The Rio Grande Valley is world-famous for our spectacular birdlife! But we also have remarkable and unique wildlife, ecosystems, and landscapes. Here are a few birding and nature locations and resources to help you connect with them. 

 

     

Alamo Inn logo

     

Alamo Inn B&B, Gear, & Tours

  • A quiet inn catering to bird watchers and other nature lovers.
  • Owned and operated by nature lovers Keith Hackland and Dr. Audrey Jones.
  • Birding guides and gear available. 
  • 801 Main St, Alamo, TX 78516
     
     

Birders on the Road logo

     

Birders on the Road

  • Wonderful regional and global birding videos.
  • Free and subscription sections, with subscriptions supporting local birding guides. 
  • Created by a group of dedicated birding guides, and coordinated by Alamo Inn owner Keith Hackland.
     
     

Edinburg Scenic Wetlands

     

Edinburg Scenic Wetlands

  • A 40-acre wetlands oasis in the heart of Edinburg where you can spot birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.
  • Free admission on the last Saturday and Sunday of each month.
  • 714 Raul Longoria Rd, Edinburg, TX 78542
     
     

Friends of the Wildlife Corridor logo

     

Friends of the Wildlife Corridor

  • Since 1997, non-profit group of Lower RGV citizens doing key work to help protect the habitats that our native and migratory RGV wildlife depend on.
  • Supports the "land acquisition goals, projects, activities, and outreach plans of the Santa Ana and Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuges."
     
     

Heep's Nursery

     

Heep's Native Plant Nursery

  • Native plants.
  • 1714 S Palm Court Dr., Harlingen, TX 78552
     
     

King Ranch logo

     

King Ranch Nature Tours

  • Recognized as an Internationally Important Bird Area, the King Ranch offers guided bird watching and wildlife tours through their diverse South Texas habitats where nearly 400 species of birds have been recorded.
  • Home to the U.S.' largest known population of Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls.
  • Locations vary by tour.
     
     

National Butterfly Center logo



     

National Butterfly Center

  • A 100-acre wildlife center and native species botanical garden, with trails, observation areas, educational exhibits, and a plant nursery.
  • 200+ species of butterflies, including rarities, have been spotted at the Center.
  • "The Center showcases live animals and plants, in wild and cultivated settings, with educational exhibits to enhance human understanding and appreciation.... In addition to the ever-growing gardens and trails, the Center now boasts an impressive, new Visitor's Pavilion, designed by Wendy Evans Joseph, principal architect of the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, and the Women's Museum in Dallas, Texas."
  • A project of the North American Butterfly Association (NABA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation and study of wild butterflies in their native habitats.
  • 3333 Butterfly Park Drive, Mission, TX 78572
     
     

Native Plant Project

     

Native Plant Project

  • A non-profit committed to the preservation and propagation of plantlife native to Texas' Lower Rio Grande Valley
  • Visit website for handbooks and more
     
     

Tiffany Kersten Ninja Birding

     

Nature Ninja Birding Tours

  • Exceptional guided tours and all-inclusive birding retreats in the Rio Grande Valley.
     
     

Quinta Mazatlan

     

Quinta Mazatlán

  • Birdwatching trails amid the lush tropical gardens and Tamaulipan thorn forest surrounding an historic hacienda in McAllen.
  • 600 Sunset Drive, McAllen, TX 78503
     
     

Rancho Lomitas

     

Rancho Lomitas Native Plant Nursery

  • Native plants, educational tours, and more.
  • 621 W La Sagunada Rd., Rio Grande City, TX 78582
     
     

Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge

     

Santa Ana & Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuges

  • These two abutting refuges in Alamo, TX, offer visitors a chance to see birds and other species only found in deep South Texas.
  • "Established in 1943 for the protection of migratory birds, Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge is positioned along an east-west and north-south juncture of two major migratory routes for many species of birds. It is also at the northern-most point for many species whose range extends south into Central and South America. The refuge is right in the middle of all this biological diversity, which is what makes this 2,088-acre parcel the ‘jewel of the National Wildlife Refuge System.’"
  • "The Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1979 with a management priority to protect biodiversity. As a wildlife corridor, the refuge follows the Rio Grande along the last 275 river miles. It connects isolated tracts of land managed by private landowners, non-profit organizations, the State of Texas, and two other National Wildlife Refuges: Laguna Atascosa and Santa Ana."
     
     

Valley Land Fund logo

     

Valley Land Fund

  • RGV organization with a mission to "preserve, expand, and enhance the native wildlife habitat of the Deep South Texas through education, land ownership, and the creation of economic incentives."
  • Offering stunning photo books featuring the wildlife and landscapes of the RGV.