MEETINGS & EVENTS — 2026
The following meetings and other events are those that take place in BC and immediately adjacent areas or that potentially include information on birds that occur in BC.
NOTE: Please be sure to check event websites before you plan to attend or register for any events..
For most meetings, festivals and other events, the website is the main source of information, and registration can usually be accomplished online as well. It is usually not necessary to contact a particular individual, except for scientific meetings when one is interested in making a presentation. Names and contact information for individuals are listed whenever they are available.
For a detailed listing of birding festivals all over North America, please check the Cornell “All About Birds” website at this URL: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/birding-festivals .
Dec. 14, 2025 to Jan. 5, 2026 — CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS. For information on dates of counts and contact information for count organizers, please check the BCFO website in November and December, or check the December issue of BC BIRDING.
March 13-15 — WINGS OVER WATER NORTHWEST BIRDING FESTIVAL, Blaine, Washington.
March 20-22 — SANDHILL CRANE FESTIVAL, Othello Washington.
March – Sept — WESTPORT SEABIRDS pelagic birding trips from Westport, Washington.
Westport Seabirds operates trips from March through September.
April 1-30 — CELEBRATION OF SWANS, Marsh Lake, Yukon.
April 10-13 — BRANT WILDLIFE FESTIVAL, Parksville.
April 16-19 — OLYMPIC BIRDFEST, Washington.
April 22-26 — STIKINE RIVER BIRDING FESTIVAL, Wrangell Alaska.
May 1-3 — GRAYS HARBOUR SHOREBIRD & NATURE FESTIVAL, Washington.
May 1-17 — GREATER VANCOUVER BIRD CELEBRATION, Vancouver.
May 4-10 — WINGS OVER THE ROCKIES NATURE FESTIVAL, Invermere.
May 8-11 — CRESTON VALLEY BIRD FESTIVAL, Creston.
May 10-17 — VICTORIA BIRD WEEK, Victoria.
May 14-17 — Annual conference of WASHINGTON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY, Lewiston, Idaho.
May 14-18 — MEADOWLARK NATURE FESTIVAL, Penticton.
May TBA — WINGS OVER WHIDBEY FESTIVAL, Washington.
May 22-25 — BC NATURE Annual General Meeting, Kamloops.
May 28-July 7 — NORTH AMERICAN BREEDING BIRD SURVEY. This long-established program, supervised by the Canadian Wildlife Service and US Fish & Wildlife Service, is for experienced birders who are skilled at identifying birds by songs and calls as well as by sight. It involves running a roadside survey route once every year during June or very early July. There are several “vacant” (i.e., unassigned) routes in various parts of BC. If you are interested, check the Canadian Wildlife Service website which includes further details and has contact information for the CWS staff in charge of the program.
June 6-7 — PUGET SOUND BIRD FESTIVAL, Edmonds, Washington.
June 5-7 — BC FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS ANNUAL CONFERENCE in Lillooet, BC. Membership with BCFO is required. PRE-CONFERENCE EXTENSION TRIP June 3-5.
July 7-9 — Joint Annual meeting of the ASSOCIATION OF FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS and the WILSON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY at Newport, Rhode Island.
August 3-7 — Annual meeting of the AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Sept 17-20 — Annual WESTERN FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS conference, Ashland, OR.
Sep. TBA —Annual meeting of the WESTERN BIRD BANDING ASSOCIATION .
Oct. 3 — BIRDS AND BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL, Ridgefield NWR, Ridgefield, WA (near Vancouver, Washington).
Oct. 26-31 — RAPTOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION annual conference, Duluth Minnesota.
Oct. TBA — TRUMPETER SWAN SOCIETY conference.
Nov. 1-5 — Annual conference of THE WILDLIFE SOCIETY, the professional society for wildlife biologists, in Des Moines, Iowa.
Dec. 14, 2026 to Jan. 5, 2027 — CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS. For information on dates of counts and contact information for count organizers, please check the BCFO website in November and December, or check the December issue of BC BIRDING.
.Page updated 26 Feb 2026