18th annual Attwater’s Prairie Chicken (APC) Festival

Title: 18th annual Attwater’s Prairie Chicken (APC) Festival
Location: Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge
Link out: Click here
Description: The Attwater’s prairie chickens are booming! On April 14th and 15th, the public is invited to the 18th annual Attwater’s Prairie Chicken (APC) Festival for a chance to see the critically endangered birds during the booming season — a time the males gather to perform their elaborate courtship ritual.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) staff and volunteers will be conducting guided tours to the “booming” grounds, which provide the best chance to see the typically elusive birds. The first tour leaves promptly at 7:00 am with additional vans leaving as they fill up. Tours will continue until the birds begin to leave the area, which is usually within an hour or two. Though seeing the birds is not guaranteed, this is the best chance the public has to witness this amazing spectacle found only here on the Texas Gulf Coast prairie. Flier

Additionally, refuge van tours will be offered at 10:30 am, 12:00 pm, and 1:30 pm on both Saturday and Sunday. Participants will tour areas that are normally closed to the public and will hear first-hand how the FWS and its partners are working to recover the APC, including refuge management efforts and coastal prairie ecosystem issues. The tours are about two hours in length.

Attendees of the APC Festival can also enjoy a walking tour (for bird watching) from 8:45 am to 10:30 am both days. Following the walk, hop on a van and explore the refuge’s woodlot area from 10:45 am to 12:15 pm each day. These guided tours will be led by experienced birders and are appropriate for all birdwatchers, experienced or beginner.

For the native plant and wildflower enthusiasts, a special afternoon walking tour from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm will bring visitors up close and personal with many of the native prairie grasses and flowering plants. This walk, lead by a knowledgeable botanist, will give those involved a greater appreciation of the coastal prairie ecosystem.
Start Time: 07:00
Date: 2012-04-14
End Time: 2012-04-15