, and reptiles without having to register for any of the events.
Can’t get enough of the jaw-dropping abundance and variety of bountiful birds during spring and fall migrations in South Texas? Several festivals across the Coastal Bend have gone to the birds, such as the Whooping Crane Festival and the Celebration of Flight, hawk festival.
The South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center is located at 8545 S. Staples St. For more information, visit birdiestfestival.com.
