Open to avid or amateur birders alike, the 13th annual Celebration of Whooping Cranes and Other Birds will take place Thursday, Feb. 26, through Sunday, March 1, in Port Aransas, along the Gulf Coast of Mexico.
Festival-goers will be able to travel by boat to the Aransas Wildlife Refuge, which is the wintering home of the endangered whooping crane. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service anticipates record populations this winter with a record number of 285 cranes expected to call the area home until late March. These surviving cranes are all descendents of the last 15 remaining migratory flock of cranes in the world that were found wintering in Texas in 1941. The whooping crane is one of the rarest and tallest birds in North America with the adult male approaching five feet in height. Males are slightly larger than females.
The four-day festival attracts hundreds of birding enthusiasts each year and features world-renowned speakers and birding experts, boating excursions, as well as guided bus and nature bus tours. Exhibits, interactive workshops and seminars, a children’s art exhibit, and free nature-related trade show will also take place.
The 13th annual Celebration of Whooping Cranes and Other Birds also offers the opportunity to see and experience a plethora of additional wildlife including peregrine falcons, roseate spoonbills, cinnamon teal and even alligators.
This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. George Archibald, an award-winning conservationist and co-founder of the International Crane Foundation and known globally as the world’s leading scientific authority on cranes. The United Nations placed him on the Global 500 Roll of Honor for Environmental Achievement. Other interesting topics include the new Wetlands Education Center at UTMSI, bird identification and the birding trails of Texas.
For more information on the event, contact the Chamber of Commerce & Tourist Bureau, 403 W. Cotter in Port Aransas, 800-45-COAST or (361) 749-5919.
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