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This page provides navigation to images of the wonderful wildlife found at the Halff Brothers Ranch west of Pearsall, Texas. This near-20,000-acre spread is primarily natural rangeland, with some agriculture along the eastern side, plus a fantastic 4,300 acre expanse of virtually-pristine Riverine Gallery Forest along the Frio River that provides some exceptional opportunities to observe birds, mammals, and insects that are found in the United States only in extreme southern Texas.

NOTE: Many web sites brag on their wildlife but are embelished with stock photos taken elsewhere; all the photos shown here were taken on the Ranch; anyone with a decent camera (and some luck) could have taken them.

A surprise resident in the riverside woodlands is the Porcupine - here at its southernmost outpost in the United States.
The only non-native animals on the Ranch are Feral Hogs, which are hunted year-round due to the damage they do to the ground and ground-nesting animals.

An array of striking Mexican butterflies can be found along the forested trails.
Even in early Spring you can enjoy some beautiful butterflies.
Here's a beautifully aberrant Bordered Patch butterfly.
A stunning bug that's actually a Moth!

Birdwatching provides a most unusual mix of widespread eastern/central species (e.g. Bobwhite, Carolina Chickadee; Carolina Wren; White-eyed Vireo, Pine Warbler) alongside species with a distinctly tropical affinity (e.g. Green Jay, Olive Sparrow, Long-billed Thrasher, Audubon's Oriole), plus a number of species typical of the Southwest (Harris' Hawk, Scaled Quail, Cactus Wren, Verdin, Curve-billed Thrasher, Pyrrhuloxia, Black-throated Sparrow):-
A surprise was to find two species of western Empidonax flycatchers wintering on the Ranch.
The threatened Mountain Plover seems to like the Peanut feilds!
The spritely Green Kingfisher is normally a shy denizen of forested streams and ponds- but this one enjoyed our company.
Many visitors are surprised to see the colorful Green Jay this far north of the Rio Grande Valley - updated March 21 2005.
South Texas is blessed with many flies, so we like to see the Ash-throated Flycachter about his craft.
No matter how many you see, you can't get enough of the brilliant Vermilion Flycatcher - which is pleasingly common at the Ranch.
It's always nice to see the western Say's Phoebe hover-hunting over the fields in winter.
Numerous species of American Wood-Warblers use the Ranch habitat for food and shelter.
The biggest surprise (so far) is this confiding Rufous-capped Warbler that may be resident along the river.
A typical inhabitant of the south Texas brushlands, the Olive Sparrow's distinctive song can be heard year-round.
Another rare bird for Texas (and the U.S.) - Yellow-green Vireos that may be breeding near Lake Alexander