Nature Tourism

McAllen, Texas, in the Center of the Rio Grande Valley

The most popular birding and butterflying destination in the United States

  • Over 500 recorded bird species; 39 species seen nowhere else in the country
  • 50% of all recorded bird species in the United States have been recorded in the Rio Grande Valley
  • The Rio Grande Valley is the funnel for the major migratory flyway in the Western Hemisphere
  • 11 different habitats converge in the area, attracting different species
  • 300 butterfly species
  • dragonfly watching also growing in popularity
  • home to endangered big cats: ocelot and jaguarondi
  • We are 1st in the nation for reptile species (149).
  • We are 2nd in the nation for mammals (159).
  • We also have 340 endemic species, which are plants and animals found nowhere else in the world.
Many local field trip leaders and local nature experts including
  • Roy Rodriguez, a self-taught birder who is now one of the area's favorite experts
  • Bill Clark, world renowned raptor expert and author
  • Ron Smith, expert birder and nature artist who leads wheelchair tours
  • John Arvin, one of the world's top field trip leaders
  • Jane Kittleman, birding expert who moved to the area because of the birding
  • Gerry Sneed, nationally recognized nature artist
  • Larry Ditto, world class nature photographer
  • Benito Trevino, expert on local plants and their traditional food and medicinal uses
Area highlights:
  • The area has become a model for communities in the U.S.
  • 8 annual wildlife watching festivals
  • the world's richest wildlife photography contest
  • home of World Birding Center
  • Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail
  • Great Texas Birding Classic, a team competition being copied internationally
  • 3 national wildlife refuges, including the 2 top (of 500 nationwide) for bird species recorded
  • many partnerships with Mexico for wildlife watching
  • native planting has become widespread and habitat is being preserved
Wildlife Watching statistics and information:
  • 125,000 visitors come to the area every year to bird; expected to reach 200,000 by 2006
  • $125 million into the local economy each year; expected to double by 2006
  • responsible for 2,000 local jobs
  • each rare bird species is responsible for $100,000 in local spending
General Rio Grande Valley information:
  • Southernmost region of the continental US- as far south as Miami, Florida
  • Located on the border of Mexico
  • Population of 1 million on the US side over a 60 mile radius; 2 million including Mexico
  • Popular winter visitor destination because of the warm weather
  • One of the fastest growing areas in the United States
  • Habitat ranges from beaches to desert

Contact information: Nancy Millar, Director, McAllen Convention and Visitors Bureau, P.O. Box 790, 1200 Ash Avenue, McAllen, Texas USA 78505-0790; 956-682-2871 phone; 956-631-8571 fax.