The World Birding Center is the official title given to a combined nine parks and nature preserves in the

Rio Grande Valley The Lower Rio Grande Valley ( es, Valle del Río Grande), commonly known as the Rio Grande Valley or locally as the Valley or RGV, is a region spanning the border of Texas and Mexico located in a floodplain of the Rio Grande near its mouth. The ...

region of

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

managed by a partnership of the

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) is a Texas state agency that oversees and protects wildlife and their habitats. In addition, the agency is responsible for managing the state's parks and historical areas. Its mission is to manage ...

, the

United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

, and the local communities in which the parks reside. The stated mission of the World Birding Center is to "protect native habitat while increasing the understanding and appreciation of the birds and wildlife", with an additional emphasis on promoting local economic development through

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds ...

Features

Encompassing over of preserved land extending along a river corridor between the small town of

Roma, Texas Roma is a city in Starr County, Texas, United States. There were 11,561 people at the 2020 census. The city is located along the Rio Grande, across from Ciudad Miguel Alemán in Tamaulipas, Mexico. The city is also popularly known as Roma-Los S ...

, and the outer

barrier island Barrier islands are coastal landforms and a type of Dune, dune system that are exceptionally flat or lumpy areas of sand that form by wave and tidal action parallel to the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything fro ...

South Padre Island South Padre Island is a barrier island in the U.S. state of Texas. The remote landform is located in Cameron County, Willacy County, and accessible by the Queen Isabella Causeway. South Padre Island was formed when the creation of the Port Mans ...

, the park system hosts a large amount of native

biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...

with over 500 recorded species of birds, and serves as potential habitat for locally endangered wild cat species such as the

ocelot The ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') is a medium-sized spotted wild cat that reaches at the shoulders and weighs between on average. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Two subspecies are recognized. It is native to the southwes ...

and

jaguarundi The jaguarundi (''Herpailurus yagouaroundi'') is a wild cat native to the Americas. Its range extends from central Argentina in the south to northern Mexico, through Central and South America east of the Andes. The jaguarundi is a medium-sized ...

, as well as sanctuary for much of the other

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. E ...

and

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zoo ...

of the last remaining

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

Tamaulipan brushland.

Parks and preserves

Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park

The Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park is known for impressive bird-viewing opportunities, with 358 species documented within the park boundaries. The park was acquired in 1944 for the price of US$1 from the Bentsen family with the stipulation that it be used "solely for Public Park purposes." It was initially preserved from agricultural use by the family due to the presence of beautiful native Ebony trees. The World Birding Center has its headquarters at this site, and the structures were designed by the Lake Flato architectural firm, known for their attention to

sustainable architecture Sustainable architecture is architecture that seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of buildings through improved efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, energy, development space and the ecosystem at large. Sustainable ...

. The resulting buildings and grounds were named one of the top ten

green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...

designs for 2006 by the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

Committee on the Environment (AIA/COTE).

Edinburg Scenic Wetlands World Birding Center

A site situated within a municipal park in the city of

Edinburg, Texas Edinburg ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. Its population was 74,569 as of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, and in 2019, its estimated population was 101,170, making it the second-largest city ...

. Notable in that it was developed through re-vegetation of agricultural lands and exists entirely in an urban setting.

Estero Llano Grande State Park

A recently expanded 230-acre park built partially on reclaimed agricultural land. Known best for its

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

s including "Alligator Lake" (a restored

oxbow __NOTOC__ An oxbow is a U-shaped metal pole (or larger wooden frame) that fits the underside and the sides of the neck of an ox or wikt:bullock, bullock. A bow pin holds it in place. The term "oxbow lake, oxbow" is widely used to refer to a U-sh ...

of the

Arroyo Colorado Arroyo Colorado is a river in Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy Counties, Texas, that flows mostly eastward some from Lake Llano Grande into the Laguna Madre. Arroyo Colorado is a name derived from Spanish meaning "red creek bed". See also * Arro ...

), which is named for both the presence alligators, as well as its shape. The review of park alligator safety tips is recommended.

Harlingen Arroyo Colorado World Birding Center

An urban center consisting of multiple close by parks which follow the Arroyo Colorado waterway, with Harlingen Thicket Park bordering the west side, and the Hugh Ramsey Nature Park on the east, and McKelvey park situated in between. There are numerous paved and unpaved hike and bike trails within the parks, but they do not completely interconnect the site.

Old Hidalgo Pumphouse Museum and World Birding Center

Historic museum and birding center featuring five-mile hike and bike trail, as well as historic steam-powered irrigation pump house. Visitors can still view the antique boilers and infrastructure used to irrigate the farmland around the city of

Hidalgo Hidalgo may refer to: People * Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility * Hidalgo (surname) Places Mexico * Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico * Hidalgo, Coahuila, a town in the north Mexican state of Coahuila * Hidalgo, Nuevo Le� ...

during the early 20th century.

Quinta Mazatlan Historical Mansion and World Birding Center

An urban 20-acre estate preserve centered around a

Spanish Revival Style The Spanish Colonial Revival Style ( es, Arquitectura neocolonial española) is an architectural stylistic movement arising in the early 20th century based on the Spanish Colonial architecture of the Spanish colonization of the Americas. In the ...

mansion with a mission focused on education and environmental stewardship. The site participates in the education of 10,000 students annually. Also features "Native Plant Walks" and programs on natural history of the

for the general public.

Resaca de la Palma State Park

Site of the historical

Battle of Resaca de la Palma The Battle of Resaca de la Palma was one of the early engagements of the Mexican–American War, where the United States Army under General Zachary Taylor engaged the retreating forces of the Mexican ''Ejército del Norte'' ("Army of the North ...

early in the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

, the park features of native

semi-tropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones to the north and south of the tropics. Geographically part of the temperate zones of both hemispheres, they cover the middle latitudes from to approximately 35° north and ...

brushland. There are many opportunities for guided wildlife viewing, including an interpretive "Nature Tram Tour", as well as hiking and biking trails.

Roma Bluffs World Birding Center

Located in the historic city of

, which was once the furthest port upstream for

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. Steamboats sometimes use the ship prefix, prefix designation SS, S.S. or S/S ...

s on the

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio G ...

. The center is located on scenic bluffs situated above the river, which allows good viewing including across the International Bridge to

Ciudad Miguel Alemán Ciudad Miguel Alemán, known prior to 1950 as San Pedro de Roma, is a city in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, located across the Rio Grande from the U.S. city of Roma, Texas. The two are linked by the Roma – Ciudad Miguel Alemán International ...

, in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and the surrounding area. A small site, it is also the westernmost point of the World Birding Center.

South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center

Boardwalk,_South_Padre_Island_Birding_Center

A bayside preserve which features a five-story viewing tower facing the Laguna Madre Bay, more than half a mile of

boardwalk A boardwalk (alternatively board walk, boarded path, or promenade) is an elevated footpath, walkway, or causeway built with wooden planks that enables pedestrians to cross wet, fragile, or marshy land. They are also in effect a low type of bridge ...

, and a man-made wetland using fresh water from the island's adjacent water treatment plant, which serves to attract numerous species of local and migrant birds.

Educational outreach

The World Birding Center does provide numerous forms of educational outreach including "Nature Camp" for children, a website photo gallery and sound library of commonly encountered birds for the region, and individually tailored bird "checklists" for each of their sites.

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.worldbirdingcenter.org/ Rio Grande Ornithological organizations in the United States Bird sanctuaries of the United States Harlingen, Texas Protected areas of Cameron County, Texas Protected areas of Hidalgo County, Texas Protected areas of Starr County, Texas Brownsville, Texas