Mundy Marsh Bird Sanctuary

Houston Audubon acquired this 368-acre tract of prime coastal wetlands and prairie on the Bolivar Peninsula as a donation made by Bolivar Holdings, Ltd., in 2004. The donation was made as mitigation for a planned development in Port Bolivar. The sanctuary is named in honor of Jeff Mundy, HAS President from 2001 to 2003 and a present member of the Board of Advisors. The sanctuary is open to the public daily, but is as yet undeveloped and has no trails.

The Boliver Flats Shorebird Sanctuary

Bolivar Flats is a Globally Important Bird Area, the highest designation, and an International site in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN).

The Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary is a WHSRN site of International Importance located on the Bolivar Peninsula along the Gulf of Mexico northeast of Galveston Texas. The site, owned and managed by the Houston Audubon Society, is an exceptionally productive complex of mudflats, salt marsh, uplands and beach. This ideal combination of habitats provides resting, feeding and/or breeding sites for hundreds of thousands of birds each year.

Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary is a unique habitat complex that was created by the building of the North Jetty at the mouth of Galveston Bay in the late 1800s. The jetty has stopped the southward flow of the long shore current causing it to drop rich sediments. Sediments have accumulated and developed into mudflats full of invertebrates and salt marshes that are nurseries for fish, shellfish, and other marine organisms. Adjacent to the mudflats and salt marsh are coastal prairie uplands and open beach.

The site is an exceptionally productive complex of mudflats, salt marsh, uplands and beach. This ideal combination of habitats provides resting, feeding and/or breeding sites for hundreds of thousands of birds each year.

Shorebirds and Other Wildlife

Some 25 species of shorebirds can be found on the sanctuary during various seasons. Of particular significance are the large numbers of endangered Piping Plovers and threatened Snowy Plovers that use this area as a migratory stopover and wintering location. This area is also heavily used by thousands of wintering shorebirds including American Avocets, Short-billed Dowitchers, Willets, Dunlin, Western Sandpipers, and American Oystercatchers.

In addition to shorebirds, Bolivar Flats is also an important feeding area for wading birds including Reddish Egrets and Roseate Spoonbills. Large numbers of Brown Pelicans roost on the mudflats and feed in the adjacent waters. Nelson’s Sharp‑tailed Sparrow and Seaside Sparrow, both on the Partners In Flight WatchList because of their restricted ranges, can be found in the sanctuary.

Visit WHSRN.org to learn more about the Bolivar Flats.