Enjoy the camaraderie of birders during the peak of spring migration during a May birding festival (Orchard Oriole photo by Paul Konrad).

May is a premier month to attend a birding festival near you, or in another area of North America. Birding Festivals are truly celebrations of birds and birding, shared by participants that range among every age group and every level of interest in birds. This is the second list of birding festivals that are taking place during May, and this one includes the many festivals scheduled for the second half of May (Birding festivals taking place during the first half of May were listed in last week’s issue of The Birding Wire).

To experience spring migration at its best in the company of other birders is something everyone should embrace. That’s one of many reasons that some birding festivals have been so successful and have continued annually for more than 20 years, and a few have thrilled participants for more than 4 decades!

In addition to the well-established birding fests, each year we see communities and organizations start new birding festivals to serve local and birders statewide. These tend to festivals grow year by year with local citizens, businesses, and wildlife groups finding a sense of community in each event – along with the considerable economic and conservation benefits that birders generate.

Overall, birding festivals provide great opportunities for you to seek and view new species of birds on field trips led by knowledgeable birders who will help you improve your ability to identify birds and provide insights about bird behaviors you witness. You will have opportunities to meet and enjoy spending time with others who share your interest in birds and birding, and while each festival is different, the best fests also provide a variety of programs, workshops, and keynote presentations to attend. Children’s activities, young birders’ events, and family fun are part of birding festivals too; and a vendor area is always a big plus – a meeting place where you can shop for birding optics, equipment and other products with the help of company representatives.

To learn more about each of the birding festivals being held during the second half of May, you can refer to the links provided below:

May 15 to 17 – Minnesota – Detroit Lakes Birding Festival, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota; see Detroit Lakes Festival Of Birds - Visit Detroit Lakes

May 15 to 18 – New Jersey – Cape May Spring Festival, New Jersey Audubon, Cape May, New Jersey; see Cape May Spring Festival | New Jersey Audubon (njaudubon.org)

May 15 to 18 – Utah – Great Salt Lake Bird Festival, (65 field trips & family day), Farmington, Utah; see Home (daviscountyutah.gov)

May 15 to 18 – Indiana – Indiana Dunes Birding Festival, (150+ field trips), Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana Audubon Society, Lake Michigan, Porter, Indiana; see

May 15 to 18 – Colorado – Pikes Peak Birding & Nature Festival, Prairie to Peak, Fountain, Colorado; see Pikes Peak Birding & Nature Festival – … prairie to peak (pikespeakbirdingandnaturefestival.org)

May 15 to 18 – Washington – Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest, Wenatchee River Institute, Leavenworth, Washington; see Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest | Wenatchee River Institute

May 15 to 18 – Maine – Wings, Waves, & Woods, Island Heritage Trust, Deer Isle, Maine, including Seal Island and Atlantic Puffins; see (1) Facebook

May 16 & 17 – Washington – Wings Over Whidbey Bird Festival, Pacific Rim Institute for Environmental Stewardship, Whidbey Audubon Society, Coupeville, Washington; see Wings over Whidbey Bird Festival — Whidbey Audubon Society

May 16 & 18 – Wisconsin – Washington Islands Birding Festival, near Green Bay on Lake Michigan; Washington Island, Wisconsin; see Washington Islands Birding Festival — Art & Nature Center (wianc.org)

May 16 & 18 – Oregon – Ladd Marsh Bird Festival, La Grande, Oregon; see Bird Fest | Friends of Ladd Marsh

May 17 – Minnesota – Urban Birding Festival of the Twin Cities, Mississippi River Gateway Regional Park, Celebrating World Migratory Bird Day, Minneapolis, Minnesota; see

May 17 – Illinois – Rockton Pelican Fest, Rockton, Illinois; see ROCKTON PELICAN FEST - Home (weebly.com)

May 17 & 18 – Ontario – Warblers & Whimbrels Weekend, Presquile Provincial Park, Brighton, Ontario, see Warblers and Whimbrels Weekend (friendsofpresquile.on.ca)

May 17 & 18 – Michigan – Warbler Wonderland, Upper Peninsula habitats and Lake Michigan, Manistique, Michigan; see Warbler Wonderland (schoolcraftcd.org)

May 20 to 25 – Quebec – Rimouski Bird Festival, Rimouski Bird Observatory, Rimouski, Quebec; see Festival – OOR (oorimouski.org)

May 22 to 24 – Wisconsin – Chequamegon Bay Birding & Nature Festival, Ashland, Wisconsin; see Contact Us | Birding & Nature Festival (birdandnaturefest.com)

May 22 to 25 – Wyoming – Jackson Hole Birding Festival, Grand Teton National Park, Jackson, Wyoming; see Jackson Hole Birding Festival

May 22 to 25 – Maine – Down East Spring Birding Festival, Cobscook Institute, Machias Seal Island for Atlantic Puffins too; Trescott, Maine; see Spring Festival — Cobscook Institute

May 23 to 26 – Michigan – Warblers on the Water, Beaver Island Birding Trail; Beaver Island, Michigan; see Warblers on the Water 2025 - Beaver Island Trails (beaverislandbirdingtrail.org)

May 23 to 26 & May 29 to June 1 – Ontario – Huron Fringe Birding Festival, MacGregor Point Provincial Park, Port Elgin, Ontario; see Huron Fringe Birding Festival - Huron Fringe Birding Festival

May 24 – Ontario – Spring Bird Festival, Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Toronto, Ontario; see Spring Bird Festival – City of Toronto

May 24 & 25 – Alberta – Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory’s Songbird Festival, Lesser Boreal Center for Bird Conservation, Slave Lake, Alberta; see 28th Annual Songbird Festival - May 24 & 25, 2025 | Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory (lslbo.org)

May 25 to 31 – Indiana – Black Birders Week, an all-inclusive program that highlights the visibility of Black birders in nature, Connor Prairie Museum (near Indianapolis), Fishers, Indiana; see Black Birders Week (connerprairie.org)

May 29 to June 1 – Alaska – Yakutat Tern Festival, Yakutat, Alaska; see Bird Watching | Yakutat Tern Festival | United States

May 29 to June 1 – Maine – Acadia Birding Festival, Acadia National Park, Southwest Harbor, Maine; see Acadia Birding Festival

May 30 to June 1 – New York – Great Adirondack Birding Celebration, Northern New York Audubon, Paul Smith’s, New York; see Great Adirondack Birding Celebration — Northern NY Audubon

May 30 to June 1 – West Virginia – Mountain State Birding Festival, Blackwater Falls State Park, Davis, West Virginia; see Mountain State Bird Discovery Weekend – Blackwater Falls State Park - West Virginia State Parks (wvstateparks.com)

May 30 to June 1 – Montana – Wings Across the Big Sky Bird Festival, Montana Audubon, Missoula, Montana; see Wings Across The Big Sky | Montana Audubon (mtaudubon.org)

May 30 to June 1 – Washington – Puget Sound Bird Festival, Pilchuck Audubon Society, Edmonds, Washington; see Puget Sound Bird Fest — Pilchuck Audubon Society