South Padre Island, a 34 mile long stretch of pristine white beach bordered by the Laguna Madre Bay and Gulf of Mexico, is situated at the southerly tip of Texas near the border of Mexico. The area is known for its white sand beaches, numerous watersports, fishing, sailing, and most importantly, birding. South Padre Island and south Texas are world renowned destination for birding; over 500 species have been documented in the lower Rio Grande Valley. Over 100 species of waterbirds occur as resident or wintering birds in South Padre Island alone. Texas has a multitude of avian and wetland scientists, including numerous waterbird scientists that comprise the Texas Colonial Waterbird Society.