Welcome to Port A's Whooping Crane Festival!

The 26th anniversary Whooping Crane Festival is coming to Port Aransas

The Whooping Crane Festival has celebrated the annual return of the cranes to their wintering habitat at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. The Texas Coastal Bend is the only place where you can see the world’s last naturally occurring population of Whooping Cranes.

Schedule:
Thursday February 23, 2023
10:00am - 2:30pm: Whooping Crane Boat Tour
2:00pm - 3:30pm: Mustang Boat Tour
4:30pm - 6:00pm: Sunset Wine & Dolphin Cruise
6:00pm - 8:00pm: Whooping Crane Reception at Port Aransas Art Center
7:00pm - 8:00pm: UTMSI Public Lecture Series

Friday February 24, 2023
6:00am - 2:00pm: King Ranch Birding & Nature Tour
7:00am - 11:30am, 12:30pm - 5:00pm: Whooping Crane Boat Tour
8:00am - 9:30am, 10:00am - 11:30am: Island Birding Bus Tour
9:00am - 11:00am: Camera Settings for Bird Photographers Workshop featuring Kathy Adams Clark
9:30am - 10:30am: Speaker: Sara Zimorski, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
10:00am - 11:30am, 12:30pm - 2:00pm, 2:30pm - 4:00pm: Tour Patton Center & Wetlands Education Center
11:00am - Noon: Speaker: Dr. George Archibald, International Crane Foundation
12:30pm - 2:00pm: Mustang Boat Tour
1:00pm - 2:00pm: Speaker: Dr. Dale Gawlik, Endowed Chair for Conservation and Biodiversity at The Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
1:00pm - 3:00pm: Deep in the Heart: A Texas Wildlife Story Movie Showing
1:30pm - 2:30pm: Book Signing with Dr. George Archibald
1:00pm - 1:50pm, 2:00pm - 2:50pm, 3:00pm - 3:50pm: Amos Rehabilitation Keep Tour
1:00pm - 3:00pm: Shorebird Identification Workshop featuring Gary Clark
3:00pm - 4:00pm: Speaker: Dr. Liz Smith, Sr. Research Associate, International Crane Foundation
3:00pm - 6:00pm: Photography & Birdwatching Boat Trip featuring Kathy Adams Clark and Scott Holt
4:30pm - 6:00pm: Sunset Wine & Dolphin Cruise
5:00pm - 8:00pm: Wine, Whine, & Design Whoopers

Saturday February 25, 2023
7:00am - 11:30am, 12:30pm - 5:00pm: Whooping Crane Boat Tour
8:00am - 11am: Identifying Shorebirds Field Trip featuring Gary Clark
7:30am - 1:00pm: Explore Lamar Peninsula with Mikael Behrens
8:00am - 9:30am, 10:00am - 11:30am: Island Birding Bus Tour
8:00am - 10am: Port Aransas Nature Preserve Bird Walk with Guide Ray Dillahunty
9:00am - 11am: Processing Tips for Bird Photographers Workshop featuring Kathy Adams Clark
9:30am - 10:30am: Speaker: Anne Lacy, Senior Manager, North America Program
10:00am - 10:50am, 1:00pm - 1:50pm, 2:00pm - 2:50pm: Amos Rehabilitation Keep Tour
10:30am - Noon, 4:00pm - 5:30pm: Mustang Boat Tour
10:30am - Noon, 12:30pm - 2:00pm, 2:30pm - 4:00pm: Tour Patton Center & Wetlands Education Center
11:00am - Noon: Speaker: Carter Crouch, Director of Gulf Coast Programs, International Crane Foundation
2:00pm - 3:00pm: Speaker: Lynn Sanders, “It’s the Inside That Counts… Keep Your Dreams Alive!”
2:30pm - 4:30pm: Deep in the Heart: A Texas Wildlife Story Movie Showing
4:30pm - 6:00pm: Sunset Wine & Dolphin Cruise
5:00pm - 8:00pm: Wine, Whine, & Design Whoopers

Sunday February 26, 2023
6:00am - 2:00pm: King Ranch Birding & Nature Tour
8:00am - 9:30am: Nature Preserve Walking Tour featuring Scott Holt & Dr. Joan Holt
8:00am - 12:30pm: Whooping Crane Boat Tour
8:00am - 9:30am, 10:00am - 11:30am: Island Birding Bus Tour
10:00am - 10:50am, 1:00pm - 1:50pm: Amos Rehabilitation Keep

Date: February 23 - 26, 2023

Location: Various Venues in Port Aransas, TX

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