Welcome
At the southern tip of the world’s longest barrier island, South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center is a spectacular introduction to a world-class destination, and a doorway to all this vibrant sand, sun, and surf hotspot has to offer. A slender thread of land between the shallow Laguna Madre and the rolling Gulf of Mexico, South Padre Island anchors the World Birding Center with nature adventures in every season.

The Land
On its 50 acres near the convention center, the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center presents a microcosm of the rich habitats that contribute to this very special place. Dune meadows, salt marsh and intertidal flats are all represented here, along with thickets of native shrubs and trees that are irresistible to migrating birds in their season.

The Birds
South Padre Island is a crucial first landfall – a lifesaver -- for birds making an arduous cross-Gulf migration from Southern Mexico and northern Central America. Especially after a spring storm, wooded lots of the island teem with an eye-popping rainbow of warblers, tanagers, orioles and thrushes. Wetlands harbor a range of shorebirds and waterfowl, while endangered species such as the Brown Pelican, Piping Plover and Peregrine Falcon may be found here as well.

Learn & Discover
Popular WBC tours and migration workshops meet here during the spring and fall seasons, and the island is a must-see stopover during Harlingen’s Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival and McAllen’s Texas Tropics Nature Festival. National and state birding competitions are held here as well.

What’s Here
With a new WBC visitor’s center already in design, visitors can enjoy a stroll on boardwalk nature trails that link all areas of the marsh and Laguna Madre shore. Interpretive panels provide interesting educational insights, while strategically placed blinds allow visitors to get a close-up view of the wildlife here. Native planting areas near the convention center are always open to the public, and offer a convenient spot to view migrating songbirds, as well as the island’s dazzling butterfly population. Public restrooms here are open during daylight hours.