Texas Wildlife Science

Birds are big in Texas! Some are literally big–the continent’s tallest bird, the whooping crane, makes Texas its winter home. But Texas birds are big in other ways as well. According to the Texas Bird Records Committee, more than 670 species have been recorded in Texas, more than half the total reported in the United States. Texas contends with California as the state with the most bird species.

Birds are also big business in Texas. About 2.2 million Texas birdwatchers generate roughly $1.8 billion in economic impact annually. In addition, Texas is a top destination for out-of-state birders, with a reputation for having some of the country’s best birding locations. Texans watch birds, but Texans also hunt birds. Texas leads the nation in the number of dove and waterfowl hunters and in doves harvested annually. With bird hunting adding $6.3 billion annually to the nation’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product), Texas reaps its share of economic benefit from bird hunters.

Texas is also big in bird diversity. The eastern forests, Great Plains grasslands, Chihuahuan Desert, and Mexican subtropics converge in Texas, providing a diversity of habitats. Texas hosts 26 of the 41 bird orders found in the world. Bird lovers here can find iridescent hummingbirds, colorful parrots, velociraptor-like roadrunners, and ocean-loving magnificent frigatebirds. It’s the only state in the country where birders can glimpse golden-cheeked warblers, Attwater’s prairie-chickens, green jays, chachalacas, and a host of other Mexican species.