Ray Little was born in Dallas, Texas and began his study and love of birds between the ages of 3 and 4. When Ray was a very small boy, tucked inside boxes of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda were “premiums”, small cellophane wrapped cards that his mother saved and used as a tool to teach him. On one side of the card was a picture of a bird with information about that bird and on the reverse side was a recipe. While preparing meals, Ray’s mother would have him read the ingredients and recipe to her and he not only learned to read, but to cook, as well. The bird pictures were colorful and had detailed information about each bird, allowing Ray to learn how to identify the different birds and by the age of 6, Ray was guiding prominent businessmen to locations of specific birds that they were in search of.

Ray saved the monies he received from guiding birders to pay his way through college and earned a degree from Texas A&M University in Wildlife Management.

In 1970, Ray and his wife Margie moved to south Texas. He began narrating tours aboard the Wharf Cat in 1987 and before long, people were arriving by the busload to travel with Ray to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge and learn about the endangered whooping cranes. In his lifetime, Ray has seen the number of “whoopers” dwindle to as low as 14 in the 1940’s and gradually build up to today’s number of approximately 452, including both wild and captive counts.

Ray’s knowledge of birds in itself is amazing and his humorous commentary will be sure to thoroughly entertain you. Do not miss the chance to hear Ray share his wealth of information about the "whoopers", both past and present.

Besides being a Texas Master Naturalist and Ornithologist, Ray is associated with the following organizations and events:
 

• American Birding Association
   
• Elderhostel
   
• Aransas Wood Great Texas Birding Trail
   
• Fred Jones Nature Sanctuary
   
• Nature Conservancy
   
• World Wildlife
   
• Friends of Connie Hagar
   
• Hummingbird Supporters of Rockport, Texas
   
• Coastal Bend Audubon Society
   
• Audubon Outdoor Club of Corpus Christi
   
• Aransas Bird and Nature Club
   
• North American Butterfly Association
   
• Hummer Bird Celebration
   
• Christmas Bird Counts