SPORTS + OUTDOORS

The 15th Annual Great Texas Birding Classic will be April 9 – April 17, 2011.

The Great Texas Birding Classic (GTBC), sponsored by the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, is a friendly, but serious birding for conservation tournament. It is held each year during April to coincide with the spectacular spring bird migration in Texas. During the tournament, teams vie to see who can spot and record the most bird species in a given time period. The adult teams with the highest species counts win the privilege of choosing the conservation projects that will be awarded Conservation Grant Grand Prizes.

The Classic has three main purposes: to help bring about bird habitat conservation, to increase public awareness of Texas bird diversity and to promote community nature tourism development. There are opportunities to test and improve your bird identification skills, participate in local community birding activities, attend Classic sanctioned events and raise money for avian habitat conservation.

Birders of all ages and skill levels are invited to join us for one day or all week of the Classic. Winning teams will direct conservation grants to the approved projects of their choice. The first-place Weeklong Tournament team, the winning team for each Adult Sectional Tournament, the Energy Saver Tournament winning team and one team from the Big Sit! Tournament will have the opportunity to designate which projects receive Conservation Grants. The exact amount of the grants will be determined by the amount of money raised from sponsorships and donations.

Join us for this year's Great Texas Birding Classic, April 9-17, 2011. Beginning birders, seasoned birders, general naturalists, closet birders, family birders, old friends, young friends, bird clubs, communities, nature preserves/centers, state parks, and national wildlife refuges, basically anyone who cares about habitat conservation and restoration - this is the event for you!!

To date, the GTBC has contributed $736,500 directly to avian habitat conservation along the Texas gulf coast through the Conservation Grant funding. Prior to each year's competition, organizations submit conservation project proposals to win funding through the grants awarded by the winning teams.

The Great Texas Birding Classic has been a huge success, so don’t miss our 15th year. You’ll be in for the biggest, longest, wildest birdwatching tournament in the United States!

Mission Statement - To increase appreciation, understanding and conservation of birds along the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail through education, recreation, nature tourism and conservation fundraising.

Why is Bird Habitat Conservation Important? - Currently, 633 species of birds have been documented in Texas. Over 400 species can be found along the Texas coast during spring migration. All of these birds are present due to the highly diverse habitats along the Texas coast. Each year we watch more and more habitat being significantly altered. Forty years of bird population data from Christmas Bird Counts and Breeding Bird Surveys were analyzed by National Audubon to determine bird population status. Since 1967 the average population of the common birds in steepest decline has fallen by 68 percent; some individual species nose-dived as much as 80 percent. All 20 birds on the national Common Birds in Decline list lost at least half their populations in just four decades.

These findings point to serious problems with both local habitats and national environmental trends. Only citizen action can make a difference for the birds and the state of our future.

While conservation organizations and agencies are working harder than ever to preserve habitat, we all have resource limitations. It is the support and generosity of corporations, communities, local businesses and caring individuals that enable additional habitat preservation. Working together, we are making a difference.

GTBC Conservation Projects - For additional information please go to the Texas Parks & Wildlife website or contact Tournament Coordinator Carol Jones, telephone (979) 480-0999.

Pictured:  Original artwork by John P. O’Neill featured on the cover is a Red-headed Woodpecker, an East Texas specialty. The original signed artwork will be available for sale on the online auction leading up to and during the week of the Birding Classic to raise money for habitat conservation on the Texas coast.