Hello! We're glad you're here! As an FYI, you don't have to be a Friend/Member to register for an event, but Friends/Members do receive early notice of upcoming events and the ability to register up to a week in advance of the general public. To sign-up, select the specific event and click "Register".Please note: Events are popular and fill quickly! If an event is full, we encourage you to add yourself to the waitlist. Traveling from out of town? Or want to plan a local staycation? Friends of Balcones event attendees are eligible for 10% off at the Mustard Seed Bed and Breakfast in Llano, Texas. Promo code: BALCONESVIP |
KIDS SCAVENGER HUNT MATERIALS |
Pre-K to 2nd Grade (Downloadable PDF)
3rd Grade + Older (Downloadable PDF)
![]() | SparrowfestFebruary 4, 2023. SparrowFest celebrates the little brown birds that flock to our feeders in the winter. More than 20 species spend their winters here. Guided by experienced birding guides, local bird lovers flock to the refuge to see how many different sparrows they can spot and celebrate the diversity of the little bird. |
songbird festival Returns in 2023!Save the Dates: April 21-23, 2023. The Balcones Canyonlands Songbird Festival is a celebration of nature through a collection of interpretive events designed to help you experience both bird species and their habitat. Experienced guides host bird walks on closed portions of the refuge and help birders from around the world add to their life lists. Full Schedule is AVAILABLE and Registration is NOW OPEN! To Register, simply find and select your preferred tour(s) on the calendar above and follow the necessary steps. You will receive an email confirmation once approved. Still have questions? Here's some Helpful Information. |
BAlcones Christmas Bird CountEvery December, birders from around the area gather to count birds and document the species count. This is part of the citizen-science projects program. This is the longest running wildlife census in the world and provides critical data on bird populations and movements. You don't need to tramp through the wild, although that is lots of fun. You can also contribute by monitoring the visitors to your feeders. In 2020, we counted 13,804 birds, 106 different species. The invitation to join is typically published in early November. Come be a part of this worldwide effort! |
Here’s some examples from previous events.
Keep an eye on the calendar as many of these previous events and activities were so popular that we will be scheduling them again!