Galveston Island is one of the top locations in the country for birding. It has a rich variety of habitats – beaches, wetlands, grasslands, woods, ponds, and bays – in a small area that are home to many common year-round species, as well as numerous others that visit briefly or for part of the year.

Birds visit en-route from and to Central and South America, north in the spring, south in the fall. Galveston is a special place for migratory birds because of its unique location along the Central Flyway providing them a refuge to rest and refuel. Most pass on through after their stopover, but some spend their summers on the Island and breed locally.