South Texas Birding: Lower Rio Grande Valley Thornscrub and Woodland
During the first week in April, Eric and I spent six amazing days birding in South Texas, starting in the McAllen area and ending on South Padre Island. One of the most famed birding destinations in North America, the Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas enjoys a warm subtropical climate where plant communities found nowhere else in the U.S. thrive. Here, elements from the Chihuahuan Desert to the west and the coastal prairies to the east blend, meeting along the Rio Grande River where Tamaulipan thornscrub and subtropical woodlands once flourished. Due to this unique climate and combination of habitat types, an impressive list of bird species native to Mexico and father south extend their range north across the border into the southern tip of Texas, making South Texas the only place in the U.S. to see a handful of amazing birds. These "South Texas specialties," as they are known to birders, are highly coveted species amongst North American birders, and a trip to the re