For those who’re into birds then it’s time to get your self to a birding competition! These occasions are filled with actions, area journeys, guided walks, workshops, and displays by birding professionals. They might be held in wildlife refuges, small cities, state parks, or nationwide parks. They’re an important place to satisfy different birders and make lifelong associates.
In case you are simply beginning out within the fascinating world of birds, birding festivals in the USA are a good way get your bearings. You’ll have the ability to uncover new birding firms and discuss to the guides (priceless in case you are contemplating reserving a birding journey!).
Birding festivals additionally provide the alternative to find new species, discover a first-rate birding space at its peak, ask consultants about every kind of birding stuff like selecting birding binoculars, fowl calls, happening fowl walks, or worldwide birding locations…all of this whereas studying invaluable birding abilities.
Yearly, round 160 birding festivals happen throughout North America, it may possibly really feel overwhelming attempting to determine which one to attend. So now we have narrowed this enormous record to our prime 15 birding festivals within the US, month by month.
15 Birding Festivals within the US
Everglades Birding Competition
Jan 11-15, 2024
Discover the unbelievable Everglades ecosystem whereas looking for over 150 species throughout this annual competition. This competition has the give attention to gaining superior birding abilities with every day workshops, small teams, and skilled guides. Full-day area journeys to Corkscrew Swamp, Higher Keys, South Dade, Everglades Nationwide Park nature trails(the place well-known Anhinga Path is situated), and extra.
Goal species: Crested Caracara, Limpkin, Frequent Myna, Painted Bunting, Snail Kite, Pink-whiskered Bulbul, Grey-headed Swamphen, Quick-tailed Hawk, Egyptian Goose, Burrowing Owl, Wooden Stork, Prairie Warbler, White-winged Parakeet, Roseate Spoonbill, and Nanday Parakeet.
Workshops: Superior birding abilities, Habitat, Habits, Subject Methods, Fowl by Ear, Subject marks, Silhouette, Season, and Household Teams.
Contact for extra data: Paddy Cunningham, 754-201-1141, (954) 805-6810, birdpaddy@yahoo.com
Morro Bay Winter Fowl Competition
Jan 11-15, 2024
Morro Bay Neighborhood Heart, 1001 Kennedy Method, Morro Bay, California.
Each Martin Luther King weekend, Morro Bay Winter Bay Competition welcomes birders from all over the world. Morro Bay is situated midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco and is a Globally Vital Fowl Space. This annual occasion consists of keynotes, area journeys, distributors, workshops, and household day.
Keynote Audio system: Jennifer Ackerman.
Contact: 805-234-1170, registrar@morrobaybirdfestival.org.
Japanese Florida State School, 1311 North US 1, Titusville, Florida
Positioned close to Merritt Island NWR and Cape Canaveral, this competition is without doubt one of the largest birding festivals within the US. Take pleasure in six days of Keynote audio system, highlight displays, workshops, area journeys, and a images strand, together with over 82 nationwide and worldwide exhibitors . The competition gives over 85 area journeys, together with full, half-day, night, offshore or pelagic boat journey.
Workshops: Shorebird ID, Sparrows ID, Studying gull ID, Birding by impression, Birding by ear and habitat, Japanese Warblers, and extra.
Images Workshops: Excessive pace hummingbird images, Portray {a photograph}, Taking pictures the darkside, Photographing birds of prey, The right way to arrange your yard for images, Nightime images, Digiscoping, and others.
forty first Annual Winter Wings Competition
The Winter Wings Competition is taking a 2024 hiatus
Oregon Institute of Expertise (Oregon Tech), 3201 Campus Drive, Klamath Falls, Oregon
Winter birds at their best! Winter Wings brings collectively birders and photographers of all stripes to study and discover with prime notch professionals and enthusiastic native guides. Keynote speaker: Gerrit Vyn, world-renowned photographer and writer. The Klamath Basin is well-known for its large wintering inhabitants of Bald Eagles however is prime habitat for a lot of different raptors, together with owls in addition to a shocking abundance and variety of waterfowl. Be a part of us for an in depth array of area journeys, workshops, displays, and receptions that spotlight the wonders of the Klamath Basin in winter as we have fun the competition’s forty first anniversary.
Keynote audio system: tbd
Contact: data@WinterWingsFest.org or 1-877-541-2473(BIRD)
Tipton County Museum BirdFest
Could 3-5, 2024
Tipton County Museum Veteran’s Memorial and Nature Heart, Covington TN
Birding hikes, walks, audio system, an academic snake present, birds of prey present, door prizes, and museum reveals. Extra data will be discovered on the Fb web page.
Contact: kmarkley@covingtontn.com
The Largest Week in American Birding
Could 3-12, 2024
Maumee Bay Lodge and Convention Heart, 1750 State Park Highway #2, Oregon, Ohio 43616
The Largest Week in American Birding is not only a fowl competition. It’s a 10-day occasion in northwest Ohio, thought of “The Warbler Capital of the World” . This occasion is a must-attend for all birders!
In 2019 the species depend was 240, with 37 warbler species + 1 hybrid! See the entire record of birds sighted right here.
The competition has one thing to supply to newbie and seasoned birders alike, with fowl identification workshops, photograph ID workshops, birding abilities and artwork workshops, guided birding journeys, and every day walks on the world well-known Magee Marsh. Keynote displays, a Birder’s Market, and night socials with free meals and music. You may both attend for someday or for the entire 10 days!
Keynotes to be introduced.
Contact: 419-898-4070, biggestweek@bsbo.org.
Indiana Dunes Birding Competition
Could 16-19, 2024
Chesterton, Indiana
The Indiana Dunes Birding Competition happens alongside the shores of Lake Michigan to have fun the realm’s wealthy biodiversity and bird-watching alternatives.
Actions: 60 guided excursions to view migrating birds, vendor market, over 50 bird-related packages, from reside raptor talks to species ID workshops, and particular workshops for brand spanking new fowl watchers and educators. When night falls, you have got the chance to attend outings to search for owls, woodcocks and whip-poor-wills, and family-friendly “birds and brews” social occasions.
Keynote: tbd
Contact: Brad Bumgardner, Indiana Audubon Society, 219-928-6905, bbumgardner@indianaaudubon.org.
Nice Salt Lake Birding Competition
Could 16-19, 2024
Annually a whole lot of attendees be part of the Nice Salt Lake birding competition in Utah to have fun birds on this medium-sized competition.
Participate in workshops, photograph contests, and over 20 completely different area journeys!
Contact: Occasion Supervisor – Kristal Blessett 801-451-3286
GSLbirdfest@daviscountyutah.gov
twenty second Acadia Birding Competition
Could 30 – June 2, 2022
Somesville Fireplace Station Neighborhood Room & Acadia Repertory Theater, 1157 Most important Road, Mount Desert (Somesville), ME 04660
Acadia Nationwide Park is an avian hotspot. Fowl lovers from across the nation shall be converging for the twenty second annual Acadia Birding Competition to find the wonders of the birds of the Gulf of Maine. From boreal birds to ocean—warblers, puffins, and extra. The Birding Competition gives area journeys, pelagic journeys, paddling journeys, talks, social occasions, and night displays.
Workshops: Birding by ear, eBird workshop, Seabird ID workshop.
Keynote audio system: tbd
Contact: Becky Marvil, 207-233-3694, beckym@acadiabirdingfestival.com.
Southeast Arizona Birding Competition
Aug 9-13, 2024
DoubleTree by Hilton Lodge, 445 S. Alvernon Method, Tucson, Arizona
Go to Tucson and don’t miss southeast Arizona’s Sonoran Desert monsoon birds! Pink-faced warblers, Elegant trogons, 5-striped sparrows… What as soon as had been your dream birds to see, can develop into a actuality at Southeast Arizona Birding Competition.
Organized by Tucson Audubon, this competition options professionally led half- and full-day area journeys, images workshops, packages, keynote speaker, a vendor truthful and a Neighborhood Nature Expo.
Contact: data@tucsonaudubon.org
Whiting Forest of Dow Gardens Birding Competition
(this competition appears to have been cancelled for 2024)
Whiting Forest of Dow Gardens, 2203 Eastman Avenue, Midland, Michigan 48640
Study from greater than 20 distinguished conservationists, naturalists researchers, photographers, and environmental educators. Journeys embody crusing, birding by kayak, and golf cart excursions for mobility-limited members.
Classes: Kirtland’s Warbler Conservation, Raptor identification, Impressed by Nature: Carving lifelike wood birds, Birding by ear, and extra.
Keynote Speaker: David Allen Sibley, presenting “The Artwork of Identification.” Sibley is the writer and illustrator of the collection of profitable guides to nature, THE SIBLEY GUIDE TO BIRDS.
Contact: Hill@dowgardens.org
Watsonville Civic Heart, 275 Most important Road Watsonville, CA 95076
Take pleasure in fall migration on the Monterey Bay Birding Competition that includes area journeys, and workshops.
Workshops: Ospreys of Harkins Slough, Introduction to shorebirds, Merlin and E-Fowl workshop.
Contact: Debbie Diersch, 888-909-7829, montereybaybirdingfestival@gmail.com.
sixteenth Alabama Coastal BirdFest, a Birding & Nature Competition
date TBD 2024
5 Rivers Delta Useful resource Heart, 30945 5 Rivers Boulevard, Spanish Fort, AL 36527
This annual BirdFest that includes area journeys to see birds throughout fall migration, in addition to alligators, dolphins, and wildflowers. It should additionally supply workshops (Superior birding, Southeastern hummingbirds), boat journeys, sundown cruises, and different social outings.
Keynote: tbd
Contact: 251-625-0814, alabamacoastalbirdfest@gmail.com.
Wings Over Water Wildlife Competition
Oct 22-27, 2024
Nationwide Wildlife Refuges Customer Heart, US Fish & Wildlife Service, 100 Conservation method, Manteo, North Carolina 27954
This annual refuge fundraising wildlife competition sponsored by Coastal Wildlife Refuge Society had its first occasion in 1997. This yr it consists of 88 journeys & packages involving birding, paddling, images, artwork, and pure historical past. Actions and outings happen in six counties and 6 nationwide wildlife refuges.
The WOW Encore session is all birding journeys led by skilled birders and is held December 6-8, 2024.
Outings: Roanoke Island Night time Kayak Paddle, Outer Banks Massive Day birding, Alligator River Refuge images tour, Nags Head Woods reptile and amphibian hike, Sea Turtles of the Outer Banks, and extra.
Keynote speaker: Kenn Kaufman
Contact: Steve Brumfield, 252-216-9464, wow@coastalwildliferefuge.com.
Uncover the birds, wildlife, and pure lands that reside in West Central Florida! Be a part of the Florida Birding and Nature Competition to study from famend professionals, expertise peak migration, and store distinctive merchandise. A four-day competition providing area, canoe, and boat journeys, displays, and a nature expo of distributors and reveals.
Keynotes: tbd
Contact: Andee Richards, Ann Paul, data@fbnfestival.org, 813-444-0115.
Cape Could Fall Competition
Oct 17-20, 2024
Grand Lodge of Cape Could, 1045 Seashore Ave Cape Could, New Jersey 08204
Cape Could is without doubt one of the nice fowl migration spots. No surprise why New Jersey Audubon’s Fall Competition is the longest operating birding competition within the US! Cape Could is a fowl funnel for migrating songbirds. Go to Higbee Seashore for a front-row seat alternative for seeing 20 species of warblers. Birding scorching spots are inside a few 35-mile drive.
Contact: 609-246-3581
twenty sixth Annual Rio Grande Valley Birding Competition
dates TBD, 2024
Harlingen Conference Heart, 701 Harlingen Heights Drive, Harlingen Texas 78550
Birders have been placing the Rio Grande Valley Birding Competition on their calendars for 25 years! The explanation? For those who’ve by no means visited, you’ll be able to add no less than 30 new species to your record. Birding in Texas is implausible.
With the coast about 30 miles away, the Chihuahuan Desert solely 2 hours to the west, and the Rio Grande to the south, there are many completely different habitats the place you’ll discover an important variety of birds. Be a part of the Competition and meet skilled guides, attend reunion-like socials, keynotes, workshops, a commerce present, and get a number of goodies within the silent public sale.
Fieldtrips and Workshops: Accessible birding, Arroyo Colorado Unit, Bahia Grande Unit, Battlefields and Birds, Biking for Birds, Birding within the Digital Age, EBird Journeys and Tips, Studying The right way to Pay attention, Parrots of the Space, and extra!
Contact: (209) 227-4823 or (956) 423-5565 or at data@rgvbf.org.
Cristina Garcia
Zoologist and wildlife photographer. She has labored within the area with jackals, wolves, cheetahs, & leopards. She serves on the Board of Administrators of SEE Turtles, a non-profit sea turtle conservation group.
Learn her posts at Journey For Wildlife and see extra of her work at Actually Wild, & Our Wild Yard.
