Travis Audubon

Directions Website Contact the organization

Travis Audubon Inspiring conservation through birding. Learn more about our events: https://linktr.ee/travisaudubon Travis Audubon owns and manages three wildlife sanctuaries.

Travis Audubon promotes the enjoyment, understanding, and conservation of native birds and their habitats. We protect critical habitat for the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler, which breeds only in Central Texas, at our 715-acre Baker Sanctuary. Chaetura Canyon Sanctuary is home to more than 30 nesting avian species and is world renowned for research and conservation of Chimney Swifts. Blair Woods is a 10-acre 'living lab' in East Austin that is undergoing an intensive restoration efforts. Travis Audubon continues to spearhead conservation programs locally and support them abroad. We lead diverse and interesting field trips and bird walks nearly every weekend of the year and on weekdays, both at local birding hotspots and exotic getaways. We offer an exciting array of monthly speakers, workshops, youth birding camp, the annual Bird-A-Thon, and seasonal as well as monthly bird counts and surveys. Travis Audubon offers year round classes from the basics of birding to advanced classes for the identification of sparrows, raptors, gulls, butterflies and dragonflies, and even grasses. Our outreach programs strive to educate the community about the vital connection between conservation and sustainable, healthy human habitats.

Meet our Bird of the Week: The American Barn Owl!Few birds capture the mystery of the night quite like the American Barn...
10/21/2026

Meet our Bird of the Week: The American Barn Owl!

Few birds capture the mystery of the night quite like the American Barn Owl. Ghostly pale and almost silent in flight, this nocturnal hunter drifts over grasslands, pastures, marshes, and agricultural fields under the cover of darkness. With its distinctive heart-shaped face, dark eyes, and buoyant, moth-like flight, the Barn Owl often appears more like an apparition than a bird. Many people's first glimpse of one is a sudden flash of white wings illuminated by headlights as the owl glides across a rural road after sunset.

While many owls are known for their hoots, the Barn Owl has a voice all its own. Rather than producing a deep, resonant call, it utters eerie screeches, hisses, and raspy shrieks that have inspired folklore and superstition for centuries. Yet despite its haunting reputation, the Barn Owl is one of nature's most effective pest controllers. Farmers have long welcomed these birds because they feed primarily on mice, voles, rats, and other small mammals that can damage crops and stored grain.

Learn more about the American Barn Owl here.
https://travisaudubon.org/murmurations/bird-of-the-week-american-barn-owl

Join us for a Beginner Bird Walk at Mueller!8:00 - 10:00 AM - Sat. October 17Free for members | $10 for Non-MembersRegi...
10/16/2026

Join us for a Beginner Bird Walk at Mueller!
8:00 - 10:00 AM - Sat. October 17
Free for members | $10 for Non-Members
Registration required.

We will meet at the Ga***rd Sackler Memorial Skate Park at the corner of Zach Scott and Manor. There will be plenty of parking in the parking lot or along Tom Miller. We will be using the Southeast Greenway trails in the Mueller area, which are fairly level and wide. We will walk approximately 1 1/2 miles. You should wear comfortable shoes and bring a hat, water bottle, sunscreen and binoculars if you have them.

Register for this walk here. https://travis.app.neoncrm.com/event-detail?event=28757

A walk for everyone this weekend!We hope you’ll join us for a bird walk on Friday or Saturday. Register for these walks ...
10/15/2026

A walk for everyone this weekend!

We hope you’ll join us for a bird walk on Friday or Saturday. Register for these walks or view our full walk calendar here. https://travisaudubon.org/field-trips-list

Meet our Bird of the Week: The Least BitternAlthough fairly common, the Least Bittern is not always easy to find. Like i...
10/14/2026

Meet our Bird of the Week: The Least Bittern

Although fairly common, the Least Bittern is not always easy to find. Like its cousin, the American Bittern, the Least is well camouflaged, and usually remains motionless when being watched. This can make it very difficult to spot among the reeds where it hangs out. Its small size - compared to other herons - compounds this problem. Least Bitterns hunt and eat in typical heron fashion, walking slowly and quietly looking for prey. Their diet consists of insects, crustaceans, fish, amphibians and reptiles. They are very solitary creatures, and you will almost never see more than one at a time.

Learn more about the Least Bittern here. https://travisaudubon.org/murmurations/bird-of-the-week-least-bittern

October Virtual Speaker Series: Bird Love: Why identify with birds with Dr. Wenfei TongThursday, October 157:00 PM - 8:1...
10/13/2026

October Virtual Speaker Series: Bird Love: Why identify with birds with Dr. Wenfei Tong

Thursday, October 15
7:00 PM - 8:15 PM
Free and open to the public

Birds exhibit a wide array of behaviors—from sabotaging budding romances to outsourcing childcare duties. Why do they behave as they do? Using diverse examples from around the world, including some of her own research in Zambia, Dr. Wenfei Tong will present vignettes about the private lives of birds in an evolutionary context, to show the science behind how much humans and birds have in common. She will use her art and photographs to illustrate stories from her books Bird Love and Understanding Bird Behavior and beyond, and discuss contributions from participatory science and local stewards towards our growing knowledge of birds and how to conserve them.

Learn more and register here. https://travis.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/event-detail?event=29783&

Join us on October 24 from 8:00 - 10:00 AM for a Sapling Planting and Tree ID Walk at Blair Woods Nature Preserve! At th...
10/12/2026

Join us on October 24 from 8:00 - 10:00 AM for a Sapling Planting and Tree ID Walk at Blair Woods Nature Preserve! At this event, we will be celebrating trees both big and small! We will start with planting seedlings and then have a guided tour of the variety of gorgeous native trees on the property.

Learn more and register here. https://travis.app.neoncrm.com/event-detail?event=30313

This event is a part of Austin Climate Action and Resilience’s Roots & Wings Festival. Find other nature based events at RootsandWingsFest.com

Which birds should you watch for in October?Here’s the Central Texas bird forecast for the month, courtesy of Travis Aud...
10/12/2026

Which birds should you watch for in October?
Here’s the Central Texas bird forecast for the month, courtesy of Travis Audubon.

Wrens are a delightful part of the bird community, with loud voices and tails often cocked up. Austin has three reliable year-round species of wrens, with Carolina and Bewick’s Wrens ubiquitous in backyards, parks and greenbelts. The Bewick’s prefers drier habitats and the Carolina favors moister spots although there is overlap, and some neighborhoods have both.

Read the full October Bird Forecast here. https://travisaudubon.org/murmurations/october-bird-forecast-6

Which birds should you watch for in October?Here’s the Central Texas bird forecast for the month, courtesy of Travis Aud...
10/12/2026

Which birds should you watch for in October?
Here’s the Central Texas bird forecast for the month, courtesy of Travis Audubon.

Wrens are a delightful part of the bird community, with loud voices and tails often cocked up. Austin has three reliable year-round species of wrens, with Carolina and Bewick’s Wrens ubiquitous in backyards, parks and greenbelts. The Bewick’s prefers drier habitats and the Carolina favors moister spots although there is overlap, and some neighborhoods have both.

To read the full October Bird Forecast, check the Murmurations Blog, linked in our bio.

HIGH MIGRATION EXPECTED TONIGHTDid you know that most birds migrate at night? They often use the moon, stars, and sun to...
10/08/2026

HIGH MIGRATION EXPECTED TONIGHT

Did you know that most birds migrate at night? They often use the moon, stars, and sun to navigate. Light pollution can interfere with these signals and cause a serious problem for birds: they might be thrown off course or become so disoriented that they circle until they fall to exhaustion or collide with buildings. You can help with just a flick of a switch—plus you’ll save money on energy costs!

Turn off lights at night on unoccupied floors and in unused spaces.
Close curtains and blinds.
Turn off exterior floodlights during bird migration season.
Opt for shielded lighting that directs lights downward.
Try using task lighting at your workstation instead of overhead lights if you’re working late.

Learn more about how to protect migrating birds at the link in our bio.

Address

PO Box 140947
Austin, TX
78714

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Travis Audubon posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Travis Audubon:

Shortcuts

Share