Annual Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival

Join us for the 31st Annual Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival!!

Welcome Reception, Keynote Speakers, Seminars and Kiskadee Kordial are all included in your registration. Please sign up for the activities you wish to attend.

The Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival, Inc., headquartered in Harlingen, Texas, is a 501 (c)(3) organization incorporated to produce an annual international event designed to utilize the Rio Grande Valley's unparalleled natural resources and bird-watching opportunities to:

Promote the economic growth of the local economy through ecotourism.
Educate the local population about the value of the unique natural environment found in the Valley and to recognize its economic potential.

Foster a climate of cooperation and understanding between stakeholders in the economic development of the Valley and conservation organizations and individuals dedicated to preserving our natural environment.

The RGV Birding Festival has a small part-time staff in addition to over 200 dedicated volunteers, many of whom donate their time throughout the year to make the festival a success.  In addition, the festival receives monetary and resource support from the City of Harlingen, our many sponsors and vendors, local businesses, and the Harlingen Visitors' Bureau.

Schedule of Events:

5:00 am - 02:00 pm: Santa Margarita Ranch HCC - Van Loading Area - 20 ($ 125.00)         
5:00 am - 02:00 pm: Upper Rio Grande - Salineño and Falcon State Park HCC - Van Loading Area - 20 ($ 100.00)         
6:00 am - 01:00 pm: South Padre Island Tour HCC - Van Loading Area - 10 ($ 85.00)           
6:00 am - 01:00 pm: Shorebirding with the Experts HCC - Van Loading Area - 10 ($ 85.00)           
6:00 am - 01:00 pm: Colley's Island Pontoon with Henry's Charters- Friday HCC - Van Loading Area - 12 ($ 135.00)       
6:00 am - 04:30 pm: Kleberg County Wetlands and Lunch HCC - Van Loading Area - 8 ($ 120.00)          
6:15 am - 10:30 am: Laguna Seca Ranch Raptors  am Meet at Site - 12 ($ 160.00)         
6:30 am - 10:30 am: Photographing Shorebirds with Paul Denman Meet-At-Site - 10 ($ 50.00)   
6:30 am - 12:30 pm: Young Birder Series - Estero Llano Grande State Park HCC - Bus Loading Area - 6 ($ 50.00)           
6:30 am - 12:30 pm: Small Park Smash - Cameron County HCC - Van Loading Area - 10 ($ 80.00)           
6:30 am - 12:30 pm: Fundamentals of Birding with Hannah and Erik Go Birding! HCC - Bus Loading Area - 10 ($ 75.00)           
6:30 am - 12:30 pm: Estero Llano Grande State Park HCC - Bus Loading Area - 36 ($ 75.00)                
6:30 am - 12:30 pm: Santa Ana NWR HCC - Bus Loading Area - 32 ($ 75.00)           
6:30 am - 12:30 pm: Salt Lakes and Brush Country - Lower RGV NWR HCC - Van Loading Area - 8 ($ 80.00)           
6:30 am - 12:30 pm: Advanced Bird ID with Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman - South Padre Island HCC - Van Loading Area - 10 ($ 100.00)         
6:30 am - 12:30 pm: Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park HCC - Bus Loading Area - 42 ($ 75.00)           
6:30 am - 12:30 pm: Arroyo Colorado Unit, WMA HCC - Van Loading Area - 20 ($ 80.00)           
6:30 am - 12:30 pm: Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge - Bahia Grande Unit HCC - Van Loading Area - 16 ($ 85.00)           
6:30 am - 12:30 pm: Southmost Nature Preserve HCC - Van Loading Area - 20 ($ 80.00)           
6:30 am - 02:00 pm: Cactus Creek Ranch and Backyard BBQ HCC - Van Loading Area - 20 ($ 115.00)      
7:00 am - 01:00 pm: Anzalduas on the Rio and National Butterfly Center HCC - Van Loading Area - 10 ($ 85.00)           
7:00 am - 01:00 pm: Easy (But Not Less!) Birding Tour - Santa Ana NWR HCC - Van Loading Area - 6 ($ 75.00)           
7:00 am - 01:00 pm: Small Park Smash - Hidalgo County HCC - Van Loading Area - 10 ($ 80.00)           
7:00 am - 02:30 pm: Birds, Resacas, Lunch! HCC - Van Loading Area - 20 ($ 110.00)         
7:30 am - 01:00 pm: Birds and Battlefields with Jon Dunn HCC - Van Loading Area - 10 ($ 80.00)           
8:00 am - 12:00 pm: Meet-on Site - Edinburg Scenic Wetland Meet at Site - 12 ($ 60.00)           
9:00 am - 03:00 pm: Butterflies of the Rio Grande Valley HCC - Van Loading Area - 10 ($ 75.00)           
2:00 pm - 03:00 pm: Getting Close to Things with Wings with Melody Lytle HCC Classroom - 20 ($ 15.00)   
2:00 pm - 03:00 pm: Birding for Native Bees: Enjoying the Little Things with Devon Johnston HCC Auditorium
2:00 pm - 05:30 pm: Laguna Seca Ranch Songbirds  pm Meet at Site - 6 ($ 160.00)         
2:00 pm - 05:00 pm: Digiscoping From the Deck with Clay Taylor, Swarovski Optik Ltd. Meet at Site - 20 ($ 20.00)             
2:00 pm - 05:30 pm: Afternoon Birding: Just Find Water! HCC - Van Loading Area - 16 ($ 60.00)           
3:30 pm - 04:30 pm: Digiscoping Big Year.  Quest To Photograph Over 1,000 Bird Species Through A Spotting Scope! with Jeff Bouton HCC Auditorium
3:30 pm - 04:30 pm: \Deep Dive into Shorebirds with Alex Eisengart HCC Classroom - 20 ($ 15.00)        
3:30 pm - 06:30 pm: Evening Photography at the South Texas Ecotourism Center with Ruth Hoyt Meet-At-Site - 20 ($ 50.00)           
4:00 pm - 06:00 pm: Parrot Palooza! HCC - Van Loading Area - 40 ($ 50.00)           
5:00 pm - 08:30 pm: Night Hike at Santa Ana NWR HCC - Van Loading Area - 20 ($ 60.00)           
6:00 pm - 07:00 pm: Man and Gulls - A Complex Relationship, with Amar Ayyash HCC Auditorium