Learn about birds at Armand Bayou Nature Center

Armand Bayou Nature Center is home to many birds.

It's all about birds at Armand Bayou Nature Center's Second Saturday event this month.

Dr. David McDonald will speak at 10 a.m. on Dec. 11 about winter birds of the Upper Texas Coast.

At 11 a.m., guests will discover the programs and research efforts of the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory with a presentation by Dr. Susan Heath, an avian conservation biologist with GCBO.

A guided birding hike along the nature center's forested trails will follow. Guests can also visit the Education Building, where children will discover how to eat like a bird and make their own birdhouse.

ABNC is also celebrating being welcomed by the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory into the Site Partner Network, its flagship conservation program. This is a Gulf-wide network of Site Partners located in each of the U.S. and Mexican states that border the Gulf of Mexico.

Since the Houston area sets right on the Central Migratory Flyway, the winter resident birds are beginning to arrive. Birders in the area are preparing for many of the Christmas Bird Counts that take place during December and early January. ABNC is a site on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail and a popular spot to find birds.

ABNC, located at 8500 Bay Area Blvd., was founded in 1974. It is situated on 2,500 acres of land and is one of the largest urban wildlife refuges in the United States. ABNC's educational programs promote the value of preservation and conservation of natural resources.

Admission to "Second Saturday" is free to members, $3 for non-member adults, and $1 for children ages 4 to 12 and seniors 60 and older. For more information, call 281-474-2551.