Gulf Coast Bird Observatory

Gulf Coast Bird Observatory Protecting birds and their habitats around the Gulf of Mexico and beyond. and in Latin American wintering grounds.
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By providing technical assistance, funding and other resources to partners including federal, state and local agencies, private landowners, and especially non-profit conservation groups we have restored 2,500 acres of Gulf coast habitat, supported the development of dozens of public use facilities along the Texas coast, and permanently protected 24,030 acres of habitat in the U.S. In addition to t

he birds and other wildlife resources, coastal and tropical ecosystems protected by our programs provide services that support economies, public health and community resiliency.

Uh oh! Due to the weather predictions for the morning, our banders have decided to play it safe and not band this mornin...
06/20/2026

Uh oh! Due to the weather predictions for the morning, our banders have decided to play it safe and not band this morning! If you were planning on coming to today's banding, we apologize!
Our grounds will still be open this morning, if you'd like to take a nature walk.

During our second day of Summer Camp, we visited the amazing people and operations of Gulf Coast Wildlife Rescue in Angl...
06/20/2026

During our second day of Summer Camp, we visited the amazing people and operations of Gulf Coast Wildlife Rescue in Angleton. Campers saw how Texas wildlife come under the devoted care of permitted wildlife rehabilitators, from bobcats to tiny birds. For 32 years, GCWR has provided food, shelter, medical treatment and rehabilitation to all Texas native wildlife at no cost to the public. It was a day of deep appreciation for those who work tirelessly behind the scene.

Join us for a walk of Houston’s North Boulevard rookery where Great Egrets, Black-crowned Night Herons and Yellow-crowne...
06/19/2026

Join us for a walk of Houston’s North Boulevard rookery where Great Egrets, Black-crowned Night Herons and Yellow-crowned Night Herons nest each year from March to July. We hope to see some of these juvenile and adult waterbirds, along with passerines and other birds!
Binoculars will be provided, though supplies are limited. This is a free event, but please register beforehand so we know how many binos to bring! : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdQveHhhoZuDXjk0QcC_U5SY6jbS9FclIwCxUrzJVeXftsFzw/viewform

GCBO is on the move again… this time to Washington state! Stay tuned as we hope to update you daily on this summer’s bi...
06/19/2026

GCBO is on the move again… this time to Washington state! Stay tuned as we hope to update you daily on this summer’s birding tour. Today is travel day… tomorrow the birding starts on the Olympic peninsula.

Summer Bird Camp at Gulf Coast Bird Observatory has wrapped! For five days, campers learned about birds, ecology, conser...
06/18/2026

Summer Bird Camp at Gulf Coast Bird Observatory has wrapped! For five days, campers learned about birds, ecology, conservation and much more! Plus, we were able to go on a nature walk every day with our binoculars and get out in nature to explore the world of birds. This camp happens once a year, so mark your calendars for next June, when we will explore, create and learn about birds all week at our Lake Jackson headquarters.

06/18/2026

Join us this Saturday for Bird Banding! Watch as our research band wild birds for our research, walk our trails, and see some awesome species!
Banding is free and open to the public, no fee or reservation required. Event runs 8AM-12PM, come and go as you please (we see more birds earlier in the day) at our headquarters 299 Hwy 332, Lake Jackson TX. All banding is done by trained and licensed bird banders.

The Eastern Bluebirds at our Lake Jackson headquarters have hatched another brood! This time, we found two young birds i...
06/17/2026

The Eastern Bluebirds at our Lake Jackson headquarters have hatched another brood! This time, we found two young birds in the nesting box that we banded and returned to their box.

Eastern Bluebirds are attracted to open spaces with low-cut lawns, scattered trees and perches for hunting insects. Our nest box has exactly those conditions located in the middle of our large lawn, near mature oaks and near our wetland pond full of insects. We often see these beautiful birds perching on and swooping down from the nearby telephone wire.

Come visit this summer, and see this and more. Our 34 acres of trails are open to the public free of charge, Monday through Friday 8:30am-4:30pm.

All banding is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey’s BBL and a TPWD Scientific Research Permit.

Summer is here, and so are summer events with Gulf Coast Bird Observatory!June 7th, our Executive Director, Martin Hagne...
06/16/2026

Summer is here, and so are summer events with Gulf Coast Bird Observatory!

June 7th, our Executive Director, Martin Hagne, led a walk of Houston's North Boulevard rookery where Great Egrets, Black-crowned Night Herons and Yellow-crowned Night Herons nest each year from March to July.

The boulevard provides a unique habitat for these large, water-loving birds. Its esplanade and extensive oak canopy provide nesting structure, nesting material and space for large flocks to congregate and nest together for months. It’s also a short distance to McGovern Lake and the open space of Hermann Park.

Martin shared his knowledge with residents familiar with the rookery and with newcomers unfamiliar with this special spot in the city. A great way to spend the evening together, all for the birds.

06/09/2026

Have you heard the news? Today, June 9th, is the first annual Oystercatcher Day! This new celebration was launched by World Shorebirds Day as an international awareness initiative dedicated to oystercatchers and the coastal environments they depend on.

Here at GCBO, we are completing our annual productivity monitoring in multiple bay systems around the Texas coast, but if you've been following along this spring, you might remember the newest addition to this research project. We are happy to share a clip of the brand new movement data we are collecting in partnership with Texas A&M University. We placed 21 transmitters on adult oystercatchers this spring, and we are now able to process the data and see where these birds have been going! This short clip shows daily movements of a tagged adult, which was nesting at the time of tagging. We are learning that some birds barely leave their territory for foraging, while others are showing extensive daily movements. Many are even moving long distances at night! These transmitters will continue to collect data through the summer and into the fall, and hopefully for several more years. We are excited to see where our birds spend time during the non-breeding season.

All banding is being conducted under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U.S. Geological Survey's BBL and a TPWD Scientific Research Permit. Funding partially provided by the Matagorda Bay Mitigation Trust.

Address

299 Highway 332 W
Lake Jackson, TX
77566

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+19794800999

Website

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