By News and Media Relations

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS – MARCH 12, 2026 – Next month, students and faculty at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley will engage with bird enthusiasts during the inaugural Brownsville Birding Festival, sharing their expertise on the region’s diverse avian species.

The City of Brownsville announced the festival at a press conference on Thursday, March 12. Scheduled for April 11-12, the two-day event will feature educational programming and birding tours at various locations, including the UTRGV’s Brownsville campus.

The festival, which UTRGV is a sponsor, highlights one of North America’s premier birding destinations, where coastal wetlands, resacas, native thornscrub and the Rio Grande converge to create exceptional ecological diversity. Beyond birdwatching, organizers aim to celebrate the region’s natural environment while promoting conservation, environmental education and eco-tourism.

Internationally renowned ornithologist Dr. Karl Berg, associate professor in UTRGV’s School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences, spoke at the press conference about university’s unique academic and research contributions to the festival, which will enhance the experience for all participants. 

“We are all very excited at UTRGV to play a part in it,” Berg said. “We have such incredible bird diversity, even on campus.”

During the festival, UTRGV will host birding tours on campus led by university students, allowing participants the opportunity to observe species that frequent the university’s park-like grounds. Berg hopes to inspire Rio Grande Valley residents to learn more about the region’s wildlife and contribute to its preservation for future generations.

“Everybody loves the extraordinary numbers of birds coming through the Valley,” he said. “But will they still be here in 50 years? We need to study them and understand them if we are going to be good citizens and ensure these wonderful creatures are here for our grandchildren.”

Berg will also lead a workshop on April 11 during the festival, where he will discuss his research on parrot ecology and communication, along with UTRGV’s curriculum, research and conservation efforts in ornithology. Also, leading workshops will be UTRGV faculty members Dr. Lucia Carreon Martinez, lecturer, and Dr. Andrea Contina, assistant professor. Carreon Martinez will discuss bird conservation while Contina will focus on avian migration research.

Nathan Burkhart, director of the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau and Office of Space Commerce, said that the festival has been years in the making. It revives the former Brownsville International Bird Festival, which ended in the early 2000s, and has been rebranded to emphasize community engagement.

The press conference featured Rico the Red Crown, the mascot for the RGV Red Crowns Soccer Club. The red-crowned Amazon parrot, Brownsville’s official city bird, has been globally endangered for nearly four decades, Berg mentioned during the press conference.

Berg recalled the vibrant bird activity he noticed during his first visit to the university more than a decade ago.

“I remember being on a tour of our Brownsville campus when this gorgeous flock of parrots swooped right in front of us,” he said. “I joked and asked if that was planned. I couldn’t think of a better place to be.”

Berg said UTRGV is expanding its ornithology program and is exploring the creation of a future institute dedicated to bird research. 

For more information or to purchase tickets for the Brownsville Birding Festival, visit btxbirdingfestival.framer.ai.