Like virtually all other large gatherings of people, festivals for birdwatchers were forced to cancel in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of them held virtual events later in 2020 and in 2021. This year, most festivals are planning in-person events, while some may be online only. Others will hold hybrid festivals, with in-person and online events, so even if you can’t travel to a dream location, you could enjoy the festival from the comfort of home.
Of course, the plans for individual festivals could change due to the recent surge in the pandemic, and we know of a few that recently cancelled or postponed for this year. Some festivals may require that attendees wear masks and/or be vaccinated against coronavirus, so check for COVID-related rules on the websites of any events you may want to attend.
Going to a birding festival is a great way to find more birds and to learn about the birds and natural features of a particular place or region. The list that follows covers festivals slated to take place in the last half of April. (Some of them begin in late April and continue into May.) We hope it helps you find an event to sign up for and, when you go, more birds for your life list!
Gulf Coast Spring Fling
APRIL 9-MAY 8
Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary, Quintana, Texas
Godwit Days Spring Migration Bird Festival
APRIL 15-17
Arcata, California
Birdiest Festival in America
APRIL 20-24
Corpus Christi, Texas
37 festivals happening in May 2022
Florida’s Birding & Photo Fest
APRIL 20-24
St. Augustine Beach, Florida
floridasbirdingandphotofest.com
Migratory Bird Fest and Birdathon
APRIL 20-MAY 20
San Antonio, Texas
mitchelllake.audubon.org/birdathon
Little St. Simons Island Birding Days
APRIL 21 – APRIL 28
Little St. Simons Island, Georgia
littlestsimonsisland.com/events-and-programs/birding-days
Point Reyes Birding and Nature Festival
APRIL 21-24
Point Reyes Station, California
Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival
APRIL 21-24
Dead Horse Ranch State Park, Cottonwood, Arizona
verderiver.org/birding-festival
Galveston FeatherFest Birding & Nature Photography Festival
APRIL 21-24
Galveston Island, Texas
Harney County Migratory Bird Festival
APRIL 21-24
Burns, Oregon
Stikine River Birding Festival
APRIL 22-MAY 8
Wrangell, Alaska
Bird of Prey Days at Braddock Bay
APRIL 22-24
Rochester, New York
Hatchie BirdFest
APRIL 22-24
Brownsville, Tennessee
Owens Lake Bird Festival
APRIL 22-24
Lone Pine, California
friendsoftheinyo.org/owens-lake-bird-festival
Ohio Valley Birding Festival
APRIL 22-23
John James Audubon State Park, Henderson, Kentucky
parks.ky.gov/henderson/events/events/ohio-valley-birding-festival
Georgia Bird Fest
APRIL 23-MAY 15
Atlanta, Georgia
georgiaaudubon.org/birdfest.html
“Ding” Darling Day
APRIL 24
J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida
dingdarlingsociety.org/articles/ding-darling-days
Spring Chirp
APRIL 27-30
Valley Nature Center, Weslaco, Texas
Red Cliffs Bird Fest at Greater Zion
APRIL 28-30
St. George, Utah
Grays Harbor Shorebird and Nature Festival
Hybrid festival with virtual presentations and resources for self-guided shorebird viewing.
APRIL 24-MAY 6
Hoquiam, Washington
Mountain Plover Festival
APRIL 29-MAY 1
Karval, Colorado
California Duck Days
APRIL 30
Davis, California
yolobasin.org/californiaduckdays
Great Dismal Swamp Birding Festival
APRIL 30
Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Suffolk, Virginia
fws.gov/refuge/great_dismal_swamp
International Festival of Owls
APRIL 30-MAY 1
Houston, Minnesota
Point Pelee Festival of Birds
APRIL 30-MAY 23
Point Pelee National Park, Ontario
37 festivals happening in May 2022
Check back soon for more festival listings in upcoming months, or view our calendar of events.
Originally Published
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