Birding Festivals provide an opportunity to find new birds in new places in the company of local birders. This Vermillion Flycatcher photo was taken by Carlos Escamilla in the area of the Laredo Birding Festival in Texas. Burrowing Owls are the focus of the birding festival in Cape Coral, Florida.

February brings a mix of Sunbelt and winter birding festivals, some highlighting species such as Bald Eagles, Burrowing Owls, and Sandhill Cranes, while others emphasize wintering concentrations of birds that make a festival location a prime birding destination. Some festivals are more local in their outreach, while others are anticipated by birders across the continent. Opportunities for participants to spend time in the field with local guides or birding legends are mixed with the chance to learn from speakers ranging from researchers to photographers, artists, and landscapers to make each birding festival unique and memorable. There are also many social opportunities, and many festivals feature a product showroom where you can see and handle a variety of optics and other birding equipment. Best of all, birding festivals are fun and rewarding!

To learn more about each of the 15 February birding festivals, you can refer to the links provided below:

February 3 – California – Gault Winter Bird Festival, Gault, California; see 17th Annual Winter Bird Festival | Calendar of Events & Meetings | Galt, CA (cityofgalt.org)

February 3 – New York – Hudson River EagleFest, Teatown’s 20th EagleFest at Croton Point Park at Croton-on-Hudson, New York; see Teatown Hudson River EagleFest

February 3 – New Jersey – Cumberland County Winter Eagle Festival, Mauricetown, New Jersey; see Events for January 2024 – Cumberland County Cultural & Historical Commision (explorecumberlandnj.com)

February 7 to 10 – Texas – Laredo Birding Festival, Laredo, Texas; see Home - Laredo Birding Festival

February 9 to 11 – South Carolina – Hammock Coast Birding Festival, Pawleys Island, South Carolina; see Hammock Coast Birding Festival: Events, Places to Stay (hammockcoastsc.com)

February 9 to 12 – California – San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival, Mare Island at Vallejo, California; see SF Bay Flyway Festival – My WordPress Blog

February 16 and 17 – Indiana – Marsh Madness, Linton, Indiana; see Marsh Madness – Friends of Goose Pond

February 16 to 19 – New York – Birds on the Niagara International Bird Festival, Niagara Falls, New York; see Birds On the Niagara - Home (birdniagara.org)

February 17 – Georgia – Elachee Great Backyard Bird Count Festivities, Elachee Nature Science Center, Gainesville, Georgia; see Elachee Great Backyard Bird Count Festivities - Elachee Nature Science Center

February 17 and 18 – California – For the Birds, Wind Wolves Preserve near Bakersfield, California; see For the Birds Event - Wind Wolves Preserve Registration, Sat, Feb 17, 2024 at 12:30 PM | Eventbrite

February 18 – California – California Botanic Gardens Family Bird Fest, Claremont, California; see California Botanic Garden (calbg.org) California Botanic Garden (calbg.org)

February 21 to 25 – California – San Diego Bird Festival, San Diego, California; see

February 22 to 24 – Louisiana – Eagle Expo, Morgan City, Louisiana; see Eagle Expo 2024 - cajuncoast.com

February 22 to 25 – Texas – Port Aransas Whooping Crane Festival, Port Aransas, Texas; see Whooping Crane Festival | Port Aransas

February 24 – Florida – Burrowing Owl Festival, Cape Coral, Florida; see 2024 Burrowing Owl Festival | Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife (ccfriendsofwildlife.org)