Goose Island Birding Festival

Join us in celebrating one of the best times of the year: Spring Migration!

Introducing the first Goose Island State Park Birding Festival! This FREE event will celebrate one of our favorite times of the year: Spring Migration!

Activities will include bird walks (including one for youth), guest speakers, informational booths, crafts for the kids, litter pickup via kayaks, and the chance to participate in The Great Texas Birding Classic!

The schedule of activities is below. Keep checking back for updates!

Guest Speaker Schedule (held inside the CCC Recreation Hall)
10:00-11:00am: Craig Hensley, Texas Nature Trackers Program with TPWD. Learn about bird habitat and how you can be a Citizen Scientist!
11:30am-12:30pm: Paityn Bower, Outreach Biologist for the International Crane Foundation. Learn about the original Winter Texan: the Whooping Crane!

Bird Walks - held on the hour, every hour. Choose from:
-Woodland Bird Walk: Starts at the feeding station on Warbler Way. Your chance to look for migrating warblers and other passerines.
-Shorebird Walk: Starts at the observation deck at the end of Redfish Road.
-Big Tree Bird Walk: Starts at the Big Tree parking lot.
-Youth Bird Walk (best for ages 8-12): Registration will be required. Registration will open at the start of the festival and will be located at the welcome booth. Bird walk will be led by award-winning Martha McLeod! We will provide youth binoculars.

Great Texas Birding Classic:
-Your chance to put your birding skills to the test, and participate in the 28th Annual GTBC! Located at the back of the Day Use Picnic Area, participants will identify birds while remaining within a 50ft diameter circle. This activity will be taking place until 5pm.

Aransas Bay Litter Pickup 
Join Keep Aransas County Beautiful and help us remove litter from Aransas Bay in one of our kayaks! Registration is required, and participants must be at least 12 years old to participate. Registration is open now, click here to sign up. After signing up, you'll receive more information on how to prepare.

Informational/Activity Booths:
Aransas Pathways
International Crane Foundation
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program
Keep Aransas County Beautiful
Texas Ornithological Society
Wings Bird Rescue
Texas Master Naturalist