World Birding Center

World Birding Center in the Lower Rio Grande valley of Texas.

The World Birding Center:
One of the most spectacular convergences of birds on Earth.

Come visit the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas — where history, culture and spectacular natural diversity combine into one unforgettable nature adventure.

At the front door to Old Mexico, its spicy blend of two cultures and two languages is landscaped in the colors of swaying palm trees, brilliant bougainvillea and flowering huisache.

Remnants of our borderland past – from frontier forts and ranches, to the carefully tended architecture of an old riverport – grace each bend of the storied Rio Grande. Across this southern tip of Texas, a new appreciation of our cultural and natural legacy shows in expanding wildlife refuges, and a historic district that stretches from the Gulf of Mexico to the thorny hills of Starr County, and beyond.

The World Birding Center welcomes beginning and well-traveled nature tourists alike to the cultural and historic beauty of this special place.

A voice for conservation. Special places for learning and discovery. The WBC network offers a wealth of wildlife, and so much more: Sites that also celebrate our history, culture and natural abundance.

The Edinburg Scenic Wetlands and World Birding Center (EWBC) is one of nine World Birding Center sites scheduled to open in the Rio Grande Valley

Welcome
A 40-acre wetlands oasis in the midst of a lively urban landscape, the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands offers watchable wildlife year-round in a setting friendly to birds, butterflies and other water-loving creatures.
The World Birding Center

“Rather than one high-profile location (ala Disney), the intent of the World Birding Center (WBC) is to unite several sites, each containing a diverse set of habitats, birds, and wildlife watching opportunities, into a coherent, organized, transcendent system.”




THE World Birding Center…the name itself smacks of Texas hyperbole. What gall! What insolence! What a damned gutsy idea!

For the past two years, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, working with the communities of far South Texas, have been striving to cobble a select number of special birding sites into a world-class wildlife watching system. Rather than one high-profile location (ala Disney), the intent of the World Birding Center (WBC) is to unite several sites, each containing a diverse set of habitats, birds, and wildlife watching opportunities, into a coherent, organized, transcendent system.

The fact that the WBC is being developed in Texas, rather than other countries or states, is perhaps more related to the willingness of Texans to accept risk, to take great leaps of faith, than it is to the actual resources themselves. However, as Fermata documented in the original feasibility study for the project, the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV), comprising a mosaic of habitats known as the Tamaulipan Province, is an exceptionally biodiverse region. Focusing only upon birds, only three states in the Unites States (Texas included) have hosted more species of birds than this small region at the tip of Texas. That's right - only three STATES.

Admittedly, the vast majority of the native habitat of South Texas has been altered for agricultural, industrial, and urban uses. Nature is now restricted to the scraps that fell from the table during the original feast. Therefore one of the two primary purposes of developing the WBC is to bring the plight of the LRGV to the attention of the world, and to inspire restoration and conservation in the region through education, public outreach, and the funding of additional conservation efforts.

The coequal purpose for the project is to promote economic development through the prudent, sustainable use of these remaining natural habitats for outdoor recreation and appreciation. South Texas is among the poorest regions in the United States, and the population in this region continues to expand exponentially. Therefore, jobs must be created at a pace in excess of this population growth to have any impact on an already stratospheric unemployment rate (nearing 25% in Starr County). Through the use of what Fermata terms economic conservation, the development of economic strategies that produce both economic as well as conservation profits, we have increasing hope that the exceptional ecological heritage of South Texas may be restored. Sustainable development is insufficient for the task at hand; what is called for is a restorative economic strategy.

Fermata Inc., working with the communities of the LRGV, TPW, and a team of experts including David Heil and Associates and Michael Putegnat, has been engaged in the strategic planning efforts for the World Birding Center for the past two months. Our role in the project, in actuality, has spanned two years. Ted Eubanks, of our firm, served on the initial blue-ribbon panel involved in site selection. Our firm participated in the original feasibility study funded by the Federal Economic Development Agency. However, this retinue of studies supporting the project is complete, and conceptualization is now giving way to the actual planning of the WBC.

We traveled to South Texas last week to complete site resource assessment, to meet with community groups involved in the effort, and to report to the WBC Community Council as to our progress to date. Our Bob Behrstock spent early May in the region completing site assessments, and Ted Eubanks traveled to the LRGV the following week to meet with the communities and to report to the Community Council.

To digress for a moment, the wildlife-watching season (birding, primarily) in the LRGV presently extends from post-Christmas winter through early spring. The tropical climate of the LRGV attracts tens of thousands of "winter Texans," seasonal residents from primarily Mid-Western states and Canada who escape the frigidity of their homes to bask in the warmth of the LRGV climate. As the LRGV begins to transition from warm to hot (a remarkably brief shift that normally occurs in mid-April), virtually all of these seasonal visitors return home. Birders tend to mirror this same visitation pattern, with the exception that many arrive later in the spring, tagging their LRGV trip with side ventures to the upper Texas coast (to experience the spring migration at High Island and Galveston), and Big Bend (to see west Texas specialties such as the Colima Warbler and Lucifer's Hummingbird.)

The result? By the time of our last trip (early May), the Valley had been deserted by birders (yet not the birds). With a stiff southeastern wind, the temperatures in the Valley were quite pleasant, and the birds, butterflies, and odonates (which tend to be our personal interests) were prolific. For those readers with some interest in these pursuits, let us offer a sample of our experiences. For specific directions to the mentioned sites, we refer you to the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail's Lower Texas Coast map. This map is now available through TPW.
At least six pair of Clay-colored Robins were present in the LRGV at the following locations: Roma, Rio Grande City, Anzalduas County Park, Bentsen-Rio Grande SP, Weslaco, and Santa Ana NWR. Gray Hawks continued nesting at Anzalduas, and Northern Beardless-Tyrannulets were found at Santa Ana NWR, Anzalduas, and Bentsen-Rio Grande SP. Tropical Parulas were seen (more likely heard) in Anzalduas and Bentsen-Rio Grande SP, and a Gray-crowned Yellowthroat continued to be seen at Santa Ana NWR. Groove-billed Anis and Yellow-billed Cuckoos had arrived en masse, as well as several of the insectivores that virtually disappear in the winter birding season such as Brown-crested and Ash-throated flycatchers. Pairs of Black Phoebes at Roma and Rio Grande City were apparently nesting. On the return trip to Austin, Ted tallied six species of orioles: Orchard, Audubon's, Baltimore, Bullock's, Hooded, and Altamira.

A late afternoon sojourn through Resaca de la Palma transported the group back into Tamaulipan wilderness. Common Yellowthroats were singing in every cattail marsh, and the dialect indicated that the birds were most likely of the insperata (or Brownsville) race. A mother coyote with two pups came to within yards of our vantage point to water. Earlier in the week Bob had seen Long-tailed Weasel in the same area. The mesquite savannah adjacent to the Resaca resounded with the syllabic notes of the "dic-dic-ciss-ciss-el."

Shifting focus from birds to bugs, small flocks of Polydamas Swallowtails swarmed a freshwater pool below Roma Bluffs, and were briefly joined by a White-patched Skipper. Earlier Bob and Ted had seen Caribbean Yellowface (a damselfly) along Resaca Blvd. in Brownsville.

In truth, one could not ask for a better time to be in the LRGV, yet except for the local birders who know better the region had been vacated. The LRGV traditionally has been marketed as a winter destination, ignoring the fact that wildlife-viewing opportunities present themselves throughout the year. One of the primary purposes of a Fermata resource assessment (Applied Site Assessment Protocol ®) is to identify the natural resources from which a year-round program of nature-related activities may be developed. ASAP ® is precisely what led us to the LRGV and the WBC at this time.

Returning to the discussion at hand, the WBC will initially consist of a headquarters, two annexes, and a series of destinations that will serve as gateways and specialized interpretive venues. The central headquarters, housing administrative, operational, and support staff, will be located at Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park in Mission. The donation of additional lands adjacent to the park will allow for a major refashioning of the site into a world-class nature center and wildlife-watching destination. In addition to the headquarters, two annex sites have been selected to house major interpretive facilities: Llano Grande in Weslaco, and Resaca de la Palma in Brownsville.

The three major interpretive facilities (the headquarters and the two annexes) are being financed by the State of Texas (through TPW), with matching funds being provided by the host communities. Initial state grants of $2 million, coupled with identical amounts from the local communities, provide initial capital of $4 million for each of the three major interpretive facilities. Additional funds are being made available by foundations, federal agencies, organizations, and individuals.

Gateways are being established in Roma, Edinburg, McAllen, and Harlingen. Each of these sites is located on a major transportation route to the LRGV, and/or is adjacent to one of the airports in the region. Gateways, while themselves providing wildlife viewing opportunities, will also offer a wide range of information about the WBC and the recreational and education opportunities it provides. Although still in the conceptual phase, we expect gateways to offer a broad selection of information to facilitate travel to the LRGV. This information may be as routine as the support services available in a specific community, or as sophisticated as real-time information transmitted through the Internet about which birds are being seen at that moment in the LRGV.

The headquarters, the two annexes, and the four gateways represent the core of the WBC. However, surrounding this nucleus are destination sites that contain unique or special resources that are critical to fleshing out the WBC as a whole. South Padre Island is an example of one such destination. The wetland center on the Island stretches from the Gulf of Mexico to the Laguna Madre, and encompasses the only marine habitats within the WBC system. Additional destinations with similar unique resources are being evaluated, and it is expected that additional sites will be added to the WBC as its needs are better understood and defined. The Arroyo Colorado WMA, near Rio Hondo, offers the opportunity for low-impact, wilderness hiking in an isolated thicket of Tamaulipan scrub. In the future, additional sites with habitats needed to complete the ecological integrity of the WBC will be identified, assessed, and integrated into the system.

All of us within Fermata feel honored to be able to participate in this important project. When completed, the WBC complex will represent an unprecedented marriage of social, economic, and ecological interests. No one more than Fermata will admit that the LRGV, in its present form, hardly represents a world-class nature destination. Yet the groundwork has been completed for the development of a wildlife recreation and education system that will transform the very nature of the LRGV, and thus set an example that the world may follow toward the goal of resource conservation and restoration. That example alone will justify the name, and we are proud to have been asked to contribute to the development of THE World Birding Center.

The Land
Colorful native plants and overlooked water resources combine to recreate an endangered wetlands environment at the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands. Shallow ponds attract water-loving creatures, sheltered by woodsy fringes of native growth. Around the interpretive center, butterflies vie for nectar from six acres of colorful flowering beds, grown according to nature’s original native design.

The Birds
Green KingfisherWaterfowl and shorebirds like the Green Kingfisher, Least Grebe and American Avocet have a new home here, and can be easily viewed from platforms overlooking peaceful freshwater lagoons. At least 13 species of ducks flock here in winter months. Other “Valley specialties,” found no place else but farthest South Texas, also make their way to this urban greenspot.

Learn & Discover
There’s plenty for nature lovers to see and do at the World Birding Center’s Edinburg Scenic Wetlands. Bird and dragonfly walks, wildflower tours, and nighttime excursions featuring “nature’s night shift” are only a few. In addition, amateur naturalists can learn to create simple backyard wildlife sanctuaries. Consult “Calendar of Events” for a complete calendar.

What’s Here
Winding paths and waterside observation platforms allow visitors access to our entire 40 acres. Our Interpretive Center features educational exhibits on fish and aquatic life, and state-of-the-art interactive computer programs highlight birds and butterflies. Telescopes and interpretive audio stations allow for close-up inspection of our various inhabitants, while floor-to-ceiling windows ensure “watchable wildlife” in every season.

World Birding Center Headquarters
This photo shows an exterior view of the Birder Cafe.
Photo credit: Hester + Hardaway, Paul Hester
Overview

* Location: Mission, TX
* Building type(s): Interpretive Center
* New construction
* 13,000 sq. feet (1,210 sq. meters)
* Project scope: multiple buildings
* Rural setting
* Completed January 2004

A joint effort between the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and local communities established the World Birding Center to "significantly increase the appreciation, understanding, and conservation of birds and wildlife habitat." Many of the sites seek to repair or reestablish the rich natural landscape.

The World Birding Center Headquarters, located in Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, was intended to form a gateway between disturbed land that was cleared for agricultural purposes some 30 years ago and more then 1,700 acres of adjacent native habitat that is being reclaimed and established as a habitat preserve.

This project was chosen as an AIA Committee on the Environment Top Ten Green Project for 2006. It was submitted by Lake|Flato Architects, in San Antonio, Texas. Additional project team members are listed on the "Process" screen.
Environmental Aspects

The design and construction theme was to do more with less. Through the process of "right sizing," the buildings were reduced to 13,000 ft2, reducing first cost, material and energy use, and maintenance requirements. Structural arched panels enclose the maximum space with the least material and use 48% less steel, by weight, than traditional steel framing.

A flooded habitat demonstration garden exhibits the characteristics of the natural flooded Resaca environment and forms the focal point of the design. All landscape planting was strictly limited to species native to the region. Land surrounding the buildings is being restored to its native state and will exhibit various stages of restoration.

A 47,000-gallon rainwater collection system is utilized for irrigation and for a wildlife trough. A series of rainwater guzzlers, natural pools, and water seeps provides much-needed water for birds and butterflies. Water-efficient fixtures and waterless urinals minimize indoor potable water use.

Energy-efficiency strategies include high-efficiency, variable-speed mechanical cooling equipment; on-demand water heaters; and efficient lighting. Shielded exterior lighting protects this important night sky and migration flyway.
Owner & Occupancy

* Owned and occupied by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, State government
* Typically occupied by 15 people, 40 hours per person per week; and 185 visitors per week, 2 hours per visitor per week

 

July 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Creatures of the Night — Every Thursday. Join one of our naturalists as we delve into the enchanting world of nocturnal creatures. We'll search for owls, nighthawks, paraque, javelina, armadillos, bats, snakes, tarantulas and even draw in colorful and bizarre insects using our black light. 8-10 p.m.; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

July 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Bentsen Dragonfly Walk — Every Friday. Meet some of nature's most fearsome predators that fly over the park's wetlands every day. Many dragonfly and damselfly species can be found in South Texas, which occur nowhere else in the United States. Bring binoculars and a field guide. 10 a.m.-noon; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

July 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Bentsen Nature Tour — Every Saturday. Experience the park aboard our open-air tram or airconditioned van with a naturalist as your guide. Enjoy nature in a relaxed atmosphere while your guide reveals the history of the park and its native flora and fauna. Space limited to 14 passengers. 9-11 a.m.; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

July 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Bentsen Bird Walk — Every Sunday. Explore the bird life of the park with a park naturalist. Green jay, plain chachalaca, great kiskadee, northern beardless tyrannulet, clay-colored robin, ringed kingfisher and many other South Texas specialties are frequently seen. Bring binoculars and a field guide. 8-10 a.m.; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

July 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Bentsen Butterfly Walk — Every Monday. Join a park naturalist and observe the vast numbers of colorful butterflies that are attracted to the gardens in the park. Many species can be seen in south Texas that occur nowhere else in the US. Bring binoculars and a field guide. 10 a.m.-noon; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

August 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Bentsen Nature Tour — Every Saturday. Experience the park aboard our open-air tram or airconditioned van with a naturalist as your guide. Enjoy nature in a relaxed atmosphere while your guide reveals the history of the park and its native flora and fauna. Space limited to 14 passengers. 9-11 a.m.; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

August 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Bentsen Bird Walk — Every Sunday. Explore the bird life of the park with a park naturalist. Green jay, plain chachalaca, great kiskadee, northern beardless tyrannulet, clay-colored robin, ringed kingfisher and many other South Texas specialties are frequently seen. Bring binoculars and a field guide. 8-10 a.m.; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

August 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Bentsen Butterfly Walk — Every Monday. Join a park naturalist and observe the vast numbers of colorful butterflies that are attracted to the gardens in the park. Many species can be seen in south Texas that occur nowhere else in the US. Bring binoculars and a field guide. 10 a.m.-noon; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

August 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Creatures of the Night — Every Thursday. Join one of our naturalists as we delve into the enchanting world of nocturnal creatures. We'll search for owls, nighthawks, paraque, javelina, armadillos, bats, snakes, tarantulas and even draw in colorful and bizarre insects using our black light. 8-10 p.m.; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

August 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Bentsen Dragonfly Walk — Every Friday. Meet some of nature's most fearsome predators that fly over the park's wetlands every day. Many dragonfly and damselfly species can be found in South Texas, which occur nowhere else in the United States. Bring binoculars and a field guide. 10 a.m.-noon; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

Featured Event August 13, 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Bentsen Perseid Party — Join our park naturalists as we observe the Perseid meteor shower at its peak. This year the Perseids should be a special treat as the peak falls on a night with no moon. We will also have a telescope on hand and observe constellations and other astronomical objects. Meet at the visitor center. Bring comfortable chairs, bug spray, food and drinks, blankets plus a red-filtered flashlight for reading maps and charts without ruining your night vision. Binoculars are not necessary; your eyes will do just fine. 9 p.m.-1 a.m. (956) 584-9156.   [Featured Events]

September 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Bird Walk — Every Monday. Come and try for the "Bentsen Hat Trick" of subtropical bird species: clay-colored robin, northern beardless-tyrannulet, and ferruginous pygmy-owl; then look for a hook-billed kite to complete the "Bentsen Grand Slam." gray hawk, ringed kingfisher and groove-billed ani are among other highly sought species regularly seen here. Bring binoculars, a field guide, sunscreen, bug repellent and water, or buy it all in our park store before the walk. Reservations recommended. 8:15-10:15 a.m.; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

September 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Bentsen Nature Tour — Every Tuesday. Experience the park aboard our open-air tram or in our air-conditioned van with a naturalist as your guide. Enjoy nature in a relaxed atmosphere while your guide reveals the history of the park and its native flora and fauna. Remain in the vehicle or step off briefly and look for wildlife at one of our observation areas. Space limited to 14 passengers. 9-11 a.m.; reservations required (956) 584-9156. 

September 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Butterfly Walk — Every Wednesday. Over 175 species of butterfly have visited the park, with watchers identifying 90 or more in a single day on some occasions! Tour our fantastic gardens with an experienced guide looking for species found nowhere in the US outside of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Bring binoculars, a field guide, sunscreen and water, or buy it all in our park store before the walk. 1:30-3:30 p.m.; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

September 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Creatures of the Night — Every Thursday. Look and listen for nocturnal wildlife with one of our park's staff naturalists. We might prowl for owls, cruise the roads for javelina, detect bats, black-light for interesting insects, encounter an armadillo, chase after pauraque, or just relax and enjoy the sunset and stars. Space limited to 14 participants. Bring binoculars, bug repellent and water. 8-10 p.m.; reservations required (956) 584-9156. 

September 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Lunch with a Naturalist — Every Thursday. Drop by the Y Cafe , buy your lunch and meet one of the professional naturalists who work at the park. Bring your questions about birds, bats, cats, snakes, butterflies, dragonflies, observing nature in the park, attracting wildlife to your yard, or the naturalist as a career path. 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

September 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Dragonfly Walk — Every Friday. Many dragonfly and damselfly species are found in south Texas and nowhere else in the United States. Join our expert, Josh Rose in seeking the Caribbean yellowface, Amelia's threadtail, carmine skimmer and other subtropical specialties. Bring binoculars, a field guide, sunscreen and water, or buy it all in our park store before the walk. 1:30-3:30 p.m.; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

September 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Hawks by the Hundreds — Every Sunday. Be a hawk counter on our ADA-accessible tower and witness the spectacle of hawks in migration. Observers have documented 27 raptor species in the park, often 14 or more in a single morning, including Rio Grande Valley specialties like gray hawk and hook-billed kite, and flights of several thousand broad-winged hawks in a day. Bring binoculars, sunhat, sun block and drinking water, or buy it all in our park store before riding to the tower on the park's tram. 9 a.m.-noon (956) 584-9156. 

October 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Creatures of the Night — Every Thursday. Look and listen for nocturnal wildlife with one of our park's staff naturalists. We might prowl for owls, cruise the roads for javelina, detect bats, black-light for interesting insects, encounter an armadillo, chase after pauraque, or just relax and enjoy the sunset and stars. Space limited to 14 participants. Bring binoculars, bug repellent and water. 7-9 p.m.; reservations required (956) 584-9156. 

October 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Lunch with a Naturalist — Every Thursday. Drop by the Y Cafe , buy your lunch and meet one of the professional naturalists who work at the park. Bring your questions about birds, bats, cats, snakes, butterflies, dragonflies, observing nature in the park, attracting wildlife to your yard, or the naturalist as a career path. 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

October 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Dragonfly Walk — Every Friday. Many dragonfly and damselfly species are found in south Texas and nowhere else in the United States. Join our expert, Josh Rose in seeking the Caribbean yellowface, Amelia's threadtail, carmine skimmer and other subtropical specialties. Bring binoculars, a field guide, sunscreen and water, or buy it all in our park store before the walk. 1:30-3:30 p.m.; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

October 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Bird Walk — Every Monday. Come and try for the "Bentsen Hat Trick" of subtropical bird species: clay-colored robin, northern beardless-tyrannulet, and ferruginous pygmy-owl; then look for a hook-billed kite to complete the "Bentsen Grand Slam." gray hawk, ringed kingfisher and groove-billed ani are among other highly sought species regularly seen here. Bring binoculars, a field guide, sunscreen, bug repellent and water, or buy it all in our park store before the walk. Reservations recommended. 8:15-10:15 a.m.; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

October 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Bentsen Nature Tour — Every Tuesday. Experience the park aboard our open-air tram or in our air-conditioned van with a naturalist as your guide. Enjoy nature in a relaxed atmosphere while your guide reveals the history of the park and its native flora and fauna. Remain in the vehicle or step off briefly and look for wildlife at one of our observation areas. Space limited to 14 passengers. 9-11 a.m.; reservations required (956) 584-9156. 

October 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Butterfly Walk — Every Wednesday. Over 175 species of butterfly have visited the park, with watchers identifying 90 or more in a single day on some occasions! Tour our fantastic gardens with an experienced guide looking for species found nowhere in the US outside of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Bring binoculars, a field guide, sunscreen and water, or buy it all in our park store before the walk. 1:30-3:30 p.m.; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

October 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Hawks by the Hundreds — Every Sunday. Be a hawk counter on our ADA-accessible tower and witness the spectacle of hawks in migration. Observers have documented 27 raptor species in the park, often 14 or more in a single morning, including Rio Grande Valley specialties like gray hawk and hook-billed kite, and flights of several thousand broad-winged hawks in a day. Bring binoculars, sunhat, sun block and drinking water, or buy it all in our park store before riding to the tower on the park's tram. 9 a.m.-noon (956) 584-9156. 

October 14, 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — The Big Sit — Join the team at the park as we enter the nationwide Big Sit, coordinated by Bird Watcher's Digest. Help us measure up against rivals in the Valley, around the state, and across the country as we identify as many bird species as possible in a single day, from within a 17-foot diameter circle located at Kingfisher Overlook. Stay awhile and help us spot birds, or just pay a visit and make sure we're still awake! 4 a.m.-10 p.m. (956) 584-9156. 

November 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Bird Walk — Every Monday. Come and try for the "Bentsen Hat Trick" of subtropical bird species: clay-colored robin, northern beardless-tyrannulet, and ferruginous pygmy-owl; then look for a hook-billed kite to complete the "Bentsen Grand Slam." gray hawk, ringed kingfisher and groove-billed ani are among other highly sought species regularly seen here. Bring binoculars, a field guide, sunscreen, bug repellent and water, or buy it all in our park store before the walk. Reservations recommended. 8:15-10:15 a.m.; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

November 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Bentsen Nature Tour — Every Tuesday. Experience the park aboard our open-air tram or in our air-conditioned van with a naturalist as your guide. Enjoy nature in a relaxed atmosphere while your guide reveals the history of the park and its native flora and fauna. Remain in the vehicle or step off briefly and look for wildlife at one of our observation areas. Space limited to 14 passengers. 9-11 a.m.; reservations required (956) 584-9156. 

November 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Butterfly Walk — Every Wednesday. Over 175 species of butterfly have visited the park, with watchers identifying 90 or more in a single day on some occasions! Tour our fantastic gardens with an experienced guide looking for species found nowhere in the US outside of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Bring binoculars, a field guide, sunscreen and water, or buy it all in our park store before the walk. 1:30-3:30 p.m.; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

November 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Creatures of the Night — Every Thursday. Look and listen for nocturnal wildlife with one of our park's staff naturalists. We might prowl for owls, cruise the roads for javelina, detect bats, black-light for interesting insects, encounter an armadillo, chase after pauraque, or just relax and enjoy the sunset and stars. Space limited to 14 participants. Bring binoculars, bug repellent and water. 6-8 p.m.; reservations required (956) 584-9156. 

November 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Lunch with a Naturalist — Every Thursday. Drop by the Y Cafe , buy your lunch and meet one of the professional naturalists who work at the park. Bring your questions about birds, bats, cats, snakes, butterflies, dragonflies, observing nature in the park, attracting wildlife to your yard, or the naturalist as a career path. 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

November 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Dragonfly Walk — Every Friday. Many dragonfly and damselfly species are found in south Texas and nowhere else in the United States. Join our expert, Josh Rose in seeking the Caribbean yellowface, Amelia's threadtail, carmine skimmer and other subtropical specialties. Bring binoculars, a field guide, sunscreen and water, or buy it all in our park store before the walk. 1:30-3:30 p.m.; reservations recommended (956) 584-9156. 

November 4, 11, 2007 — World Birding Center - Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley SP — Hawks by the Hundreds — Every Sunday. Be a hawk counter on our ADA-accessible tower and witness the spectacle of hawks in migration. Observers have documented 27 raptor species in the park, often 14 or more in a single morning, including Rio Grande Valley specialties like gray hawk and hook-billed kite, and flights of several thousand broad-winged hawks in a day. Bring binoculars, sunhat, sun block and drinking water, or buy it all in our park store before riding to the tower on the park's tram. 9 a.m.-noon (956) 584-9156.