Celebration of Whooping Cranes & Other Birds
Port Aransas, Texas

When: late February [check this year’s dates]

This three-day festival celebrates Port Aransas’s most famous winter visitor: the magnificent whooping cranes. These statuesque birds reside at the Aransas Pass Wildlife Sanctuary (also a great spot for snagging a glimpse of coyote, red wolf, gray fox, mink, weasel, badger, or a wild boar) and now number over 260 strong.

Photos 1, 2 courtesy Mike Sloat. Photo 3 courtesy International Crane Foundation

To celebrate the annual wintering of the whoopers in Port Aransas, the city invites birders to attend one of the country’s premier birding festivals: the Celebration of Whooping Cranes & Other Birds. Started in the 90s, this event grows every year with more speakers, birding tours,and even a free nature trade show.

Other activities include boat trips to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge to view the whooping cranes, nature boat trips, birding bus tours, and guided tours of the Animal Rehabilitation Keep (ARK) at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, plus art exhibits and workshops.

Price: Registration fee of $20 entitles each person to hear all speaker sessions and receive reduced rates on boat, bus and ARK tours. Early registrants also receive a free raffle ticket and a $5 coupon towards a festival t-shirt. Activities do fill up fast and early registration is encouraged.

For More Information:
• visit www.portaransas.org/cranes.html
• contact the Chamber of Commerce, 403 W. Cotter, Port Aransas, TX or call 800-45-COAST
• email info@portaransas.org

For more on Port Aransas’s top birding sites and a downloadable seasonal migration list:
• visit  www.portaransas.org/birds.html