The Birdiest Festival In America

Schedule of Events:

7:00 AM - 5:00 PM: Pre-Trip - Rio Grande Valley at South Texas Botanical Gardens

82 hours

We are pleased to again offer not one but two four-day tours to the Rio Grande Valley, home to many specialty birds that can only be found in deep South Texas.  The past two years these trips produced over 200 species and found most of the target species, along with a few rare species. Our lodging for this trip is the Alamo Inn, a birder- centric lodge in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley. This lodge is a South Texas landmark hideaway for guests to enjoy beautiful sunsets, great birds and butterflies and the friendly TexMex culture where time moves slower. Your tour leader is David Sarkozi, a well-known Texas birder who started birding in high school after reading Ken Kaufman’s 1973 big year.  David has since become a fan of Big Days and Big Years.  He has served as president of the Texas Ornithological Society and worked on its executive board for 18 years.  He recently retired from the University of Houston where he worked for 35 years.

The cost of this trip includes transportation from Corpus Christi, experienced leader, entry fees, and lodging for three nights that comes with breakfast.  It does not include lunches (except one on Day 3) or dinners. The cost per person is $925. There is a minimum of five participants for this trip and a maximum of eight to make this a very birder-friendly trip. The tours will leave from the Botanical Gardens on the first day at 7:00 am.  Plan to arrive 15 minutes early for check-in and loading. Parking will be in the back parking area. The gates will be locked every night and patrolled by security.