Each month, a growing group of bird enthusiasts gather before sunrise at local natural areas to observe the birds that call San Marcos home.
Over 15 years, the First Saturday Bird Walk has grew into a fixture of the city’s outdoor and environmental community, welcoming casual observers, seasoned hobbyists and curiousstudents.
On a bird walk, participants learn to identify local species, enjoy the outdoors and connect with nature-minded community members. Stephen Ramirez, a geographic information science alumnus and conservation director for Texas Land Conservancy, started the group in 2011 with hopes to share knowledge of the city’s aviary life. He picks a new meeting location each month so participants can spot different species.
“We’re at the dividing line between two eco regions,” Ramirez said. “The Edwards Plateau or the Balcones Canyon lands. On the east side of I-35, you have the black land prairie eco region … the vegetation communities that occur in those drastically different areas, they serve habitats for different types of birds.”
San Marcos’ commitment to preserving natural spaces helped the bird walks thrive, and vice versa. The city received an official designation as a Bird City Texas community on Jan. 16, 2025. The designation recognizes its efforts in conservation, habitat enhancement and educating residents about wildlife.
Ramirez served on an advisory committee for San Marcos’ designation and said the city’s existing conservation work, including the bird walks, contributed to the achievement.
“The most significant thing to me is to see the city’s buy-in to prioritizing birds,” Ramirez said. “There were a lot of things the city was already doing to support wildlife and birds, but I think going through this process added a few more layers that were positive.”
Jamie Lee Case, director of San Marcos’ Parks and Recreation, said community-led programs like the First Saturday Bird Walks help introduce residents to bird conservation and local species while supporting the city’s broader environmental goals.
“With our Bird City designation, it was established through a collaborative effort of not only city staff but partners like Ramirez,” Case said. “I think his bird walks in particular do help people that maybe don’t know much about bird conservation and the importance of making sure that various species are protected.”
Derek Richardson, professor emeritus of astronomy at the University of Maryland, joined the San Marcos Bird Walk group last year when he moved to Texas. As a seasoned birder, he now co-leads with Ramirez and implemented “advanced” third Saturday walks for more experienced birders.
“[Ramirez] said, ‘Hey, how about helping me out?’ and so I agreed,” Richardson said. “Then we did a survey … that revealed that there were people interested in more than just once a month. And those people were interested in something a little more challenging.”
The walks on the first Saturday are beginner-friendly excursions, while the third Saturday hosts more challenging treks. During advanced walks, participants try to spot rare or migratory species. Richardson said he recalled a challenging advanced walk aimed at finding the elusive black-throated sparrow.
“For many of the people there, it’s the first time they’d ever seen a black-throated sparrow,” Richardson said. “And that is what I’m shooting for as a leader. I want to give people an experience.”
Antonio Lozano, accounting senior and member of San Marcos Bird Walks, said he enjoys the first and third Saturday Bird Walks. He began birding in 2024 after noticing birds on campus, such as the cave swallows in the Alkek Garage or the yellow crested night herons in the ponds surrounding the Theater Building.
“In the springtime, all of a sudden, [the Alkek] Garage started getting populated with hundreds of birds,” Lozano said. “I just wanted to learn as much as I could, as fast as I could.”
Lozano said he “collects” bird sightings in an app called eBird, a place for the birding community to track bird sightings for science and conservation, creating what birders call a Life List. He said he thinks birding is a great hobby to practice in his youth because of how many species there are to collect.
“A lot of people get into it in their fifties and sixties,” Lozano said. “It feels great to catch it early on so that when I do keep a life list, it’ll actually be a full Life List.”
Ramirez said he believes consistent opportunities for residents to engage with the natural world encourage environmental stewardship. He said he hopes the San Marcos Bird Walk group will continue to grow and invite new people in.
“It’s become a reliable and consistent fixture of anyone who wants to gather with other people who are interested in birds or birding,” Ramirez said. “At any point, people know the bird walk is happening every month. And if they want to be around those people and experience that together, they know it’s there.”
First Saturday Bird Walks occur every first Saturday of the month, and the Advanced Bird Walks occur every third Saturday, rain or shine. For more information about the San Marcos Bird Walk, visit its Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/164280347282238/.
