Welcome
Brownsville’s Resaca de la Palma State Park boasts the largest tract of native habitat in the World Birding Center network. Etched by ancient curves of the Rio Grande, its 1200 semi- tropical acres provide a quiet retreat from the hustle and bustle of an international urban center only a few miles away. Through the cooperation of local, state and federal land management agencies, a wilderness preserved from days gone by is open to nature adventurers for the first time.

The Land
Long before humans recorded its work, the Rio Grande was shaping Resaca de la Palma State Park. Abandoned coils of river bed, known locally as resacas, create wildlife-attracting ponds here when full. Along the natural levees of these shallow ponds are dense stands of banco woodlands and marsh vegetation. Elsewhere, drier Tamaulipan thorn woodlands include classic mesquite and anacahuita.

The Birds
Resaca de la Palma promises to be an especially rich birding environment. Colorful neo-tropical and nearctic migrants — like the Summer Tanager, American Redstart, and Yellow-breasted Chat – have been noted here more often and in higher numbers. When resaca levels are controlled for the benefit of wildlife, species like the Least Grebe, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Purple Gallinule and various herons, as well as migrating waterfowl in their seasons, should also congregate here. The property’s dense ground-level vegetation is especially attractive to species like the Olive Sparrow, Long-billed Thrasher and White-eyed Vireo, along with all the “Valley specialties.”

Learn & Discover
Check with the World Birding Center for guided tours of this property.

What’s Here
The World Birding Center visitors’ center is the portal to over 8 miles of trails, 4 decks that overlook the 4 miles of resaca, and a 3.2 mile tram loop that winds through the park. Visitors need to park in the parking lot; private vehicles are not allowed within the park. Resaca’s many trails can be accessed by hiking, biking or walking.