Laredo Birding Festival | 2013 | Welcome to Laredo, home to hundreds of species of local and migratory birds.

Welcome & Bienvenidos!

Blessed with a rich and diverse river eco-system, Laredo is home to hundreds of species of local and migratory birds, which include our very own prized birds: the White-collared Seedeater, Scaled Quail, Grey Hawk, Audubon’s and Altamira Orioles, Brown Jay, Green Parakeets, Muscovy Duck, Red-billed Pigeon and Clay-colored Thrush.

Each day, birders will have a chance to select from a variety of full-day scenic trips. Escorted by professional field guides and members of our local Monte Mucho Audubon Society, birders will have an opportunity to explore areas along Laredo’s river front, creek systems, nature trails and private ranchland.

What will you find?

Warm South Texas hospitality, a dynamic city that bridges two cultures, and of course, birds!

In Laredo, you will have unprecedented access to view the Seedeater and other avian beauties. However, you never know what you are going to find. Birding enthusiasts describe Laredo as the only place in the U.S. to have boasted four species of Kingfisher: the Ringed, Belted, Green and Amazon.

Thanks to a relationship with the Images for Conservation Fund, Laredo can now provide visitors with trips to bird award-winning locations and view eye-catching South Texas wildlife.

Professional nature photographers and individual landowners recently completed the ICF’s Pro-Tour of Nature Photography’s “Borderlands of Laredo” competition, and brought into focus some of our most beautiful and elusive avian celebrities.

Participating ranches will be among the scenic getaways that can be explored during our three-day 2013 Laredo Birding Festival.

In 2010, a particular celebrity of note that caused quite a stir was a female Amazon Kingfisher, a real rare beauty and a first North American sighting. Her two-and-a-half week cameo appearance at Zacate Creek’s intersection with the Rio Grande, at Las Palmas Nature Trail, attracted birding paparazzi from across the United States and beyond. The news of her presence spread fast and just as quickly so did the story of Laredo’s hospitality.

We welcome you back to our Gateway City!

When

In late January and early February, Laredo and Webb County witness a higher concentration of bird species, providing birders with a potential list of nearly 240 types of birds.

The challenge will be to spot them all.

To help you in this adventurous task, members of the local Monte Mucho Audubon Society will act as local field guides. Meanwhile, experts from the Texas Ornithological Society and individual wildlife biologists will be assigned to individual trips to provide greater insight and assist with target identification in the field.

Laredo Birding Festival

Events

Our young and growing birding festival provides birders the opportunity to work closely with professional field guides, and to explore the depth of Laredo’s natural beauty.

Carefully selected public green spaces or private ranchland will provide visitors the chance to visit sites that have never been birded.

The Laredo Birding Festival includes field trips, workshops, special talks and film screenings. It will also feature a starter program for those beginners who may be curious about birding and what it takes to get into it.

On Opening Night - Wednesday, February 6, 2013 – we will host a lively mixer, and we will wrap up our fun-filled festival with a banquet and keynote speech by world renowned birder Sandy Komito.

Special trips offered during the 2013 Laredo Birding Festival will include a two-day Pro Am Photography contest, led by the Images for Conservation Fund.

News

Registration is now open. Follow the links to submit your online form or call 956-718-1063 for further information. More Information

This year the iconic La Posada Hotel will be the host hotel for the 2013 Laredo Birding Festival. We have reserved a block of rooms at this downtown Laredo historic jewel, at a discounted rate of $87 per night (tax not included).

Guests will have access to free Wi-Fi and a complimentary hot breakfast starting at 5:30 a.m. Make your reservation by calling the hotel at (956) 722-1701, and mention Laredo Birding Festival. Or click here for More information

A major collaborator in the 2013 Laredo Birding Festival is the Monte Mucho Audubon Society. It is the only bird-watching group in Laredo. The group was established to promote conservation and preservation of a healthy habitat in the South Texas Region, to encourage the appreciation of birds and other wildlife, and to provide educational programs to garner public support on environmental issues. see what they have been up to at their Meet Up site and view their photo albums of activity.

RGISC

We are incredibly honored to coordinate and host the 2013 Laredo Birding Festival.

The Rio Grande International Study Center (RGISC) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization, established in Laredo in 1994. We are the only environmental organization in Laredo whose mission is to preserve and protect the Rio Grande-Rio Bravo and its green spaces through research, education, public awareness campaigns and binational alliances.