General Resources

Birding Code of Ethics (American Birding Association) -- View Here

What binoculars are best for observing birds? Cornell's Lab of Ornithology offers useful information on selecting binoculars for birding. Also, see this article on choosing binoculars.

Nine Tips for Beginning Bird Watchers. Cornell's Lab of Ornithology provides some useful tips for beginners.

Where to place your bird nest boxes? -- Cornell's Lab of Ornithology provides a concise description of nesting and habitat requirements for cavity-nesting birds, along with links to their species accounts.

Local/Regional/Birding/
Wildlife Resources

• Neighborhood Naturalist - https://www.neighborhood-naturalist.com

• Chintinim Wildlife Center - https://chintiminiwildlife.org/

National Resources

• American Birding Association - http://aba.org/

• American Bird Conservancy - www.abcbirds.org/

• American Ornithologists' Society - https://americanornathology.org

• Cornell Lab of Ornithology eBird online database of bird observations- https://ebird.org

• North American Bluebird Society - https://www.nabluebirdsociety.org

• National Audubon Society -https://www.audubon.org/

State Resources

• Audubon Society of Corvallis - https://www.audubon.corvallis.or.us

• Seven Capes Bird Alliance - https://www.lincolncityaudubon.org/

• Bird Alliance of Oregon - https://birdallianceoregon.org/

• Cascades Raptor Center - https://cascadesraptorcenter.org

• East Cascades Audubon/Oregon Birding Locations Map - https://ecbirds.org/

  Institute of Applied Ecology -https://appliedeco.org/

• Oregon Department of Wildlife: Living with Wildlife - https://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/living_with/birds.asp

• Oregon Department of Wildlife: Wildlife Rehabilitation - http://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/rehabilitation/index.asp

• Oregon Birds Online Message Board (OBOL) - https://freelists.org/list/obol

• Oregon Wildlife Heritage Foundation - https://myowf.org/

• Oregon Birding Association (formerly Oregon Field Ornithologists) - https://oregonbirding.org/

• The Willamette Valley Birders' Message Board - https://midvalleybirding.org

Birding Festivals

Some of the best festivals take place at or near national wildlife refuges

For an excellent 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 are such bird-friendly 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 a calendar of bird festivals at or near refuges. In-person events fill up quickly, so consider registering ahead of time if you plan to attend. Be safe and avoid crowding. Some festivals charge a registration or activity fee.

We've listed the general timeframe in cases where exact dates aren’t yet available. Bird Festival Planner information courtesy the US Fish & Wildlife Service.

JANUARY

Festival of the Cranes
Decatur, AL
See 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.

Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway 
Chico, CA
Thousands of birds lift off from Sacramento and Delevan National Wildlife Refuges. A field trip to Colusa National Wildlife Refuge is also included in some years. 

Sparrow Fest 
Marble Falls, TX
The central Texas Hill Country is a great place to see America’s native sparrows in late winter. The Friends of Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge hosts the annual Sparrow Fest. Visit the refuge and learn about the 20-plus native species regularly seen in central Texas.

FEBRUARY

Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival
Cape Canaveral, FL
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is a field trip destination for this annual bird festival, billed as one of the country’s largest.

San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival
Vallejo, CA
The annual festival celebrates over a million shorebirds, hundreds of thousands of ducks, hawks, and other wildlife passing through the Bay Area. It traditionally includes field trips to the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

San Diego Bird Festival 
San Diego, CA
The festival traditionally offers field trips to the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge, the San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge. Workshops, sea bird trips, and cultural activities are also featured.

Whooping Crane Festival
Port Aransas, TX
About 90 minutes from Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Port Aransas bills itself as “America’s Birdiest Small Coastal City.” Festival-goers can see cranes in their winter habitat.

Florida Scrub-Jay Festival 
Volusia County, FL Spring 2022 
The festival celebrates the only bird species unique to the Sunshine State. Florida scrub-jays are found at Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge, and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Enjoy live music, guided nature walks, live animal displays, children’s crafts, and environmental exhibits. 

APRIL

Feather Fest 
Galveston, TX
The festival traditionally includes field trips to Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge, San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge, and Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge.

Harney County Migratory Bird Festival 
Burns, OR
Celebrate 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.

“Ding” Darling Day
Fort Myers, FL
This 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 serve local communities better and draw a wider audience. Events include bird walks, bring-your-own bike tours, and family activities.

Grays Harbor Shorebird and Nature Festival
Hoquiam, WA
Each 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 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. 

MAY

Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival
Homer, AK
This 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 the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.

Horicon Marsh Bird Festival
Marsh Haven Nature Center, WI      
Enjoy guided birding hikes, bus tours, paddles, bird-banding demos, special exhibits, and kids’ activities. Horicon Marsh Bird Club, Horicon National Wildlife Refuge, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and Marsh Haven Nature Center sponsor the festival.

The Biggest Week in American Birding
Northwest Ohio
Organized by Black Swamp Bird Observatory, the festival coincides with the peak of spring bird migration in the state’s Lake Erie marsh region. It traditionally features field trips to Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and Magee Marsh Wildlife Area.

Great Salt Lake Bird Festival
Farmington, UT
Field trips will have attendance caps and will be self-driven to protect the safety of attendees, volunteers, and partners. Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is among the festival’s traditional field trip destinations. The event headquarters are at Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area on the edge of the Great Salt Lake.

World Migratory Bird Day
The United States and Canada traditionally celebrate the second Saturday in May as World Migratory Bird Day. This annual event celebrates the migration of nearly 350 migratory birds between North American nesting habitats and non-breeding grounds in Latin America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Many wildlife refuges participate in the celebrations.

Festival of the Birds
Detroit Lakes, MN   
Detroit Lakes is located in a transition zone between tallgrass prairie, northern hardwood forest, and conifer forest, meaning many kinds of birds exist. 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 birding by boat.  

Tualatin River Bird Festival
Sherwood, OR
Health conditions permitting, this free festival will resume its usual in-person, family-friendly format. Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge and its Friends group plan the annual event.  

Down East Spring Birding Festival
Trescott, ME
The spring migration and breeding season festival 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.   

SEPTEMBER

Arctic Refuge Virtual Bird Fest  
Alaska
More than 200 bird species have been recorded at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Birds that breed there have ranges that reach five other continents and all 50 states. This virtual festival connects people worldwide to this remote yet iconic landscape.

Wings Over Willapa Festival
Long Beach, WA
The festival features tours, presentations, and workshops that celebrate birds and the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge. Field trips typically visit Leadbetter Point, Long Island, other refuge units, Cape Disappointment State Park, Willapa Bay, and the Pacific Ocean. 

OCTOBER

Ridgefield Birdfest and Bluegrass
Ridgefield, WA
Celebrate fall and local wildlife with Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge and Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. The annual festival showcases the refuge, its natural surroundings, and the region’s cultural heritage. In past years, events have included bird shows, music, hikes, family arts and crafts, and educational activities.

John L. Borom Alabama Coastal BirdFest      
Spanish Fort, AL
This Gulf Coast event traditionally includes guided birding tours at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama and Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Mississippi. 

NOVEMBER

Festival of the Cranes
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, NM
Thousands of sandhill cranes and snow geese overwinter at picturesque Bosque del Apache Refuge, about an hour’s drive south of Albuquerque. This renowned bird festival celebrates the birds’ arrival and attracts visitors from around the world. The festival, hosted by the Friends of Bosque del Apache Refuge, includes workshops, tours, and wildlife photography lessons.

DECEMBER

Eagle Days
Forest City, MO
Celebrate 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.