Air Power Wayside

The “Air Power” wayside provides a brief overview of some of the birds found at the park.

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Location:

Brownsville, TX

Main Text

During the battle of Palo Alto, cannonballs were not the only things flying through the air. Numerous raptors patrolled the skies, searching for prey in the dense brush and tall grass below. Shore birds flocked to pools of water on the field, Songbirds filled the air with music until the sound of cannon fire overwhelmed them. Today, the roar of cannon fire is long gone, but the natural music of birds remains.

Sub Text

Home Base
A variety of species—many unique to the Rio Grande delta–make the battlefield their permanent home.

Birding on the Battlefield 
Captain Hames Porter McCown, who fought in the battle of Palo Alto, is credited with the discovery of a number of bird species in the region, including the black-bellied whistling duck and the vermillion flycatcher.

Image descriptions

Background
Chaparral thicket

Bottom Left
Altamira oriole on branch.
Botteri’s sparrow on a branch.
Scissor-tailed flycatcher in flight.

Center 
Harris hawk on a branch.
Aplomado falcon on a yucca.
White-tailed kite on a branch.

Bottom Right
Black-bellied whistling duck in flight.
Vermilion flycatcher on a branch.