Birding the Lubbock County Roads, Texas Panhandle

Winter cranes, geese, and High Plains raptors east of Lubbock

Where & when: The county roads east of Lubbock — running north toward Plainview — are open High Plains birding at its best. Winter (roughly November through February) brings Sandhill Cranes, big flights of geese and waterfowl, and raptors hunting the prairie-dog towns: Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawks, Prairie Falcon, and more. Add Ring-necked Pheasant, Horned Lark, Lark Bunting, and sparrows along the field berms. It’s wide-open country where knowing the productive back roads makes all the difference.

Bird the Panhandle with a guide.
These roads are a highlight of a North Texas & Panhandle winter tour — run as a multi-day trip from the Austin area, built around the cranes, geese, and raptors. Contact me to plan dates.

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There's a lot of country out here to cover but there's plenty of birds to find. You can drive these roads all the way up to Plainview where there's plenty more to see.

Sandhill Cranes East of Lubbock

Horned Lark East of Lubbock

There's plenty of areas to bird here and here's what to look for.

There's some ponds with high walls around them but you'll see lots of geese and other waterfowl landing here and some cranes as well. They are all over the fields here as there is plenty of grain around.

Look for prairie dog towns. There are a lot of these little buggers around and that attracts raptors like Ferruginous Hawks and Rough-legged Hawks and some Red-taileds as well.

There are some places that have lots of trees along berms. These hold lots of sparrows, Ring-necked Pheasants, Horned Larks, Lark Buntings and others.

Keep an eye on the sky as you never know what might be flying over. All the back roads here and further north have good chances to see some other raptors like Prairie Falcons and a good chance to see hybrid geese like half Snow and half Canada. I ran across 2 this past year on consecutive flights of geese. What a great site.

Satellite View of the Lubbock County Roads

Lubbock County Roads birding FAQ

What birds can you see on the Lubbock county roads?

In winter, Sandhill Cranes, big flights of geese and other waterfowl, and raptors including Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, and Prairie Falcons. The field berms hold Ring-necked Pheasant, Horned Lark, Lark Bunting, and sparrows, and there's always a chance at a rarity like a hybrid goose.

When is the best time to bird east of Lubbock?

Winter, roughly November through February, is the prime season — that's when the cranes, geese, waterfowl, and wintering raptors are in. The open High Plains fields and playa ponds are the draw.

Why look for prairie dog towns?

Prairie dog towns concentrate raptors. Scanning them and the surrounding fields is one of the best ways to turn up Ferruginous and Rough-legged Hawks and other hunters working the open country.

Can you see Sandhill Cranes near Lubbock?

Yes — in winter, cranes gather in large numbers in the grain fields and around the playa ponds east of Lubbock and north toward Plainview, alongside huge concentrations of geese.

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