The green jay's range reaches its northern most extent in South Texas. The green, yellow, blue and black provide excellent camouflage in the dense habitat of the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

The ibis has a long, down-curved, red bill with long red legs. This is one way to distinguish it from egrets, whose bills are straight. The ibis use their bills to probe for insects.

Javelinas are also known as collared peccary and are native to the Southwestern United States. They travel in family groups and have very poor eyesight, one of the reasons they do not frighten as easily when approached by humans.

This is a trip camera image of an ocelot, a small wild cat found on the refuge. Highly endangered, ocelots stand about a foot high and weigh between 15 and 30 pounds. They have a long tail and rounded ears and are often confused for bobcats.

Altamira orioles are a bird from Mexico whose range reaches up into South Texas. It weaves a long hanging pouch for its nest, the longest nest of any North American bird.