Things to Do

Bird Watch Your Heart Out at the Laredo Birding Festival

By  | 
Tony Maples Photography

 

The border of Texas has a lot of attention lately and will be getting even more February 6 through 9 for the seventh Laredo Birding Festival! Roughly two and a half hours south of San Antonio on Interstate 35, Laredo has a rich history, thriving economy, and biologically diverse environment thanks to the Rio Grande River. The location is ideal for bird watchers with nearly 200 local and migratory birds species within eye (or binocular) view.

Bird Watch Your Heart Out at the Laredo Birding Festival

Facebook/Mary Gustafson

Highlights of the Laredo Birding Festival include a lecture by Jeffrey Gordon, President of the American Birding Association, as well as Birds of the Brush Art Contest, and multiple full-day trips exploring creek systems on kayak, trails, riverfront, and private ranchland, all escorted by professional field guides. Sometimes the birds come to town too: the Green Parakeets of St. Peter’s Historical District roost in the old chapel and can be found in the early evening hours!

Each year, Laredo hosts professional and amateur birders from the United States and the world to the festival. They come outfitted with notepads, cameras, and a love of seeing new things. Their exploring has led to great observing. Some examples of birds spotted in past years include the White-collared Seedeater (recently renamed Morelet’s Seedeater), Scaled Quail, Gray Hawk, Audubon’s and Altamira Orioles, Muscovy Duck, Red-billed Pigeon, and Clay-colored Thrush.

Bird Watch Your Heart Out at the Laredo Birding Festival

Facebook/Theresa Bayoud

Laredo is a busy place in February! Another exciting event during this time is Washington’s Birthday Celebration, which began in 1898 and regularly boasts approximately 400,000 attendees. There are many parties going on, as well as the Jalapeño Festival, which has a festival record of 266 jalapeños eaten in 15 minutes! It would take a lot of milk to put out that fire! Visit this border town during the winter for the best weather of the year and enjoy all it has to offer.