Galveston Birding Vacations

Galveston Island is great place for Bird Watching!

Galveston, Texas is one of the top Birding locations in the United States. Even if you aren't an expert or experienced birding fan you will enjoy the beauty of the area and it's famous birds. Although the Spring and Fall offer an exceptional opportunity for bird watching during the migration seasons, anytime of year you can see 1000s of birds all over the Galveston Island area.

Galveston has a great combination of habitats for many year around species and migrating birds making the annual trek between north and south regions. Birds migrate from Central and South America to Northern US and Canadian areas every year. Galveston is a natural stopping point due to it's abundance of food and habitant that is perfect for a short break.

Galveston is also both a wintering area for the far northern species and a permanent home for many wetlands and water loving bird species. Over 300 different bird species have been recorded during the year and up to 200 are typical during the migration periods in the Spring and Fall. So watching birds is great any time of year.

The recent Hurricane Ike decimated Galveston's neighbor Bolivar Island as far as any places to stay but the habitant has quickly returned and there are an abundance of birds. Many of the tours out of Galveston visit the Bolivar and Anahuac by boat and offer the opportunity to see many unusual and rare birds.

There are guided tours that offer both 4 and 8 hour excursions by boat and on land that are excellent for the novice or experienced bird watcher. Moody Gardens offer classes on Birding and provide a lot of background information on the different species that either live in the Galveston area year around or pass through during the migrations.

The local Tourist Information Center has information on many Birding locations, tours, and maps to let you plan your own bird watching tour. A simple drive to the west side of Galveston Island can offer many opportunities to see unique birds and other local animals. Wander through the back roads along the northeast side of the island in the bay areas and you can discover a huge amount of interesting landscapes and birds.

There is a local festival that happens every Spring called the Galveston FeatherFest that bird watchers from all over the world attend each year. In 2010 this event occurs on April 8th through the 11th and offer over 100 different tours, activities, and events during the three day period. Registration is $10 and the different tours and events run from $10 to $50 depending on the event.

There is also Photography instruction and classes specific to bird watching and the area for photographing birds. Information about special equipment, technical advice on both shooting and editing digital photos, and artistic methods to capture the best images are offered. This Photofest within the Galveston FeatherFest attracts both photography buffs and birding hobbyists.

You can register and find out more information at the Galveston FeatherFest by going to their website. They have an excellent map of the area with points of interest for spotting the different bird species and times of year that are best for bird watching. Although any area along the bay area on the north side of the island is good for watching all types of wildlife.

Even if you can't attend the Galveston FeatherFest, you can usually find many different areas that have an abundance of wildlife that is fun to watch. Exploring some of the many bay areas offers many opportunities to see beautiful areas that many tourists miss. Whether you go by boat or by land, you can enjoy some of nature's best areas and the natural beauty of Galveston.