Galveston Island is one of the top locations in the United States for bird watching. The island offers a variety of habitats – beaches, wetlands, grasslands, woods, ponds, and bays. In fact, Galveston sits astride the 95th meridian, the center of the trans-Gulf migration route.

Birds visit Galveston en-route from and to Central and South American, north in the spring and south in the fall. Most pass through after taking a break for food and rest, but some species spend their summers on the island and breed locally.

The Nature Tourism Council offers a guide to the area’s top birding locations. A map and seasonal checklist of birds sighted are also included. Click here to download a PDF version of the “Great Birding on & from Galveston Island Texas.”