Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail

Apart from bird watching the trail system includes many nature preserves which feature a wide variety of wildlife. In addition the various sites cover many types of natural terrain and flora including forests, marshes, and beaches. The trail system is the nation's largest. One of the most well-known locations along the trail system is the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, which holds the winter home of the only natural flock of whooping cranes in the world. ==History==

The Texas coast has been popular among bird watchers in the United States for decades. A 1991 American Birding Association (ABA) study by Roland Wauer showed that Texas was the top bird-watching destination in the United States for its members. In 1993 the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department began a $1.5 million project to develop public and private resources to utilize as bird sanctuaries and observation sites. The plan and the concept were largely developed by Ted Eubanks and Madge Lindsay. Site improvements included trail markers, trail development, boardwalks, observation stations, and many others. The goal was both to encourage environmental protection and to establish a tourism network that would benefit businesses throughout the Texas Gulf Coast region catering to ecotourists. Markers featuring a logo with a black skimmer are present on each of the viewing sites. Events such as the state's Great Texas Birding Classic continue to build interest in the trails among nature lovers. ==Geography==

over the wetlands of Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge The region covered by the trail network is part of the Gulf Coastal Plains. With annual rainfall averages ranging from about , this is a nearly level, drained plain dissected by streams and rivers flowing into estuaries and marshes. Windblown sands and dunes, grasslands, oak mottes, and salt marshes make up the seaward areas. The region stretches from the Piney Woods of East Texas to the Texas Coastal Prairies that dominate the majority of the coast south of Houston. The Piney Woods area features groves of pine and other hardwood trees such as oak, magnolia, and American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua). This wooded area which has supported Texas' lumber industry since the 19th century is now considered one of the most critically endangered ecosystems in the world. These woodland areas of the trail network stretch from the Big Thicket area in the east to Sam Houston National Forest in the west, with pockets of woodlands stretching down into the area around Galveston Bay near Houston. The prairie regions feature a variety of grass types, particularly Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans), big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). The grasslands around the Laguna Madre near Corpus Christi are considered some of the most important. These forests, once widespread in the region, were mostly cleared during the 1900s though some clusters, particularly the Sabal Palm Audubon Center and Sanctuary, remain. The areas around Zapata and Laredo, which though significantly inland are considered part of the "coastal" trail system, feature a semi-arid climate as they lie near the eastern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert. Scrub vegetation dominates the area with the Rio Grande and lakes supporting substantial wildlife diversity. The coastline features numerous bays and lakes including Sabine Lake, Galveston Bay, Matagorda Bay, San Antonio Bay, Copano Bay, Corpus Christi Bay, Baffin Bay, and the Laguna Madre. ==Wildlife==

Typical varieties of birds along the length of the system include duck, geese, and seagull with many other species found in particular locations. The endangered whooping crane that winter in Aransas National Wildlife Refuge are among the most famous. Apart from the many varieties of bird species, many other types of animals can be found along the trails. American alligator, bobcat, coyote, and nutria are common in areas of the Upper Coast. Collared peccary, the Texas spiny lizard, and the Texas indigo snake can be found further south. ==Sections==

• The Great Texas Wildlife Trail is divided into three major sections: the Upper Coast, Central Coast, and Lower Coast regions. The area around Galveston Bay and Houston is home to Henslow's sparrows, roseate spoonbills, white-faced ibises, marsh wrens, seaside sparrows, snow geese, yellow and black rails, and northern harriers. The Smith Point peninsula contains a 20-foot observation tower offering views of broad-winged hawks and other hawk species. Closer to the coast seagulls, peregrine falcons, and seaside sparrows may be visible. Upper Coast The Upper Texas Coast Wildlife Trail (UTC), also referred to as the Big Thicket Loop, spans the Port Arthur and Big Thicket areas, the Galveston Bay and Houston areas, and the Brazosport areas. The Piney Woods area of the Upper Coast section is home to species such as red-cockaded woodpeckers, bald eagles, Bachman's sparrows, the great crested flycatcher, the pine warbler, the red-shouldered hawk, and the barred owl among many others. There are 19 sites listed by the UTC designation number. :::UTC sites Central Coast The Central section spans the Matagorda Bay and Victoria areas down to the Port Aransas and Corpus Christi areas. The Central Coast section offers many bird species of its own. The Matagorda Bay area contains American oystercatchers, Hudsonian godwits, and white-rumped sandpipers. The Corpus Christi area features groove-billed anis, olive sparrows, long-billed thrashers, Couch's kingbirds, black skimmers, and black-crowned night herons. The Lower Coast section which lies around the Rio Grande offers its own species diversity. South Padre Island and the Laguna Madre areas feature magnificent frigatebirds, bridled terns, and Cory's shearwater. Further up the Rio Grande around Santa Ana and McAllen one can find elf owls, white-tipped doves, green jays, green kingfishers, and Mississippi kite. ==Nature preserves==

The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge is the largest of the national refuges in Texas. The Big Thicket National Preserve features the largest number of wetlands boardwalks in the state (75). Other major nature preserves along the trail system include Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge, Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge, Big Boggy National Wildlife Refuge, Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge, Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, and Texas Point National Wildlife Refuge. ==Ecotourism==

The trail systems lie in and around numerous communities along the coast, many of which specifically cater to ecotourists. Annual nature festivals are held in Rockport, Port Aransas, McAllen, Galveston, Harlingen, and Mission attracting large numbers of visitors each year. The system includes numerous important urban nature centers including the Armand Bayou Nature Center, Baytown Nature Center, Beaumont Botanical Gardens and Cattail Marsh located in Tyrrell Park, the Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center, and the Texas City Prairie Preserve. ==See also==