The Great Texas Birding Classic

In the 16 years of the Great Texas Birding Classic we have had some great successes, but it is now time to re-group and envision what the Birding Classic should look like moving forward. An informal Birding Classic was held in 2012 and we are starting to plan for the 2013 event. Rest assured that even though the Birding Classic is changing, it is by no means going away.

2012 Birding Classic Results!

Thanks to the 17 teams that took part in the 16th Annual Great Texas Birding Classic! This year was very informal with flexibility in the dates, checklist submission, etc. and I hope that everyone had a great time. Check out who won and make plans to join us next April/May (dates forthcoming) for the new, expanded Birding Classic (see below for more details).

The Birding Classic Facebook page is a great place to find up-to-date information and for teams to post photos, team stories, species totals, and other tales from the field. Please feel free to use it to share about not only 2012 but all previous Birding Classics as well.

2013: Plans for the 17th Annual Birding Classic
TPWD staff and previous participants and supporters of the Great Texas Birding Classic will spend the upcoming year planning details of the 2013 event. This year gives us an opportunity to step back and see what works, what can be improved, and how best to streamline the tournament logistically and financially to ensure a sustainable event that will continue to get people outside enjoying nature and helping with nature tourism and conservation fundraising in Texas.

One big change that will be happening in 2013 is that the Birding Classic is going to go statewide! The Birding Classic was originally created to support the initial maps in the Great Texas Wildlife Trail map series, the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. Now that the trails are statewide (the final map in this series, the Far West Texas Wildlife Trail, launched in June 2011) it makes sense to take the tournament statewide as well. This change will allow even more birders, families, friends, schools, and other groups to be involved in this fun event! We can't wait to open this event up to the entire state.

The Birding Classic helps bring about bird habitat conservation, increases public awareness of Texas bird diversity and promotes community nature tourism development. Birders of all ages and skill levels are invited to join us for one day or all week of the Classic. Through the efforts of the Birding Classic, more birds and more birders are expected to flock to Texas, so don't miss out on this fun event!

Please visit the contact section to receive more information or if you have questions. We will be updating the rest of the Birding Classic pages in the coming months, so check back for more information soon.