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Fall is here, and many species are starting their long trek south for the winter. This autumn make sure you catch a glimpse of the raptors and monarchs migrating through Texas.
Millions of raptors are heading south, and they're passing through Texas in the process. The end of September is the peak of raptor migration, with large sightings continuing through October. One of the best ways to get a glimpse of huge numbers of migrating raptors is to visit a Hawk Watch.
 HawkWatch
International has done regular full-season counts here since 1997, with an average raptor count of 700,000 each fall. Broad-winged Hawks make up the bulk of the sightings, but you can also expect to see Mississippi Kites, Swainson's Hawks and Swallow-tailed Kites.
Located at Hazel
Bazemore County Park in Corpus Christi, TX, the Corpus Christi Hawk Watch takes place Aug.1 - Nov. 15. They also host the Celebration of Flight Festival Sept. 23 - 25, with free, family-friendly activities. During this migration peak over 1,000 raptors are seen daily!
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 Smith Point, part of the Candy
Cain Abshier WMA in Galveston County, boasts a 24-foot hawk-watch tower and averages about 52,000 raptors each year. The most commonly seen species include Broad-winged Hawk, Mississippi Kite and Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks.
Hawk watches take place daily Aug. 15 - Nov. 15 and are sponsored by the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory and HawkWatch International.
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 As part of the World Birding Center,
Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park is a world-class destination for
birdwatching. The Rio Grande Valley hosts one of the most spectacular
convergences of birds on earth with more than 525 species documented in
this unique place
Hawk watch volunteers host daily hawk watches from 8:30-10:30 a.m. through Oct. 30. Birders have a chance to see thousands of hawks from
the park’s two-story high Hawk Observation Tower.
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Monarch butterflies pass through Texas on their way south to Mexico from the end of September through the third week of October. During this time you can see thousands of these gorgeous orange migrants throughout the Lone Star State.
The Great Texas Wildlife Trails has dozens of sites where you can view the monarch migration, including:
 Participate in the Texas Pollinator BioBlitz, Oct. 7-16! Sign up to receive daily observation challenges and help bring awareness to pollinators and their habitat.
Learn how to create a monarch waystation to help provide resources for migrating monarchs.
Transform into a monarch yourself with our printable monarch mask.
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