U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Toggle navigationUtility (Top) navigationAbout Us ForwardBackAbout UsMission & VisionLeadershipOur OrganizationOur FacilitiesRegionsLaws & Regulations ForwardBackLaws & RegulationsLaws, Agreements & TreatiesHunting RegulationsLibrary ForwardBackLibraryCategoriesCollectionsHomeServices ForwardBackServicesDuck Stamps ForwardBackDuck StampsBuy a Duck Stamp or E-StampBuy a Junior Duck StampFish StockingImporting & ExportingConsultation & Technical Assistance ForwardBackConsultation & Technical AssistanceESA Section 7 ConsultationHabitat Conservation Planning (HCPs)Candidate Conservation Agreements (CCA & CCAA)Safe Harbour Agreements (SHA)Conservation BankingCoastal Barrier Resources Act Project ConsultationCoastal Barrier Resources System Property DocumentationFinancial AssistanceSpecies ManagementInvestigational New Animal Drugs (INADS)PermitsSearch All ServicesDuck Stamps One of the easiest ways that anyone can support bird habitat conservation is by buying duck stamps.Species ForwardBackSpeciesExplore Taxonomic TreeFind a SpeciesInterest story Bats: “The Coolest Mammals on Earth”Visit Us ForwardBackVisit UsEventsRecreation PassesOutdoor RecreationWhere to HuntWhere to FishOur LocationsScenic Drives Tour routes of great scenic drives on National Wildlife Refuges.Get Involved ForwardBackGet InvolvedCareers and InternshipsVolunteeringFriends PartnershipsLearning OpportunitiesEducation ProgramsEventsPartnerships ForwardBackPartnershipsPartnership CategoriesPartner ListVolunteer Search for volunteer opportunities around the countryNewsroom ForwardBackNewsroomPress ReleasesCongressional TestimonyMedia ContactsWild Things News about wonderful wild things and placesInitiatives ForwardBackInitiativesCombating Wildlife TraffickingDirector's PrioritiesClimate ChangeHuntingFishingInvasive SpeciesPollinatorsProtecting WildlifeClimate Action FWS is taking steps to mitigate climate impactsI want to ForwardBackI Want ToReport Wildlife CrimeDo Business with FWSVolunteerFind a Job or InternshipVisit a RefugeBuy a Duck StampApply for a PermitFind FundingFind TrainingWild work Search employment opportunities with USFWSSearchSearchSearchEnter the terms you wish to search for. × Bird Festival PlannerLarge numbers of snow geese fly out at sunrise into an orange sky reflected in the water below at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico.Image Details
 Bird Festival PlannerSome of the best festivals take place at or near national wildlife refugesFor a wonderful nature show, it’s hard to beat a bird festival. Some of the best bird fests occur at or near national wildlife refuges. That’s not surprising, given that these public lands aresuch birdy places.National wildlife refuges, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, also have resident bird experts and dedicated wildlife viewing areas.Here is our 2024 calendar of bird festivals at or near refuges. Many festivals have resumed normal form after they were cancelled or changed to meet safety concerns tied to the Covid-19 pandemic. In-person events fill up fast, so consider registering ahead if you go. Some festivals charge a registration or activity fee.In cases where exact dates aren’t yet available, we’ve listed the general timeframe. A few festival websites have updates pending.A large pink and white bird with a spoon-shaped bill wades in the marshes.Image DetailsA roseate spoonbill at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida, a field trip destination for the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival in February.**JANUARY**Morro Bay Bird FestivalMorro Bay, CAJanuary 11-15, 2024The annual festival, on California's Central Coast, includes two field trips to Kern National Wildlife Refuge. Enjoy more than 200 guided bird walks and tours, presentations, workshops and other activities. Registration opens November 4, 2023, at 8 a.m. Pacific Time. Pre-registration is strongly advised as trips fill up rapidly. Special guests include author Jennifer Ackerman and artist John Muir Laws.Festival of the CranesDecatur, ALJanuary 12-14, 2024See wintering sandhill cranes, whooping cranes and white pelicans at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama. Wheeler Refuge boasts the state’s largest population of wintering ducks. Enjoy workshops, nature walks, live raptors and kids’ activities.Space Coast Birding and Wildlife FestivalCape Canaveral, FLJanuary 24-28, 2024Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is a field trip destination for this annual bird festival, billed as one of the country’s largest.Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific FlywayChico, CAJanuary 25-28, 2024See thousands of birds lift off from Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge and Delevan National Wildlife Refuge. Some years include a field trip to Colusa National Wildlife Refuge.Winter Wildlife FestivalVirginia Beach, VAJanuary 27-February 4, 2024Cap off a month-long celebration of coastal wildlife with three days of guided tours. These include trips to Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge.Registration for festival trips and excursions opens November 15, 2023.**FEBRUARY**Sparrow FestMarble Falls, TXFebruary 3, 2024The central Texas Hill Country is a great place to see America’s native sparrows in late winter. The annual Sparrow Fest is hosted by the Friends of Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge. Visit the refuge and learn about the 20-plus native species regularly seen in central Texas.San Francisco Bay Flyway FestivalVallejo, CAFebruary 9-12, 2024The annual festival celebrates the more than a million shorebirds and hundreds of thousands of ducks plus hawks and other wildlife that pass through the Bay Area. The festival traditionally includes field trips to San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge.San Diego Bird FestivalSan Diego, CAFeb 21-25, 2024 The festival traditionally offers field trips to San Diego National Wildlife Refuge, San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge and Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge. Also featured: workshops, sea bird trips and cultural activities.Whooping Crane FestivalPort Aransas, TXFebruary 22-25, 2024Port Aransas, about 90 minutes from Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, bills itself as “America’s Birdiest Small Coastal City.” Festival-goers have a chance to see cranes in their winter habitat.Profile of a young bird with a long beak and a yellow eye against a light green background.Image DetailsA juvenile yellow-crowned night heron at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, which participates in Featherfest in April in Galveston, TX.**MARCH**Monte Vista Crane FestivalMonte Vista, COMarch 8-10, 2024The annual festival, hosted by Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge,Friends of the San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuges, and the Monte Vista Chamber of Commerce, offers visitors the chance to seethousands of sandhill cranes, ducks and geese fly over mountain scenery in the San Luis Valley. Tickets for tours and talks go on sale January 3.Sandhill Crane FestivalOthello, WAMarch 22-24, 2024The festival, hosted by Columbia National Wildlife Refuge. celebrates the annual return of nearly 35,000 sand hill cranes to Othello, Washington in March as they migrate north to their breeding grounds in Alaska. Tours by local experts offer opportunities to see cranes up close and learn about the flora, fauna and geology of the area.**APRIL**Harney County Migratory Bird FestivalBurns, ORApril 11-14, 2024Celebrate birds’ spring migration through southeast Oregon’s Harney Basin. Hundreds of species of birds pass through the high desert area. Nearby Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is a traditional field trip destination. Enjoy tours, workshops and other events.Godwit Days Spring Migration Bird Festival April 18-21, 2024 Humboldt County, CaliforniaThe festival traditionally includes a field trip to Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge.FeatherFestGalveston, TXApril 18-21, 2024The festival traditionally includes field trips to Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge, San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge and Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge.“Ding” Darling DayFort Myers, FLApril 20, 2024This annual conservation festival, previously held in October at J. N. “Ding’’ Darling National Wildlife Refuge in Sanibel, was rescheduled and moved to Fort Myers to better serve local communities and draw a wider audience. Events include bird walks, bring-your-own bike tours and family activities.World Migratory Bird DayNortheast IllinoisApril 27 and April 28, 2024Enjoy bird walks and activities sponsored by The Friends of Hackmatack Refuge. See May 11 for a third event. April event sites and times are:Saturday, April 27, noon - 4 p.m.Lost Valley Visitor Center, Glacial ParkRoute 31 & Harts Rd.Richmond, ILSunday, April 28, noon – 4 p.m.Volo Bog State Natural Area28478 W Brandenburg RdIngleside, ILA large flock of birds fly low over a body of water, with an azure blue sky behind them.Image DetailsSandpipers fly over Kachemak Bay in Homer, AK, site of a May festival co-hosted by Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.**MAY**Grays Harbor Shorebird and Nature FestivalHoquiam, WAMay 3-5, 2024Each spring, hundreds of thousands of shorebirds pause on their way north to rest and feed along the Washington coast and in the Grays Harbor estuary. Some of these Arctic-bound shorebirds come from as far south as Argentina, making them among the world’s longest-distance travelers. Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge and other local birding hotspots traditionally have a role in the festival.Tipton County Museum BirdfestCovington, TNMay 3-5, 2024The free festival includes bird walks at Lower Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge, Fort Pillow State Park, a quail preserve and museum trails. It also features speakers, exhibits and activities.The Biggest Week in American BirdingNorthwest OhioMay 3-12, 2024 Organized by Black Swamp Bird Observatory, the festival coincides with the peak of spring bird migration in the state’s Lake Erie Marsh region. The festival traditionally features field trips to Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.Kachemak Bay Shorebird FestivalHomer, AKMay 8-12, 2024This large Alaska wildlife-viewing festival honors the spring migration of shorebirds through Kachemak Bay. The festival is sponsored by the Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges and Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.Horicon Marsh Bird FestivalMarsh Haven Nature Center, WIMay 9-12, 2024Enjoy guided birding hikes, bus tours and paddles, bird-banding demos, special exhibits and kid’s activities. The festival is sponsored by Horicon Marsh Bird Club, Horicon National Wildlife Refuge, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Marsh Haven Nature Center.World Migratory Bird DayMay 11, 2024The United States and Canada traditionally celebrate the second Saturday in May as World Migratory Bird Day. The annual event celebrates the migration of nearly 350 species of migratory birds between nesting habitats in North America and non-breeding grounds in Latin America, Mexico and the Caribbean. Many wildlife refuges take part in the celebrations.World Migratory Bird DayGenoa City, WI May 11, 2024, 9-11 a.m.Enjoy bird walks and activities at the Turner Tract of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge atN541 County Highway H.Great Salt Lake Bird FestivalFarmington, UTMay 16-19, 2024Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is among the festival’s traditional field trip destinations. Event headquarters is at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area on the edge of the Great Salt Lake.Festival of the BirdsDetroit Lakes, MNMay 16-18, 2024Because Detroit Lakes is located in a transition zone between tall grass prairie, northern hardwood and conifer forest, it has many kinds of birds. On-site tours include trips to Hamden Slough National Wildlife Refuge, Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge and other conservation areas. The festival will kick off with competitive bird trivia.Down East Spring Birding FestivalTrescott, MEMay 24-27, 2024The festival during spring migration and breeding season includes guided hikes, boat tours, and presentations, all led by knowledgeable local guides. This festival traditionally includes field trips to Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge, an event sponsor. The Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife named the festival one of the country’s best.Striking aerial photo of a river bed running between mountain ranges in Alaska.Image DetailsArctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska is the breeding place for birds that range across five continents and all 50 states. A virtual festival in the fall celebrates that connection.**SEPTEMBER**Wings Over Willapa FestivalLong Beach, WASeptember 20-22, 2024 The festival includes tours, presentations and workshops to celebrate birds and Willapa National Wildlife Refuge. Field trips traditionally go to Leadbetter Point, Long Island and other refuge units as well as Cape Disappointment State Park, Willapa Bay and the Pacific Ocean.**OCTOBER**Ridgefield Birdfest and BluegrassRidgefield, WAOctober 5, 2024   Celebrate fall and local wildlife with Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge and Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. The annual festival highlights the refuge, nature and the region’s cultural history. In past years, events have included bird shows, music, hikes, family arts and crafts, and educational activities.Florida Birding and Nature FestivalTampa Bay, FLOctober 17-20, 2024Enjoy the birds, wildlife and nature of west central Florida at peak migration season. This annual festival offers boat trips, seminars, a free nature expo and field trips to sites including Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge.Wings Over WaterOctober 22-27, 2024This festival celebrates the birds and wildlife of coastal North Carolina during the peak of fall migration on the Outer Banks. Migrant shorebirds, seabirds, warblers and raptors are all moving through the area, joining resident marsh and forest birds. Typical field trips include visits to popular birding refuges such as Pea Island, Mackay Island, Alligator River, Mattamuskeet and Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuges. Trips often include visits to normally closed areas.Two handsome black and white water birds with long yellow beaks swim along side a juvernile.Image DetailsA Clarks grebes family swims at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Utah, a destination at the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival in May.**NOVEMBER****Fall Flight Festival**Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge, NMEvery Sunday in NovemberFrom 8 a.m. to noon each Sunday, visitors can take a self-guided tour of wetlands and bird habitat along a 4 1⁄2 mile wildlife drive normally closed to the public. Volunteer roving naturalists are on hand with spotting scopes to help identify birds, including waterfowl, eagles and sandhill cranes. The annual festival is co-hosted by the Friends of Las Vegas Refuge.**DECEMBER****Eagle Days**Forest City, MODecember 7-8, 2024Celebrate the annual Eagle Days at Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge. Drive the auto tour route and visit interpretive and outreach stations. See eagles, ducks, geese, and trumpeter swans.Festival of the CranesBosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, NMDecember 11-14, 2024Thousands of sandhill cranes and snow geese overwinter at picturesque Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, about an hour’s drive south from Albuquerque. This famous bird fest celebrates the birds’ arrival and draws visitors from around the world. The festival, hosted by the Friends of Bosque del Apache Refuge, includes workshops, tours and wildlife photography lessons.Wings Over Water EncoreDecember 6-8, 2024This festival is timed to coincide with the early-winter arrival of thousands of migratory birds and waterfowl. Flocks of thousands of tundra swans, snow geese and ducks draw birders from around the country to national wildlife refuges in coastal North Carolina.Story TagsBirdsBirdwatchingMigratory birdsRecreationWildlife refugesWildlife viewingRecreational ActivitiesBirdingPhotographyWildlife watchingWildlife WondersFacilitiesAlaska Maritime National Wildlife RefugeAlligator River National Wildlife RefugeAnahuac National Wildlife RefugeAransas National Wildlife RefugeArctic National Wildlife RefugeBack Bay National Wildlife RefugeBalcones Canyonlands National Wildlife RefugeBear River Migratory Bird RefugeBear Valley National Wildlife RefugeBosque del Apache National Wildlife RefugeBrazoria National Wildlife RefugeClear Lake National Wildlife RefugeCross Creeks National Wildlife RefugeDelevan National Wildlife RefugeGrand Bay National Wildlife RefugeGrays Harbor National Wildlife RefugeHamden Slough National Wildlife RefugeHoricon National Wildlife RefugeJ.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife RefugeKlamath Marsh National Wildlife RefugeLas Vegas National Wildlife RefugeLoess Bluffs National Wildlife RefugeLower Klamath National Wildlife RefugeMackay Island National Wildlife RefugeMattamuskeet National Wildlife RefugeMerritt Island National Wildlife RefugeNathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife RefugeOttawa National Wildlife RefugePea Island National Wildlife RefugeRidgefield National Wildlife RefugeSacramento National Wildlife RefugeSan Bernard National Wildlife RefugeSan Diego Bay National Wildlife RefugeSan Diego National Wildlife RefugeSan Pablo Bay National Wildlife RefugeTamarac National Wildlife RefugeTennessee National Wildlife RefugeTijuana Slough National Wildlife RefugeTualatin River National Wildlife RefugeTule Lake National Wildlife RefugeUpper Klamath National Wildlife RefugeWheeler National Wildlife RefugeWillapa National Wildlife RefugeRelated StoriesWhite birds with black-tipped wings and long yellow beaks fly over water at Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge in North Dakota.RecreationBirdingAug 4, 2021Large numbers of snow geese fly out at sunrise into an orange sky reflected in the water below at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico.Wildlife WondersAmerica's Birdiest PlacesJan 13, 2022A hummingbird sips nectar from a flowering plant at Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge in Wyoming.Wildlife Wonders10 Birds to SeeJan 10, 2022Latest StoriesLarge black bear sits in the roadCurrent Road Conditions at Alligator River National Wildlife RefugeApr 16, 2024A grebe, an aquatic bird, with bright red eyes, black body and white neck and belly, sits on it’s nest above water.RecreationRelocation of Narrows Wake Zone on Lake LowellApr 16, 2024A black and white marbled murrelet floating in calm waterEndangered Species ActRevised Marbled Murrelet Inland Survey ProtocolApr 16, 2024 PaginationPrevious pageCurrent page1Page2Page3Page4Page5Page6Page7Page8Page9Next page
 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service LogoWorking with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.Footer Menu - EmploymentCareers & InternshipsContractingFooter Menu - Site LinksLeadershipFrequently Asked QuestionsContact FWSFooter Menu - LegalAccessibilityFreedom of Information ActNoticesPrivacy PolicyDisclaimersInformation QualityVulnerability Disclosure PolicyFooter Menu - External LinksDOIUSA.GOV




You are exiting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website You are being directed to We do not guarantee that the websites we link to comply with Section 508 (Accessibility Requirements) of the Rehabilitation Act. Links also do not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I Understand. Take me there. Cancel