The 2023 Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival takes place Nov. 8-12 at the Harlingen Convention Center. The event includes 100 field trip offerings to choose from including traditional tours through the parks and new offerings such as private ranches.
Special trips in the field with some of the festival’s featured speakers to further enhance their presentations are also on the schedule.
In addition to field trips, the Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival also includes expert keynote speakers, informative workshops, a large tradeshow full of vendors, a silent auction and fun socials with local music and food. Free family and children’s activities include numerous birds of prey flight shows.
New to this year’s festival is the Legends of Conservation Gala at the convention center. New field trips include a Flycatcher Workshop at Sabal Palm, a Gray Hawk Natural History Tour, a Rarity Roundup, a visit to the National Butterfly Center and the Pixie Reserve, a Harris’ Hawk Natural History Tour, Breakfast Birding at Cactus Creek Ranch, and a Campfire Chat and Evening Critter Walk at Cactus Creek Ranch.
Numerous trips are returning, including Birds and Battlefields, Salt Lakes and Brush Country and trips to the Santa Margarita Ranch.
Various destinations have been paired together to create more extensive field trips. These include visits to Resaca de la Palma and UTRGV, the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands and the Hidalgo Pumphouse, a bay cruise and the Los Fresnos Nature Park, the National Butterfly Center and Anzaldua’s Park and a pontoon boat ride with a visit to Quinta Mazatlán.
In addition, the festival is offering more afternoon, weekend and evening birding trips.