Mild weather, multiple habitats all located within a small area, and the home to over 300 species is why a visit to Galveston Island, Texas needs to be on every bird watcher’s bucket list!

This beautiful island is also the exact center of the Trans-Gulf Migration Route, making fall and spring the best times of the year to see many different species, with the Fall Migration falling between August 15 – November 30. Birds visit en-route to Central and South America. Fall brings the Sandhill Cranes and other species to Galveston. Many birds spend the winter on the island, especially the species who spend the bulk of the year farther north.

There is an exciting event that happens every December in Galveston, called Holiday With The Cranes! This year’s event will be held on December 10-11, 2022. says The Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council (GINTC), “For a unique holiday experience, spend a wild weekend in Galveston celebrating the return of the Island’s Sandhill Cranes at Holiday with the Cranes. The weekend is chock-full of indoor and outdoor nature activities combined with the ambience and warm hospitality of historic Galveston Island! To celebrate the arrival of these 3-4 foot tall, red-capped visitors, we invite you to join Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council in what’s been dubbed by the New York Times as “one of the quirkiest events in Texas.”

GINTC also has a team of wonderful, experienced volunteers who take people on tours of the best island birding spots. According to GINTC, “This is a community service project for the Galveston Island Convention and Visitors Bureau and helps spread the word that birding in the area is among the best in the USA.”

Having beaches, wetlands, grasslands, woods, ponds, and bays, all located on the island, makes Galveston Island an inviting location to so many different types of birds. These habitats are defined by elevation (which is actually measured in inches here,) tides and salinity. Make sure you visit each habitat to see the greatest number of species.

According to Galveston.com, “Our shore birds include the plovers, sandpipers, herons, and egrets. Water birds such as ducks, geese, grebes, loons, cormorants, and pelicans can be seen in the Gulf, Bay, tidal marshes, freshwater ponds, and East End Lagoon. Owls, hawks, osprey, falcons, and other predators can be found hunting the coastal prairies. Look for Magnificent Frigatebirds above the bay.”

Many of Galveston’s birding locations are on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. You can visit Galveston.com for a detailed list of locations, including maps. In addition, this is a great source to learn about many of the islands secret birding spots!

We would like to invite you to spend a week, or even a few months, at “Someday Came!” This is our 2 bed, 2 bath, beachfront condo, on the far western end of Galveston Island. Just bring your clothes, food and binoculars and we will provide the rest. You can sit on the balcony and watch flocks of Brown Pelicans fly right in front of you as they head toward the Gulf to catch fish. See condo (and pelican) photos and get more information here: www.SomedayCameBeachCondo.com.