In the winter, the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge hosts large concentrations of waterfowl making it a popular site for public hunting.

Birdwatchers find the refuge an excellent place to observe neotropical migrants in the spring and fall.

Other species sought by birdwatchers include American bittern, seaside sparrow, fulvous whistling-duck, and black rail.

Over sixty species have been identified, including the extremely localized bay skipper (Euphyes bayensis).

[1] Three other national wildlife refuges on the Texas coast - Brazoria, San Bernard and Big Boggy - form a vital complex of coastal wetlands harboring more than 300 bird species.