(Port Aransas, TX) Early registration is now open and online at www.whoopingcranefestival.org. NEW this year is online registration, made convenient and easy for participants to choose and pay for their selections for tours, trips, workshops and more!
Enjoy birding .... island style! Every February, Port Aransas showcases its rare and famous winter neighbors, the Whooping Crane. The festival is open to avid or amateur birders, families interested in learning about birds, photographers, and anyone that loves all things nature related. The 16th Annual Whooping Crane Festival begins on Thursday, February 23rd with activities scheduled through Sunday, February 26th, 2012 in Port Aransas, Texas on Mustang Island.
Festival-goers will be able to travel by boat to the Aransas Wildlife Refuge, which is the wintering home of the spectacular endangered Whooping Crane. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service anticipates a record population as the cranes return to their winter home. These surviving cranes are all descendants 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, birding experts, boating excursions, as well as guided bird and nature bus tours. Exhibits, interactive workshops and seminars, a charming children's art exhibit, and free nature-related "Bird's Nest" trade show will also take place.
The 16th Annual Whooping Crane Festival also offers the opportunity to see and experience a plethora of additional wildlife including white and brown pelicans, roseate spoonbills, cinnamon teal and even alligators.
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. Dr. Archibald's topic will be "Can Whooping Cranes Live Elsewhere." Other interesting topics will include Dr. Sammy King, who will speak regarding the "Reintroduction of Whooping Cranes to Southwestern Louisiana," and more birding experts Tony Amos, Jeff Brown, M.S., Dr. Michael Womack and Dr. Felipe Chavez-Ramirez to round out the Festival's speakers in the birding and nature field. Also, during The University of Texas Marine Science Institute's lecture series, Dr. Juan Bahamon will speak Thursday evening February 23 on how "Humans and Hummingbirds" are related.
About Port Aransas & Mustang Island Birding
The Coastal Bend of Texas, where the lower Gulf Coast bends into a long crescent, is one the birdiest places in Texas and boasts more than 150 nature and birding sites. As a matter of fact, Port Aransas was named the '2010 and 2011 America's Birdiest Small Coastal City.' Located at the convergence of the migration superhighways, the Mississippi and Central flyways, the area including Port Aransas and Mustang Island are the perfect place to view hundreds of different bird species as they stop and refuel before heading north or south. Many stay and winter in Port Aransas. From the natural wetlands, inlets and miles of beaches and dunes, to the rock jetties, piers and boats, the area offers dozens of perfect vantage points to view all the birds that call Port Aransas and Mustang Island "The Nest of Texas."
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