Harlingen is known worldwide as a tropical birder's paradise because of its location on the convergence of two major flyways. Pick up a free birding guide and checklist at the Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce and see how many species you can identify. The city has several sites on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail co-sponsored by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Department of Transportation, including the Ramsey Nature Park and Harlingen Thicket Bird Sanctuary, a 40-acre tract of native brush in the city center.