A variety of special birds can be found during the Southeast Arizona Birding Festival, such as this immature male Vermilion Flycatcher (photo by Mick Thompson). Several hummingbird festivals take place during August (Ruby-throated Hummingbird photo by Ryan Sanderson).

From Alabama to Alaska, August provides a resurgence of Birding Festivals, which are truly celebrations of birds and birding, shared by participants that range from every age to every level of interest in birds. During August, you can observe resident birds, early migrates, and endemic bird species on field trips with accomplished birders, including bird photographers, and learn more about birds and bird behavior during a variety of programs, workshops, and keynote presentations, children’s events, and possibly a birding marketplace where you can shop for optics, field gear, books, and more from vendors.

Best of all, you have the chance to meet other birders who enjoy spending time with others who share an enthusiasm for birds and birding! Birding festivals held across the United States and Canada also help to bolster community pride, stimulate businesses, and promote wildlife groups in a town or area – birders who attend birding festivals definitely generate a variety of benefits too.

Hummingbirds and Sandhill Cranes are focus birds for a number of August Birding Festivals, and to get more information about each August birding festival, please refer to the links provided below:

August 1 to 3 – Alabama – Black Belt Birding Festival, Alabama Audubon, Greensboro and 4 surrounding counties in Alabama; see Black Belt Birding Festival 2025 — ALABAMA AUDUBON (alaudubon.org)

August 2 & 3 – Kentucky – Land Between the Lakes Hummingbird Festival, Cadiz, Kentucky; see Hummingbird Fest 2023/24/25 flyer (landbetweenthelakes.us)

August 6 to 10 – Arizona – Southeast Arizona Birding Festival, Tucson Bird Alliance, Tucson, Arizona; see Southeast Arizona Birding Festival ? Tucson Bird Alliance (tucsonbirds.org)

August 8 to 10 – California – Lake Almanor Grebe Festival, Plumas Audubon Society, Prattville, California; see 2025 Schedule of Activities - Plumas Audubon Society

August 9 – Indiana – Indiana Audubon Hummingbird Migration Celebration, Indiana Audubon, Mary Gray Bird Sanctuary, Connersville, Indiana; see Celebrate the Start of Hummingbird Migration on Aug. 9 – Indiana Audubon

August 16 – Minnesota – Henderson Hummingbird Hurrah, National Ruby-throated Hummingbird Center, Henderson, Minnesota; see Henderson Hummingbird Hurrah – Birds, Butterflies & Blooms

August 16 – Tennessee – Ijams Hummingbird Festival, Ijams Nature Center, Knoxville, Tennessee; see Ijams Hummingbird Festival | Ijams

August 16 – Illinois – Hummingbird Festival of Cook County Forest Preserve, Sagawau Environmental Learning Center, Lemont, Illinois; see Hummingbird Fest – Forest Preserves of Cook County (fpdcc.com)

August 23 & 24 – Alaska – Tanana Valley Sandhill Crane Festival, Creamers Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge, Fairbanks, Alaska; see Tanana Valley Sandhill Crane Festival | Friends of Creamer’s Field (friendsofcreamersfield.org)

August 28 to 31 – Colorado – Yampa Valley Crane Festival, Steamboat Springs, Colorado; see Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition – Conserving Rocky Mountain Greater Sandhill Cranes (coloradocranes.org)