 Where once the buffalo roamed across vast coastal flood plains, cotton farms and livestock now dot the grasslands. Where once fierce Karankawa Indians carved out their existence in a harsh coastal environment, silver-ribboned highways now cross the countryside taking motorists from modern communities like Corpus Christi, Portland and Rockport to points north, west and south beyond.
Times have changed in the Texas Coastal Bend. Historic communities like Victoria and Goliad dot the landscape now, metropolitan Corpus Christi rises above the horizon with its growing number of glass towers and neon lights. Interstates and divided highways connect to all points in a spider web of pavement and road signs. Gone are the empty, open plains, largely replaced now by rows of crops and a never ending trail of RVs, campers, beach buggies and sightseers the length and breadth of the Central Texas coastline.
Yet, in spite of the progress, the evolution of modern development, and rising tourism, there remains one standard that has never changed - the birds of the Coastal Bend.
 Some are native. Some are seasonal visitors, coming from as far away as Canada and South America. Some are small while others are large. Many colored and with distinctive voices, it is estimated there are over 400 varieties of avian wildlife that frequent the region, a cacophony of birds that is proving to be a sustainable attraction in a land of mysterious beauty and abundant natural appeal.
Welcome to the Texas Coastal Bend, and some of the best birding in America. Considered as one of the most diverse birding spots in North America, the region is full of grand birding opportunities, from land, sea and air.
The sport of bird watching has been growing in recent years and reaching across age lines and generational gaps. Where once the average birder was a retired nature lover and environmentalist, a younger generation has been infiltrating into the mainstream and continue to grow as more discover the delicate nature and the robust lifestyle of one of Nature's greatest animals.
From water fowl to tropical varieties and standard North American naturals, the birding population of the region is proving to be a hot bed of ecological wonder.
If you're a "newbie" to Coastal Bend birding a good place to start your adventure is at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. Established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937 as a “refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife," the refuge offers the perfect setting for catching some of Nature's most glorious birding wonders.
Beginning as early as October, the Refuge plays host as the wintering ground for the largest wild flock of endangered whooping cranes in the world, the largest birds in North America sporting a wing span of up to eight feet. The flock had been diminished to just 21 birds by the start of World War II, but conservation efforts like those demonstrated at the Refuge has slowly brought the flock back to just over 200 birds.
Other water fowl such as the roseate spoonbill, sand crane, duck and geese frequent the region and can be easily spotted in season. Other wildlife that abounds at the park includes the American alligator, javelina, white-tailed deer, and armadillo.
Just south of the Refuge you'll find plenty of wild birding activity in the communities of Lamar and Rockport-Fulton. World class boat birding tours depart from here and provide grand water excursions into the heart of birding territory.
Aransas Pass, Ingleside and the Portland area also represent grand bird viewing and are much more accessible if you're staying in Corpus Christi. Portland particularly provides a series of parks and birding areas that provide the highway traveler the chance to slip off the mainstream and into a birder's paradise with little trouble. Great Texas Coastal Birding Trails are located in Portland. Indian Point Park is an abundant feeding area for migrant and resident birds, while adjoining Sunset Lake Park is a popular nesting, roosting and feeding site for hundreds of species of bird life. Fred Jones Wildlife Sanctuary is full of wildflowers and its natural water spring attracts bird species of all kinds.
Continuing south, great coastal birding opportunities exist along the long stretch of barrier islands that separate the Gulf from the back bays. Port Aransas is gaining popularity as a birding center as is the 20-mile stretch of Mustang Island that stretches it way down the coastline to the Packery Channel. A few yards across this channel and you've entered North Padre Island, home to the Padre Island National Seashore, definitely a positive place for good birding opportunities.
But it doesn't stop here. Driving inland from Corpus Christi you'll stumble across Lake Corpus Christi and not far away Choke Canyon reservoir, perfect places to watch blue herons fishing in the shallows.
Up Highway 77 you'll find additional birding opportunities along the Nueces River, past communities like Goliad and into the City of Victoria. All along this route you'll find many birding opportunities by keeping your eyes open and the binoculars by your side.
From here head South to Sea Drift and the Port Lavaca region back along the coast. And don't worry about getting lost. Everywhere you look you'll find plenty of birds.
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