A young Roseate Spoonbill was among the more than 193 species of birds were sighted during a recent North Shore Birding Festival (photo by Paul Konrad).

December had an especially short list of birding festivals, the least of any month, but now there is just one birding festival left for 2025 in the United States – the popular North Shore Birding Festival in Florida, considered one of the top winter birding festivals, will cap off the year December 11 to 15. Unfortunately, due to the historically long federal government shutdown and the subsequent effects to the national wildlife refuge system, the ever-popular Celebration of Cranes at Bosque del Apache Refuge in central New Mexico has been Canceled.

This cancelation is obviously a big blow to local and visiting birders, but the Friends of Bosque del Apache group was forced to make the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Festival of the Cranes. For more information about the cancelation see festival of the cranes • Friends of Bosque del Apache

On a much more festive note, the North Shore Birding Festival will be taking place December 11 to 15 in Florida, organized by the Orange Audubon Society in the Mount Dora area of central Florida. To learn more, start by referring to North Shore Birding Festival

Field trips on the Lake Apopka North Shore and other impressive central Florida birding sites include the 20,000-acre St. Johns River Water Management District’s lake restoration area, which is currently the Second Top eBird Hotspot in Florida, only surpassed by Fort DeSoto Park. More than 370 species of birds have been sighted on the Lake Apopka North Shore, more than any other inland site in the United States. At the 2023 Festival, 193 species were recorded, which you can refer to at this eBird trip report, and it centers within 45 minutes of Orlando.

Looking forward to 2026, there are 14 birding festivals scheduled during January, and 15 more in February. For a sneak peek into upcoming birding festivals, you can refer to Birding Festivals and Events | All About Birds at the All About Birds webpage.