A Birding Hotspot

Cullinan Park is a magnet for big populations and wide varieties of birds throughout the year. Located in Sugar Land, Cullinan has a Bird Checklist with 267 species and counting. As an introduction to the wonderful birding at Cullinan Park, check out or download and print a copy of our Bird Checklist or find Cullinan on eBird. It's the #2 Hotspot in Fort Bend County.

There are a number of places to focus on for your bird watching visit. Start at the excellent pier and observation tower at White Lake which makes it easy to view and photograph the birds around the Lake and its shore-hugging marsh. White Lake, and its more secluded sister lake, Pumpkin Lake, are noted for waders such as White Ibises, Great and Little Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Green Herons and Snowy Egrets, as well as American Coots, Common and Purple Gallinules, Pied-billed Grebes, Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks, Redheads, Ring-necked Ducks, Scaup, Widgeons, Gadwalls, Blue- and Green-Winged Teal, Northern Shovelers and Wood Ducks. You may even spot a less common visitor such as Sora, American Bittern, Least Grebe, Wood Stork or Roseate Spoonbill.

In 2021 a Bird Viewing Area was added using a grant from the Great Texas Birding Classic. A loop trail just past the restrooms leads to a quiet viewing area with two drips and native plants designed to attract birds, particularly during migration periods. Benches are provide as a serene spot for bird viewing and photography. Approach quietly and see what birds and other wildlife might have stopped by to drink or bathe. 

In the hardwood forests lacing the park and along Oyster Creek, it’s not surprising to find Indigo Buntings, Painted Buntings, Yellow-Rumped Warblers, Orange-Crowned Warblers, Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers, White-Eyed Vireos, Blue-headed Vireos, Ruby-Crowned Kinglets, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Downy Woodpeckers, Eastern Phoebes and Barred or Great-Horned Owls, as well as our more typical urban visitors, such as Blue Jays, Northern Cardinals, White-winged and Mourning Dove and Carolina Wrens. If you’re lucky, you might spot a Pileated Woodpecker or Yellow-Billed Cuckoo. During Spring & Fall migration, Cullinan is the best hotspot in Fort Bend County for seeing Warblers, Vireos,Tanagers, Thrushes and other migrating birds. And don't’ forget to look up. There’s a good chance you’ll spot an American Bald Eagle, Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Crested Caracara, Black or Turkey Vulture or other birds flying overhead.