The McAllen, Texas City Commission adopted an ordinance in effect protecting parrots residing in McAllen. Valley resident, author, outdoor photographer and nature enthusiast Charles Alexander contacted Commissioner John Ingram with his entreaty for assistance in formalizing his desire to see the birds protected, and Commissioner Ingram understood the significance of the request and took it seriously.  It is now an offense to harm parrots in any way in McAllen.                                                                                                                                         

“This is a step in the right direction for our city,” said Nancy Millar, Director of the McAllen Convention and Visitors' Bureau. “It makes perfect sense. McAllen sits in the middle of the Rio Grande Valley, which is the most productive birding destination in all of North America. Our birds are very important to us.                                                                                                                                                  

“The Rio Grande Valley has recorded 538 bird species in an area only 120 miles wide and 60 miles tall. It's possible to see over 100 species in a single day,” Millar explained. “People come from as far away as Europe to bird the Valley.”                                                                                                                                              

Long a major destination for birders, Texas's Rio Grande Valley has grown into prominence the past two decades as cities across Texas's  four southernmost counties have not only come to understand the financial benefits of attracting nature tourists, but have worked together to market the area and to create more locations for birders to see various species. Currently there are almost 100 parks, refuges and private lands available to birders in the region.                                            

According to a recent survey by Texas A&M University commissioned by South Texas Nature Marketing, Inc., wildlife watchers contribute $463 million annually to Valley businesses, and sustain over 6,600 jobs. A full one quarter of all leisure tourists to the Valley are here because of our wildlife- and overwhelmingly, wildlife in this case means birds.                                                         

Millar is also Chair of South Texas Nature Marketing, Inc., the cooperative of regional tourism officials representing various cities, that markets the entire Rio Grande Valley both nationally and internationally as a birding and wildlife watching destination.                                                                                                                           

“Birders may not be as visible as our Winter Texans, spring breakers or other visitors, but they're definitely here,” Millar said. “They fly into our airport, sleep in our hotels, eat in our restaurants, and buy merchandise in our stores. They rent cars and buy gas, and then they go home and tell their friends about the huge number of bird species they saw here, many of which can't be seen anywhere else in the country.                                                                                                                                                        

“Most of a birder's time when not eating or sleeping is spent in nearby out of the way places- where the birds tend to congregate. And unless they wear binoculars around their necks while dining or shopping, they look like anyone else. So it's easy to understand how they could be overlooked as making a difference to our economy.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

“But they're here. And in big numbers. According to the survey, 2.4 MILLION visitor days are spent by wildlife watchers in the Valley every year.                                                                                                                                                      

“Yes, birds really are that big of a draw,” said Millar. “The US Fish & Wildlife Service recently released the newest nation-wide statistics about birders, showing that 18 million people travel each year to watch birds. That's the national figure. Add the large number of international birders we see, and it's easy to understand how birding makes such a financial impact for us here in South Texas.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       “It'sclearto "It's clear to see that birds mean money,” Millar continued. “So it makes sense from an economic standpoint that McAllen would protect this revenue generating asset. After all, if we want the income birders bring, we have to have the birds.”