We Have the Best Butterflying in America!
USA Today calls Mission, Texas, “the butterfly capital of the USA,” with good reason; and the annual Texas Butterfly Festival gives us the chance to prove it to the world.
We hope you will save the date and plan to join us!
The Remarkable Rio Grande Valley:
Renowned for a volume and variety of wild, free-flying butterflies that cannot be found anywhere else in the country, deep south Texas is home to the country's premier butterfly event, featuring:
- Field Trips & Educational Activities for Beginners – Experts
- Private Gardens and Guided 'Hot Spot' Tours
- The North American Butterfly Photo Contest.
- And FREE Community Day fun for the whole family!
The National Butterfly Center is honored to host the Annual Texas Butterfly Festival, and provide attendees a remarkable and rewarding outdoor experience. Registrants will spend 3 days exploring renowned public lands and private properties with world-class trip leaders, when you may reasonably expect to see more than 60 species in a day.
Attendees typically hail from half of the 50 states and multiple countries. They converge at the National Butterfly Center, in the Rio Grande Valley, to experience one of the most biologically-diverse areas in North America. Come see for yourself why this region has earned worldwide recognition for its outstanding butterfly and birding spots, inviting thousands of visitors each year to discover its remarkable assortment of preserves, refuges, nature parks, trails, and more.
Whether you are an accomplished naturalist or an enthusiastic beginner, the Texas Butterfly Festival is the place to be! Here, many eyes make for exciting discoveries, including U.S. records, super rarities, subtropical strays, seldom-seen species, 'lifer' and chase butterflies that may only be found in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV), where the river winds its way toward the Laguna Madre at the Gulf of Mexico. This unique region encompasses no fewer than 11 different types of habitat, from tidal wetlands to riparian forest, brushland scrub to prairie savanna, and is home to more than 1,200 different species of plants, 500 species of birds, 200 vertebrate species, roughly 300 species of butterflies, and over 90 species of dragonflies!
To learn more about the one and only Texas Butterfly Festival, where to stay, what to do, and how to participate, simply explore this site!
2024 Community Day
Everyone is invited to COMMUNITY DAY at the Texas Butterfly Festival, Saturday, October 26, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm.
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246
Butterflies found at the
National Butterfly Center -
300
Birds found at the
National Butterfly Center -
103
Birds found at the
National Butterfly Center
during the 2023 Big Sit. (Winner 2 years in a row for the Gulf Coast of Texas)
National Butterfly Center Facts
Did you know nearly 150 species of North American butterflies can be seen only in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV) of Texas, or by traveling to Mexico? In fact, more than 300 species of butterflies may be found in the LRGV, and more than 240 species have been seen at the National Butterfly Center, including many rarities and U.S. records!
Thank you to our Sponsors
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Record sightings and "chase butterflies" from recent TBFs: