Birding in Calhoun County: Whooping Cranes, Wetlands and Where to Look

← Back to the blog

Bring your binoculars. Calhoun County is one of the best birding areas on the Texas coast, and the bays, marshes and beaches around Port Lavaca pull in birds all year long. Spring and fall bring migrants passing through. Winter brings ducks, cranes and one very famous bird: the whooping crane.

Here's a simple guide to where to look, what you might see and how to plan your birding days from a home base in Port Lavaca.

The Main Event: Whooping Cranes

Whooping cranes are the tallest birds in North America, standing about five feet tall. They're bright white with black wing tips and a red patch on the head. They're also endangered. Back in the 1930s, only about 15 birds were left in this flock.

Today, the last wild flock spends the winter on the Texas coast, and Aransas National Wildlife Refuge is its winter home. The cranes usually arrive in November and stay through March.

Visiting Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

The refuge is about an hour's drive south of Port Lavaca, near the small town of Austwell. It has a 16-mile paved auto tour loop, nature trails and observation towers. The tour loop and trails are open from sunrise to sunset.

A few tips for your visit:

• Go early. Morning light is best, and the birds are often more active.
• Use the towers. Cranes are often out in the marsh, so height and a good pair of binoculars help a lot.
• Pack a lunch. There's no camping on the refuge, and it's a bit of a drive to town.
• Look for more than cranes. Roseate spoonbills, ibises, herons and egrets show up here too.

The refuge charges a small entrance fee, so check the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website for current fees and visitor center hours before you go.

Birding Right in Port Lavaca

You don't have to leave town for great birding. The Lighthouse Beach and Bird Sanctuary is a highlight of the Calhoun Loop on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail.

A 2,200-foot boardwalk runs above the beach and wetlands. The Formosa Wetlands Walkway leads into the salt marsh and ends at the Alcoa Birding Tower. From there, you can scan the marsh and the bay.

In the marsh, watch for Seaside Sparrows and Clapper Rails, plus Nelson's Sparrows in winter. From the tower, look for Brown Pelicans, gulls and terns over the water.

Don't skip the causeway either. In the cooler months, birders spot Common Loons, Horned Grebes and Common Goldeneyes. American Oystercatchers and Ospreys show up around here as well.

More Calhoun County Hot Spots

The Calhoun Loop includes several more stops worth a morning or afternoon.

Six Mile Park

This small, two-acre park has a lighted pier, boat ramps, marsh habitat and a bit of beach. It's a good place to look for Reddish Egrets, shorebirds, terns and other waterbirds.

Magnolia Beach and Indianola

In winter, look for Sandhill Cranes, Snow Geese and hawks around Magnolia Beach. Rails live in the nearby marshes, and the bay can hold gulls and all three kinds of scoters. While you're out there, stop by the tall granite La Salle statue at historic Indianola.

Powderhorn Lake

At low tide, the mudflats here can be crawling with shorebirds. At sunrise, you may see flights of cranes and geese moving overhead.

Boggy Nature Park

This park has nature trails and an observation deck on Matagorda Bay. Look for shorebirds, ducks, geese, herons, egrets, spoonbills and pelicans.

Seadrift and Swan Point

These spots give you good views of San Antonio Bay. In winter, watch for scoters, Long-tailed Ducks, bay ducks, gulls and terns.

Guadalupe Delta Wildlife Management Area

The freshwater marshes here draw Wood Storks in late summer and fall. In summer, look for White-faced Ibis, Roseate Spoonbills and Least Bitterns.

When to Go and What to Bring

There's no bad season for birding here, but each one is different:

• Winter (November to March): Whooping cranes, Sandhill Cranes, geese, ducks and loons.
• Spring: Migrating shorebirds and songbirds moving north.
• Summer: Wading birds like spoonbills, ibis and egrets.
• Fall: Wood Storks and a new wave of migrants heading south.

Pack binoculars, a field guide or birding app, sunscreen, bug spray, water and a light jacket for windy days on the bay. A spotting scope is a big help at the refuge and on the open flats.

Make Port Lavaca Your Birding Base

Texas Lakeside RV Resort puts you close to all of these spots. Spend the morning on a boardwalk, then come back for a swim, a soak in the hot tub or a few casts in our private stocked fishing lake.

Our sites have full hookups with 30- and 50-amp service, concrete pads, cable and Wi-Fi, with room for rigs up to 80 feet. We offer daily, weekly and monthly stays, which works well if you want to bird the whole winter.

See our RV site rates for nightly, weekly and monthly stays. Rates are starting at $65 a night and can change, so call to confirm. You can also contact the Texas Lakeside RV Resort team or call (361) 551-2267 to save your spot for birding season.