Fort Leaton State Historic Site

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Nature

View of the Rio Grande flowing between two rocky hillsides with mountains in the distance.

Fort Leaton sits in a unique landscape where the Rio Grande floodplain transitions into desert scrub. This area supports an extraordinary richness of plants and animals from both types of ecosystems.

Nowhere does the Chihuahuan Desert exhibit more biodiversity than along a waterway such as the Rio Grande. You can witness this diversity at Fort Leaton.

Desert plants

Prickly pear bloom and prickly pear pads with thorns.Western honey mesquite, catclaw acacia, cottonwood trees and lotebush grow in the floodplain habitat. Look for these along the lower parts of the nature trail.

Creosote bush is prominent in the desert scrub landscape, but a diverse collection of arid-adapted cacti like prickly pear, pitayas and cholla also are common here.

Hardy animals

JavelinaA wide variety of snakes, birds, mammals and more make their homes at Fort Leaton.

Lizards are abundant, especially during warm weather. We frequently see grey foxes, bobcats, coyotes, jackrabbits, desert cottontails and javelina. Over 14 types of bats either spend their summers here or stay all year.

Birdwatching

Fort Leaton offers a good vantage point for birders looking for Far West Texas specialties!  

Listen for the song of the Bell’s Vireo along the nature trail in spring and summer. Look for Swainson’s Hawks, Ash-throated Flycatchers, Blue Grosbeaks and Painted Buntings then, too. Gambel’s quail live here year-round; you may hear them calling during warmer months.

Walking in well-developed desert scrub will reveal different birds. Black-throated Sparrow, Verdin , Pyrrhuloxia and Black-tailed Gnatcatcher join more Bell’s Vireos in this habitat.

Winter is the time of sparrows. Several species make the fort grounds their winter home. White-crowned and Lincoln’s Sparrows are common, while Green-tailed Towhees are always lurking nearby.

During migration (late March through mid-May and late August through mid-October), you will see a variety of flycatchers, warblers and tanagers, and you may catch a glimpse of vagrants from across the continent.

While migration in west Texas is less spectacular than farther east, birders can still be surprised. Painted Redstarts and a variety of eastern warblers have passed through the park in recent years.

Find more information on the birds of Big Bend Ranch State Park: