Birding News

Texas nearly tops the list of best states for birdwatching

Have you spotted a blue jay in Dallas yet?

Texas is full of surprises and this time, it involves birds: The Lone Star State soared to the top as the No. 3 best state for birdwatching in 2025, according to a new study by Lawn Love.

The report ranked all 50 states based on five "feather-forward" categories, such as climate, conservation efforts, access to parks and sanctuaries, number of bird varieties, and general popularity of the hobby.

The only two states that beat Texas were California, which came in at No. 1; and Florida, which took the No. 2 spot. But Texas at least beat New York which was No. 4, and Washington state, which was No. 5.

Texas came in high on variety of birds, but very low on climate and popularity, as follows:

No. 1 – Bird variety rank
No. 1 – Conservation rank
No. 7 – Access rank
No. 25 – Climate rank
No. 41 – Popularity rank

Come on, Texans, bird-watching is fun, get with the program.

Lawn Love's findings revealed that 679 different species of birds can be found in Texas, which is the second greatest numerical variety of birds nationwide. Even better, there are five different Audubon societies and sanctuaries in the state, and 19 wildlife refuges.

Audobon Texas' "Lights Out, Texas!" campaign is a major contributor to the state's No. 1 rank in conservation, as the program raises awareness and educates about light pollution, which affects billions of migratory birds that fly through the state every year. Some Dallas buildings such as Reunion Tower downtown make an effort to turn out the lights during migration periods.

"Approximately 1 of every 3 birds migrating through the U.S. in spring, and 1 of every 4 birds migrating through the U.S. in the fall, or nearly two billion birds, passes through Texas in one of the planet’s great wildlife spectacles," the Audubon website says. "Unfortunately, light emanating from our cities can disorient birds, leaving them confused and vulnerable to urban threats like collisions with buildings."

Birdwatching for beginners in Dallas
Dallas is no stran ger to this fun (and inexpensive) hobby, having been certified one of the first Bird Cities in Texas in 2020. The Trinity River Audubon Center and Audubon Dallas are the best local resources for diving into the world of birdwatching, and its organizers host classes and events across all skill levels.

The nonprofit lists dozens of birds that live in the 120-acre park year round, including mourning doves, yellow-rumped warblers, Carolina wrens, indigo buntings, and many more.

Free apps like Merlin Bird ID and Audubon Bird Guide are handy tools for tech-savvy beginners to get acquainted with their local bird species.

For those who prefer a physical field guide, the Dallas Audubon recommends David Allen Sibley's books, such as The Sibley Guide to Birds Second Edition. Enthusiasts who want to test their skills on a road trip would get good use out of The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America, which also covers most areas of Texas.

Dallasites can also make a day out of birdwatching by visiting Cedar Ridge Preserve in Dallas, or heading to McKinney to visit the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary.

Other fun areas around Dallas-Fort Worth for birdwatching activities include:

Bird's Fort Trail Park in Irving
John Bunker Sands Wetland Center in Seagoville
Lake Lewisville Environmental Learning Area
River Legacy Park in Arlington
White Rock Lake in Dallas

birdwatching texas reports rankings

Crime News

Dallas leaders launch initiative to ensure downtown is a safe place

Photo by Bryan Dickerson on Unsplash

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The City of Dallas and a group of public and private sector leaders led by Downtown Dallas, Inc. (DDI), and the Dallas Citizens Council have launched Safe in the City, a campaign to improve public safety and address homelessness solutions in downtown Dallas.

According to a release, the work was commissioned by DallasNews Corporation Chief Executive Officer and publisher of Dallas Morning News Grant Moise and is based largely on a Boston Consulting Group (BCG) analysis conducted in 2024.

That work organized a group of business and civic leaders and public officials to address challenges with public safety, homelessness, and vibrancy and economic development.

“My goal was to pull a group of people together who had the collective resources and passion to ensure that we put downtown on a better trajectory to ultimately make it as safe and vibrant as we all want it to be,” says Moise in a statement. “With the right leadership in the room, we immediately got to work devising and implementing an action plan.”

The BCG report recommended six measures to ensure safety and security long term, which the Safe in the City campaign combines into three categories: Visible presence, visible interest, and vibrant downtown.

The measures include:

Increased policing and presence: Surveillance cameras and other technological infrastructure will be expanded for proactive crime detection and deterrence.
Increased coordination among police and security entities: All police and security personnel will have access to a shared communication channel to improve incident response and coordination.
Continue push for rehousing:
Expand Downtown Community Court
“De-magnetize” hotspots
Address needs associated with re-entry of formerly incarcerated individuals.

The initiative is in response to public safety and homelessness challenges post-pandemic, and concerns from residents and businesses. Coalition leaders stressed that work has been underway for nearly a year, leading to decreases in crime, and an “effective end” to street homelessness downtown.

“Over the past 15 months, business, civic, and nonprofit leaders were joined by police and security officials to study our challenges and come up with a series of sustainable solutions,” says DDI President & CEO Jennifer Scripps in a statement. “Thanks to our partnership with Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert and the Dallas Police Department, we are reporting a 29 percent decrease in overall crime in Downtown this year to date, as well as substantial decreases in quality-of-life reports that the DDI security, homeless outreach, and clean teams address.”

According to BCG projections, full implementation of the six-pronged strategy could yield over $4 billion in incremental property value and generate hundreds of millions in incremental tax revenues.

politics downtown