With the advent of fall migration, Birding Festivals are gearing up across the continent from Washington to Georgia and Texas to Quebec with migration themes that highlight birds ranging from hummingbirds to hawks. Some, like the Rockport-Fulton HummerBird Celebration are welcoming birders to their 38th festival on the Gulf Coast of Texas, while other exciting festival venues are growing annually. Birding Festivals are truly celebrations of birds and birding, shared by participants that range among every age to every level of interest in birds.
Birding Festivals provide guided hikes and field trips with accomplished birders, with some including outings to photograph birds. There are children's activities and family fun too. Many events provide a variety of presentations and workshops, and at some venues you can shop for birding products and enjoy food vendors too. Best of all, you have opportunities to meet and enjoy spending time with others who share your enthusiasm for birds and birding – so join the fun when and where you can.
To get more information about each of September's exciting Birding Festivals, refer to the links provided below:
September 3 to 6 – Colorado – Yampa Valley Crane Festival, Steamboat Springs, Colorado; see Festival – Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition
September 12 – New York – Cornell Lab Migration Celebration, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York; see Migration Celebration 2026 | Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
September 12 – Colorado – Fall Birding Festival, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Brighton, Colorado; see Fall Birding Festival - Bird Conservancy of the Rockies
September 12 and 19 – Texas – Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza, Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, Lake Jackson, Texas; see Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza | Gulf Coast Bird Observatory
September 14 to 17 – Georgia – Little St. Simons Island Fall Shorebird Event, St. Simons Island, Georgia; see Fall Shorebird Event 2026 | Little St. Simons Island
September 17 to 20 – Texas – Rockport-Fulton HummerBird Celebration, Rockport and Fulton, Texas; see HummerBird Celebration - Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce and 8-14-Mail-Out-Schedule-of-Activities.pdf
September 18 to 20 – Minnesota – Hawk Weekend Festival, Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, Duluth, Minnesota; see Hawk Weekend Festival September 18-20, 2026 : Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory
September 18 to 20 – Illinois – The Urban Birding Festival, Chicago, Illinois; see The Urban Birding Festival
September 18 to 20 – Ohio – Headlands Birding Festival, Mentor, Ohio; see Headlands Birding Festival 2026 | Official Lake Erie Birding Festival
September 19 – New York – Great Swamp Fall Migration Festival, Great Swamp Conservancy, Canastota, New York; see Fall Migration Festival — Great Swamp Conservancy
September 19 and 20 – Ontario – Point Pelee Festival of Hawks, Holiday Beach Migration Observatory, Amherstburg, Ontario; see Festival of Hawks Weekend | ERCA
September 19 and 26 – Texas – Houston Bird Week, Houston Audubon, Houston, Texas; see Bird Week | Programs | Houston Audubon
September 21 to 27 – Quebec – Cote-Nord Migratory Bird Festival, Tadoussac Bird Observatory, Grandes-Bergeronnes, Quebec; see Home - Festival des oiseaux migrateurs de la Côte-Nord
September 23 to 26 – Idaho – Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival, Teton Regional Land Trust, Driggs, Idaho; see 9th Annual Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival | Teton Regional Land Trust
September 25 and 26 – Washington – Wings Over Whidbey Bird Festival, Whidbey Audubon Society, Coupeville, Washington; see Wings over Whidbey Bird Festival — Whidbey Audubon Society
September 25 to 27 – Texas – Celebration of Flight, Corpus Christi HawkWatch, Corpus Christi, Texas; see Celebration of Flight – HawkWatch International