Birdwatching is often a solitary activity, but there are ways to connect with other people during the process, which can help you feel like you’re part of a larger bird-enjoying community.
One of the ways to do this is through birding events. Many local conservancies or groups like your local National Audubon Society chapter may have their own events throughout the year, which can be great avenues for getting started in birding, learning new spots, or just getting outside and trying something new.
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Check PriceBut the year is also full of continent-wide or worldwide events that you can get involved in like the annual Christmas Bird Count. Let’s take a look at some of each.
While this list includes over 70 events from across the United States and Canada, it’s not an exhaustive list. With the huge range of events out there to take part in, there’s got to be one in your area. Check with local groups to find out how to participate.
January
Skagit Eagle Festival – Concrete, Washington
Skagit Eagle Festival is a month-long celebration during the eagle-watching season in eastern Skagit County, with activities in Concrete, Rockport, and Marblemount. It includes guided hikes and photography tours. Learn more from Skagit Valley’s tourism website.
Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival – Morro Bay, California
Held in January, the Morro Bay Bird Festival boasts over 200 events for hundreds of birders to take part in, including field trips, classes, and more. In most years, over 200 bird species are spotted during the festival, according to organizers. More information can be found here.
Wings Over Willcox – Willcox, Arizona
Mid-January brings the annual return of Wings over Willcox, which has featured sandhill crane tours, hawk stalks, sparrow seeks and tours of Chiricahua National Monument, to name a few opportunities. More information can be found here.
Festival of the Cranes – Decatur, Alabama
Festival of the Cranes takes place at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in January to celebrate the return of thousands of sandhill cranes (as well as a few pairs of whooping cranes) for the season. Events are held throughout the community as well as the refuge’s visitor center. Click here to learn more.
Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival – Cape Canaveral, Florida
Held at the Radisson Resort in Cape Canaveral, this event has been going for over a quarter of a century and includes speakers, workshops, and photography classes. Visit the event’s webpage to learn more.
Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway – Chico, California
Though named for the snow goose, this event promotes all of the great wildlife that stops along in northern California during migration, with 151 bird species counted by participants traveling from as far as Canada and Wisconsin for the January 2024 event, according to organizers. More from the organizers here.
Everglades Birding Festival – Davie, Florida
It’s no secret that the Everglades is a haven for tons of wildlife, rare birds included. “An intense excitement of finding new birds with fellow birders from around the country” is just one of the benefits, the event’s webpage states. Registration for the January event begins in October of the year before.
Winter Wildlife Festival – Virginia Beach, Virginia
Another January festival, a photo contest, and the handing out of the annual Wildlife Advocate Award are on the agenda at Virginia Beach’s annual celebration. More information is available in a Facebook group.
February
Galt Winter Bird Festival – Galt, California
This week-long celebration of Galt, California’s birds is in its 18th year going into 2025 and includes activities for children and adults alike, with tours, community events, and presentations. Cosumnes River Preserve is among the places where tours are offered. Learn more on the city of Galt’s website.
Laredo Birding Festival – Laredo, Texas
South Texas has a lot to offer birders. It’s the only place in the United States with four species of Kingfishers, having hosted a female Amazon kingfisher in 2010 and 2016. This birding festival features tours of public and private lands with professional guides. Ready to learn more? Click here.
San Diego Bird Festival – San Diego, California
Held in late February, the San Diego Bird Festival includes speakers, field trips, kayak trips, and social events celebrating the area’s wonderful birds. In 2023, there were 182 birds spotted over five days. For more information, visit San Diego Audubon’s website.
Marsh Madness Sandhill Crane Festival – Linton, Indiana
Marsh Madness is in mid-February, despite the name’s similarity to a certain March basketball tournament. It lines up with peak sandhill crane and whooping crane migration through Indiana’s Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area. The Friends of Goose Pond can provide you with more information.
Whooping Crane Festival – Port Aransas, Texas
The Whooping Crane Festival has celebrated these endangered crane’s return to their winter habitat at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge every year since 1996. It’s held in February. For more information, click here.
High Plains Snow Goose Festival – Lamar, Colorado
Thousands of snow geese in a field is a special sight, drawing numerous birders to Colorado in early February to welcome these birds as they travel through from northern breeding ranges. Registration is free, though some tours and events have fees. You can learn more about this by clicking here.
Delta Snow Goose Festival – Delta, Utah
Another western snow goose festival? You bet! The February snow goose festival in Delta, Utah offers people a chance to view snow geese on Gunnison Bend Reservoir as well as participate in a craft fair, quilt show, photography contest, and more. The Delta Chamber of Commerce has more.
San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival – Vallejo, California
Millions of birds and over 3,000 people have traveled to Mare Island north of San Francisco for this festival for nearly three decades. Learn more here.
Burrowing Owl Festival – Cape Coral, Florida
This one-day event in late February celebrates and educates people about southwestern Florida’s burrowing owls, as well as other wildlife and environmental topics. Learn more by visiting the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife website.
March
International Festival of Owls – Houston, Minnesota
Owl nest box building, owl identification programs, and owl prowls are among the highlights of this early March event in southeastern Minnesota. It’s a fundraiser for the International Owl Center. More information can be found here.
Monte Vista Crane Festival – Monte Vista, Colorado
March may still be ski season in Colorado, but it’s also birding season as cranes and other birds return to the snow-covered peaks of the San Luis Valley in Colorado. This event has been running for over 40 years. You can learn more at this link.
Wings Over Water Northwest Birding Festival – Blaine, Washington
This spring event is geared toward water birds, with Semiahmoo Parkway Bird Viewing Shelter, Semiahmoo Resort Pier, Blaine Pier, APA Museum, and Semiahmoo Park among the bird viewing locations to see ducks, geese, and more. Many festival events are free. Learn more and register for this March event as it approaches here.
April
Celebration of Swans – Yukon, Canada
Throughout April, the government of Yukon, Canada celebrates the return of swans, ducks, and geese with more than 20 public events. Come back to this link before next April to see what’s on the calendar for next year.
California Duck Days – Davis, California
Make a duck decoy, learn about duck calling, and build a wood duck nesting box at California Duck Days, a late April event from the Yolo Basin Foundation in Davis, California. Learn more here.
Spring Chirp Birding Festival – Weslaco, Texas
The city of Weslaco and the Valley Nature Center partner for this Rio Grande Valley event that allows birders to get right in the center of spring migration for birds from the Central and Mississippi flyways on their way from Mexico, Central America, and South America. Visit this link for more information.
Georgia Bird Fest – Various locations in Georgia
Registration begins in February for this month-long event running from early April to early May. Guided bird walks dot the calendar in various Peach State locations. Learn more here.
Great Texas Birding Classic – Various locations in Texas
A month-long event from mid-April to mid-May, the Great Texas Birding Classic brought together 1,200 birders and naturalists into 210 teams for what event organizers call the “biggest, longest, wildest birdwatching tournament in the U.S.” See for yourself by clicking here.
Great Wisconsin Birdathon – Various locations in Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s largest bird conservation fundraiser is the Great Wisconsin Birdathon. From April 15 to June 15, birders can participate for free, forming teams to log as many bird sightings as possible over 24 hours (or more). Learn more here.
May
Biggest Week in American Birding – Northwest Ohio
The Biggest Week in American Birding actually runs for 10 days to celebrate the self-described “Warbler Capital of the World.” Birding trips are offered at Magee Marsh, with food, music, and more on the agenda. More information can be found here.
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Indiana Dunes Birding Festival – Porter, Indiana
The dunes of Indiana became the site of one of the United States’ newest national parks in 2019. The beautiful Lake Michigan shores provide great birding and wildlife viewing, celebrated at this event to benefit the Indiana Audubon Society. Click here for the event’s website.
Godwit Days Spring Migration Bird Festival – Arcata, California
The marbled godwit has its own festival, but this winter Californian isn’t the only bird likely to be seen during this spring migration event, which you can learn all about by clicking on this link.
Florida’s Birding & Photo Fest – St. Augustine, Florida
Birding and photography go together like peanut butter and jelly. If you enjoy both, you might enjoy the events and workshops at Florida’s Birding & Photo Fest. And what better place to do it than a place as biodiverse as Florida? Learn more here.
Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival – Hoquiam, Washington
Festival dates, in late April, are based on the best high tides, and spring migration is a great time to see shorebirds at Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, but you can visit the refuge at any point in the year for great birding. The festival’s website can be found here.
Galveston FeatherFest Birding & Nature Photography Festival – Galveston, Texas
The all-time species total was broken at the 2024 event with 255 sightings, topping 2016’s total of 249. You never know what could happen at this late-April festival. Next year could result in even more sightings. Sign up and find out for yourself by clicking here.
Olympic Peninsula BirdFest – Sequim, Washington
At the April 2024 event, field trips included Sequim Bay, Port Angeles Harbor, and the Elwha River, to name a few locations, with wintering ducks like harlequin and long-tailed ducks and seabirds among the birds that can be spotted. Cruises around Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge were also offered. Learn more here.
The Birdiest Festival in America – Corpus Christi, Texas
Everything’s bigger in Texas, and apparently, it’s “birdier” too, with the festival’s website stating that Corpus Christi is the “birdiest city in America.” The festival takes place in late April. Learn more on the festival website.
Spring Birding Days – Little St. Simons Island, Georgia
St. Simons Island is a private island, so birding trips are purchased as a package that includes lodging, meals, and activities like trips with naturalists. More information can be found here.
Point Reyes Birding and Nature Festival – Marin-Sonoma, California
The Point Reyes Birding and Nature Festival spans across Marin, Sonoma, and Contra Costa counties in mid-to-late April. It benefits the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin. Point Reyes National Seashore’s 71,000 acres provide ample opportunity to spot birds for visitors. Learn more by clicking on this link.
Hatchie BirdFest – Brownsville, Tennessee
Hatchie BirdFest, centered around Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge, is a product of the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center. Learn more about the festival on its website or on Facebook, which can be found by scrolling to the bottom of the linked webpage.
Owens Lake Bird Festival – Lone Pine, California
This festival in Inyo County, California marks the migration of birds through the Mojave Desert, but it’s not just about birds, with “photography, advocacy, botany, geology, and mining tours,” according to the festival’s website.
New River Birding & Nature Festival – Fayetteville, West Virginia
Stretching from the last week of April into early May, New River Birding & Nature Festival takes place near New River Gorge, one of the newest U.S. National Parks. “Birding, Ecology, Friendship & Fun” is the festival’s tagline on its website.
Horicon Marsh Bird Festival – Mayville, Wisconsin
Horicon Marsh, which includes a state wildlife area and a national wildlife refuge, is one of the Upper Midwest’s top birding destinations, hosting many of Wisconsin’s reintroduced endangered whooping cranes. Events are held at the marsh throughout the year, with this festival occurring in May. Learn more on the Horicon Marsh Bird Club website.
Point Pelee Festival of Birds – Ontario, Canada
Head north of the border for birding hikes, wildflower walks, and other events at this festival held at Point Pelee National Park. The Canadian government website has more information.
Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival – Cordova, Alaska
Social events like a pie sale, artisan market, and bird-calling contest are intermixed with field trips to view the peak migration of shorebirds along this coastal southern Alaska location. Learn more here.
Pikes Peak Birding & Nature Festival – Colorado Springs, Colorado
The ninth Pikes Peak Birding & Nature Festival was in 2024. In the eight years that preceded it, 264 different species of birds have been recorded – that’s just over half of the total species ever recorded in Colorado. Learn more about the different field trips – which totaled 62 in 2024 – here.
World Migratory Bird Day – Various locations
World Migratory Bird Day is celebrated on the second Saturday of May in Canada and the United States and the second Saturday of October in Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The day, which has a yearly theme, is coordinated by Environment for the Americas but celebrated by many across the continent. Learn more on the event’s website and look for events near you to mark the day.
Great Salt Lake Bird Festival – Farmington, Utah
Great Salt Lake is one of the best birding destinations in the interior United States, and peak migration is a great time to see the migrating shorebirds. This event from Davis County has been going for over a quarter of a century, with over 50 field trips and 15 workshops held in the most recent festival. Learn more here.
Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival – Homer, Alaska
Speaking of long-running festivals, this festival has been running for 32 years as of 2024, with over 100 events celebrating the return of Alaska’s numerous shorebirds. The festival’s website can be found by clicking this link.
Detroit Lakes Festival of Birds – Deerwood, Minnesota
Detroit Lakes isn’t around the city of Detroit, Michigan, it’s in western Minnesota, where the grasslands of the Great Plains states meet the North Woods of the Upper Midwest. Organizers say this makes it a great place to see lots of different kinds of birds. Learn more about the festival here.
Hog Island Audubon Camp – Bremen, Maine
Hog Island hosts various sessions from May to August. In 2024, these included puffin explorations, weeks of service, family camps, and trips just for kids. Check out their schedule by visiting this link.
June
Puget Sound Bird Fest – Edmonds, Washington
Formerly held in September, this event moved to early June for its 20th anniversary in 2024. Pilchuck Audubon Society and the city of Edmonds co-host the event, which includes bird walks and more. Learn more here.
Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua – Lee Vining, California
If you’ve ever driven into the west side of Yosemite National Park, you’re likely familiar with the large Mono Lake, a large salt lake that can be seen from the highway. The Chautauqua includes over 90 field trips and other events at this birding hotspot, which you can learn more about here.
Great Adirondack Birding Celebration – Paul Smiths, New York
Three days of birding at the Great Adirondack Birding Celebration are aimed at introducing birders young and old to birding via field trips in this northern New York park’s Important Bird Areas. There’s a lot to explore in the area, the United States’ largest contiguous publicly protected area. Learn more here.
Acadia Birding Festival – Mount Desert Island, Maine
Among the highlights of this festival is a Saturday Pelagic Seabird Boat Trip to view puffins, razorbills, gannets, and more from 25 miles offshore, as well as kayak and canoe tours. Learn more here.
July
Sedona Hummingbird Festival – Sedona, Arizona
The self-described “most beautiful place in America to see hummingbirds” is Sedona, Arizona. As many as eight different species of hummingbirds can be found in the area. The festival is headlined by field trips, banding demonstrations, speakers, and more. Click here for more info.
August
Black Belt Birding Festival – Greensboro, Alabama
No, this festival doesn’t have to do with martial arts… it’s all about birding in Alabama’s Black Belt region. It’s the Southeast’s largest prairie ecosystem, which allows birders to spot unique birds, says Dr. Scot Duncan, executive director of Alabama Audubon, the event organizer. More from Alabama Audubon can be found here.
Southeast Arizona Birding Festival – Tucson, Arizona
Held in August, this festival has offered several interesting field trips, including a photography field workshop on bat photography. If you’ve attempted bat photography in the past, you’ll know they’re not easy subjects with their fast, erratic flight patterns. Learn more about this event from Tucson Audubon by visiting this link.
September
Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory Hawk Weekend Festival – Duluth, Minnesota
This event has included owl programs in the evenings, songbird banding, hawk watching, and more as part of a history of educational programs at the observatory stretching back over 50 years. It’s held in September. Learn more here.
HummerBird Celebration – Rockport/Fulton, Texas
As northern hummingbird lovers wave goodbye to hummingbirds for the year, it’s time for celebration in Texas as waves of hummingbirds migrate through. Bus tours and speakers are just part of the agenda that you can find here.
Wings Over Willapa – Long Beach Peninsula, Washington
Willapa National Wildlife Refuge plays host to this annual event celebrating the Pacific Flyway, which includes field trips and children’s events. The event is held in late September. Learn more here.
Raptor Weekend – Bristol, Rhode Island
Put on by the Audubon Society of Rhode Island, this is “New England’s largest celebration of birds of prey,” the weekend’s website states. Presentations will give people the opportunity to see these birds up close and learn more about them from rehabilitators. More information is available here.
October
Big Sit! Birding Event – Various locations across North America
Held in October, the Big Sit! is a free worldwide event that allows anyone to participate. The goal is to see as many species as possible in 24 hours without moving outside a circle of 17 feet in diameter. If you’re up for the challenge, you can learn more here.
Cape May Fall Festival – Cape May, New Jersey
Registration for this mid-October event begins in July, so sign up early if you want to reserve a spot on any of the field trips, boat trips, or other activities. New Jersey Audubon has more information.
Monterey Bay Festival of Birds – Santa Cruz, California
This event, held in October, is one way to get out and see the fantastic wildlife that Monterey Bay has to offer. You can learn more and sign up here. Registration opens in August.
Yellow Rails and Rice Festival – Jennings, Louisiana
This festival’s main goal is to give people an opportunity to see the yellow rail, a grassland rail species that winters along the Gulf of Mexico and southern Atlantic states. It is held in late October – early November.
Hawai’i Island Festival of Birds – Hawaii
The Hawaiian islands’ bird diversity is like no other place in the United States, with dozens of birds endemic to the islands. This festival is held in Hilo. Learn more by visiting the festival’s website.
November
Alaska Bald Eagle Festival – Haines, Alaska
Each November, thousands of eagles gather near the Chilkat River in the nearly 50,000-acre Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. You can see up to 3,000 of these iconic birds as they feed on salmon, the festival’s website states.
Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival – Harlingen, Texas
The Rio Grande Valley is a major flyway for birds heading to and from Central America, so you can expect to see lots of birds on a visit to the area. This festival includes triple-digit field trip opportunities to get your sights set on a few new species. The festival’s website is found here.
December
Festival of the Cranes – San Antonio, New Mexico
While northern locations celebrate the return of the cranes for the summer, southern locations like New Mexico celebrate their return for the winter. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge plays host to this festival, which you can learn more about here.
North Shore Birding Festival – Mt. Dora, Florida
Held northwest of Orlando, the North Shore Birding Festival is in its ninth year going into December of 2024. Field trips are held at the 20,000-acre Lake Apopka North Shore property and other birding hotspots. Registration begins in the fall. Find more information here.
Lower Keys Fall Migration Mania – Key West, Florida
The Florida Keys are full of life, especially during fall migration. This two-day event has included both guided and self-guided walks. Click here for more info.
Audubon’s Bird Count Events – Various locations
The National Audubon Society’s annual bird-counting events include the Christmas Bird Count in December and the Great Backyard Bird Count in February. You can learn more about the Great Backyard Bird Count here and the Christmas Bird Count here.
Lodi Sandhill Crane Festival – Lodi, California
Sandhill cranes can be seen in the Lodi region between October and February. This festival from the Lodi Sandhill Crane Association celebrates the cranes, which have seen their numbers dip massively last century before rebounding in a big way across the continent. Learn more about the festival by clicking this link.
In Conclusion
This list includes over 70 events across North America, providing numerous opportunities for bird enthusiasts to engage in birding activities throughout the year, but these are surely not the only opportunities to get out and get involved with those in your community. Check with local conservation groups near you for birding events throughout the year.
Things change, so be sure to verify the specific dates and details for each event as they can change annually.
Happy birding!