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Play Texas Bird Bingo! 

What a great time to be a birder in Texas! Migration is underway, and the local birds are singing and looking their colorful best as they're searching for mates and checking out the best spots to build a nest and start a family. And just in time to take advantage of all this avian activity, Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine has a game for birders, old and new - Texas Bird Bingo!

There are thirteen bingo cards to choose from. They represent nine Texas regions and align with Texas Parks & Wildlife's Great Texas Wildlife Trails. The regions include Far West Texas, Upper Texas Coast, Central Texas Coast, Lower Texas Coast, Heart of West Texas, Heart of East Texas, Panhandle Plains, Prairies and Pineywoods West, and Prairies and Pineywoods East.

Each card has 24 birds you're likely to see in that region of the state. You can pick up Texas Bird Bingo cards at your favorite Whole Earth store or you can download them from the Texas Bird Bingo site. When you see any bird pictured on your card, mark it with an X, a √ or whatever symbol you like. Once you've marked off a row of birds in any of three directions (horizontally, vertically or diagonally) you’ve got a bird bingo!

Looking for somewhere to go birding? All of the Bird Bingo cards align with Texas Parks & Wildlife's Great Texas Wildlife Trails. You may have lived in your area for years, but the interactive map may well lead you to new destinations. Click on View Interactive Map in your chosen region for a list of potential driving loops in that area. Click on a blue pin for details about a specific location.

But there's more! You can use a photo of your bingo card for a chance to go birding with a pro. Take a photo of your bingo card and email it to the address on the card. You'll be entered into a drawing for a birding excursion for four to the 2026 Birding the Border Festival in Del Rio. Read more here. You have until November 30, 2025 to enter. You can also receive a FREE Texas Bird Bingo sticker! Send a photo of your completed Texas Bird Bingo card to the email address noted on the card, along with your name and mailing address, and you'll receive a sticker (limit one per person).

Birdwatching is more than ticking off names from a list. Birds are our neighbors, and it can be quite entertaining to watch them as they go about their daily lives. Birdfeeders and birdbaths can bring them near, and a good pair of binoculars lets us take an even closer look. At Whole Earth we offer a range of binoculars from a child's first to high quality pairs that please avid birders from Nocs, Celestron and Nikon. We can help you find the pair that's right for you.

The two numbers that describe a pair of binoculars, such as 8x25, refer to first, the magnification factor (8) and the diameter of the main lenses in millimeters (25). Generally, a lower magnification factor provides a wider field of view and will allow the user to track motion like birds moving from tree to tree, while a higher magnification will provide more detail. Other considerations include the weight of binoculars. How much is comfortable around the neck or in a pack?

An excellent resource for birding is Cornell Lab’s All About Birds website. It can help with identification, bird feeding, and answers to a host of FAQs. They also have a free phone app, Merlin for recognizing bird songs and calls. We hope you'll enjoy exploring, learning and playing Texas Bird Bingo!  See you out on the trail!

Dickcissel by Whole Earthling @NathanPeckPhoto