Events

• Nature Events in the Rio Grande Valley
• Birding Tours

Programs

For details on the programs at each of the nine World Birding Center sites, please click on the site name below.

• Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, Mission (Headquarters)
• Edinburg Scenic Wetlands
• Estero Llano Grande State Park, Weslaco
• Harlingen Arroyo Colorado
• Old Hidalgo Pumphouse, Hidalgo
• Quinta Mazatlan, McAllen
• Resaca de la Palma State Park, Brownsville
• Roma Bluffs
• South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center

2004 Great Texas Birding Classic

Once a year, birdwatchers of all ages from all over the country flock to the Texas coast for a big event. Every spring, hundreds of neo-tropical migrant birds move north through the Texas coast. And for one week a friendly competition to see who can identify the most bird species is sponsored by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Since its inception in 1997 the classic has emerged as a one-of-a-kind birding event that spans the coastline of the Lone Star State. No other state has the range of birds and habitats that exist along the Texas Coast. Texas has over 600 species of birds, the most of any state.

2004 Registration

To make registration easier for all of the teams this year, we are holding three different registration sessions along the Texas Coast.

• Wednesday, April 14
  Lower Texas Coast Registration (NEW)
  World Birding Center in Edinburg, 6:00-8:00p.m.
  Edinburg Scenic Wetlands, 714 S. Raul Longoria Rd.
• Thursday, April 15
  Central Texas Coast Registration (NEW)
  Corpus Christi, Texas (location TBA), 6:00-8:00p.m.
• Friday, April 16
  Upper Texas Coast Registration (New)
  Hampton Inn in Beaumont, Texas, 6:00-8:00p.m.

GTBC officially kicks off on
Saturday, April 17 - Beaumont with a Community Birding Event

We will wrap up the tournament on
Sunday, April 25 - Port Aransas with the Awards Brunch

The tournament includes

• The three “Big Days” of the Sectional Tournament\
• A Big Sit Tournament Day
• Weeklong Tournament

Teams compete for individual prizes and Conservation Cash Grand Prizes totaling $50,000. There will also be a Lone Star Bird Award for one of the Big Sit! Teams.

Tips on Birding with the Visually Impaired

For the first time ever, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s "Great Texas Birding Classic” is open to the blind and visually impaired. Texas Commission for the Blind estimates there are 547,000 blind and visually impaired people around Texas who are potential beneficiaries from participating in birding by ear. This Tip Sheet was prepared by the Rio Grande Valley Blind and Visually Impaired Birders (contact information below) to aid two groups of people:

• Experienced bird watchers, who want to share their sport with blind and visually impaired people.
• Blind and visually impaired people, who want to benefit from this fun and educational outdoor activity.

For more information:
Shelly Scroggs, Tournament Coordinator, Texas Parks & Wildlife

Phone: 1-888-TX-BIRDS, ext 2

E-mail: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/gtbc

(registration forms are on the web)

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