The Beach Nesting Birds project helps monitor and protect three species of beach nesting birds: Wilson’s Plover, Least Tern, and Black Skimmer. These species are considered species of high concern due to loss of habitat, climate change, and human disturbance. This year we are monitoring three sites: Matagorda Beach, Sargent Beach, and Dow Freeport Plant A. Conducting the study this year is Taylor Bennett, GCBO's coastal biologist, and GCBO research intern, Kenlynn Volz.

So far, the season has been going well with a few nest failures here and there due to both human-caused and natural reasons. For the Wilson’s Plovers, we have located 13 nests (3 failed) and 5 chicks on Matagorda Beach and 17 nests (7 nests failed), one brood with one chick, and 9 more chicks on Sargent Beach.

We band Wilson’s Plover adults and chicks to help keep track of the pairs and broods throughout the season. This year all newly banded Wilson’s Plover adults will receive a geolocator to keep track of them when they migrate for the winter. So far, we have banded 19 Wilson’s Plover adults, deployed 20 geolocators (two already banded adults received geolocators), and banded 9 downy chicks. Our goal is to deploy 21 geolocators, so we have one more to go.

Least Terns nest in large groups called colonies. We have located one colony along Matagorda Beach and three colonies on Sargent Beach. Within the next month or so we should be finding more chicks and possible renests as a result of the Memorial Day holiday and weather.

This year we have finally received permission to survey in person the Dow Black Skimmer colony. The most current survey yielded 1,580 adults with over 300 on nests. Unfortunately, the Least Tern colony there no longer exists.

As a reminder, please remember to share the beach, especially during the holidays. Drive slowly, keep dogs on a leash, avoid the dunes, and remember to fish, swim, and play 50 yards away from beach nesting birds and their chicks.

WIPL F-T7 and brood: The first time

at Matagorda Beach on May 17^th, 2022

by Kenlynn Volz. 

WIPL F-P6: The first female adult Wilson’s

at Sargent Beach on April 26^th, 2022 by

From the very inception of GCBO 26 years ago, Phillips Petroleum Company was a steadfast corporate supporter of GCBO and our conservation goals. In fact, they are listed as one of the 8 entities that helped form GCBO in 1997! 

Their continued support, now as Phillips 66, and belief in our mission is a part of why GCBO is who we are today, and we thank them for helping conserve birds and nature through their generous support. Their engineer interns even come out annually to volunteer their time at GCBO.    

We wish to thank them for the 2022 donation of $60,000 that will go towards all of our conservation work and projects. Phillips 66’s annual support truly helps us meet our mission and goals each year. Thank you! 

GCBO continues to support long-term land conservation efforts here along the Gulf Coast, and in Latin America with our Land Acquisition Fund, and the Tropical Forest Forever Fund.

GCBO recently granted $40,000 from our TFFF funds to the Community Cloud Forest Conservation center in Guatemala, to help them purchase 335 acres of critical habitat for neotropical migratory birds of special conservation concern, including Golden-cheeked Warbler, as well as an impressive list of species endemic to the region. CCFC works to protect tropical forests throughout central and northern Guatemala, through environmental education, reforestation and agroecology projects to promote sustainable ecological well-being of birds and people.

We also awarded TFFF funds in a $40,000 grant to American Bird Conservancy and partner Biodiversa for their 1312-acre expansion project of the El Silencio Reserve, located in the Middle Magdalena River Valley in Colombia.  

This ecosystem in central Colombia belongs to the highly threatened Tumbes-Choco-Magdalena biodiversity hotspot and the Magdalena-Urabá moist forest ecoregion and is home to 40 some neotropical migrants, such as the Prothonotary Warbler, as well as local bird species, and globally threatened primates.

To read more about GCBO's land conservation work, visit our website here.

GCBO is grateful to TC Energy for a grant allowing us to make necessary repairs to our Motus Wildlife Tracking System towers! Our weather along the coast isn’t always kind, and their kind corporate support is allowing us to make needed repairs. Thank you!

The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is a research network that uses radio telemetry to track the movement and behavior of birds affixed with radio transmitters.

The transmitters emit signals that are detected by telemetry stations that scan for signals 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. When results from many stations are combined, it can track animals across thousands of miles. The ability to track the location and timing of these long-distance migrants is crucial to our conservation work. Our Motus network also has the potential to support hundreds of researchers in the Americas as they track animal’s movements.

To date, GCBO has installed 15 Motus towers along the Texas coast. These towers help track several species including Eastern Willets and Loggerhead Shrikes that we have attached transmitters to.

We are currently looking for an intern to help with our Education and Outreach program! If you (or someone you know) is interested in teaching people about birds and nature, take look at our job listing here.

The cleanup will take place on Saturday, June 11 from 9-noon. We will provide gloves, trash bags, grabbers, water, and snacks. To sign up and learn more, click the link here.

Our 2022 trips are all sold out! But we have just released our 2023 lineup! A few trips still need more information posted, so stay tune on those, or email Martin mhagne@gcbo.org to be put on list for more info! You can also go to our website to check for trip information and to register.

June 18-25, 2022 – SOLD OUT!

November 25 – December 4, 2022- SOLD OUT!

January 31- February 6, 2023- SOLD OUT!

October 12-24, 2023 – SOLD OUT

We are trying to go as paperless as we can to save some trees and quite a bit on printing and mailing costs. We would love if you would let us email you instead of snail mailing a hard copy of any correspondence, including your future copies of the Gulf Crossings. Please email or call Tricia to say: “Hey, GCBO, please start emailing me things! Here is my email…”   Thanks!   

DONATE NOW on our website to support our conservation programs.

BECOME A MEMBER and receive our twice a year newsletter and a 10% discount in our nature store.

GCBO is a registered charity through Kroger's Community Rewards Program. This means that you can register your Kroger Plus Card online and select GCBO as the organization of your choice. Every time you use your Kroger Plus Card, Kroger will donate a portion back to GCBO! This is an easy way to support GCBO while you shop - your donations help us continue to protect birds and birding habitat around the Gulf Coast and beyond. To register your Plus Card, click here. Our charity number is #DN782.

Telephone: 979-480-0999 | Email Us