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. For information, please visit the website at https://www.wingsoverwaterbirdingfestival.com/ .
March 20-22 — SANDHILL CRANE FESTIVAL, Othello Washington. For information, please visit the website at https://www.othellosandhillcranefestival.org/.
March – Sept — WESTPORT SEABIRDS pelagic birding trips from Westport, WA.
Westport Seabirds operates trips from March through September. For the trip schedule and other information, please check the website at http://westportseabirds.com .
April 1-30 — CELEBRATION OF SWANS, Marsh Lake, Yukon. For information, please visit the website at https://yukon.ca/swans
April 10-13 — BRANT WILDLIFE FESTIVAL, Parksville. For information, please visit the website at https://brantfestival.bc.ca/ .
April 16-19 — OLYMPIC BIRDFEST, Washington. For information, please visit the Olympic BirdFest website at https://olympicbirdfest.org/ .
April 22-26 — STIKINE RIVER BIRDING FESTIVAL, Wrangell Alaska. For information, please visit the website at https://travelwrangell.com/birding-festival
May 1-3 — GRAYS HARBOUR SHOREBIRD & NATURE FESTIVAL, Washington. For information, please visit the website at http://www.shorebirdfestival.com/.
May 1-17 — GREATER VANCOUVER BIRD CELEBRATION, Vancouver. For information, please visit the website at https://vancouverbirdcelebration.ca/ .
May 4-10 — WINGS OVER THE ROCKIES NATURE FESTIVAL, Invermere. For information, please visit the website at https://wingsovertherockies.org/ .
May 8-11 — CRESTON VALLEY BIRD FESTIVAL, Creston. For information, please visit the Creston BirdFest website at https://wildsight.ca/branches/creston-valley/birdfest/ .
May 14-18 — MEADOWLARK NATURE FESTIVAL, Penticton. For information, please visit the website at https://meadowlarkfestival.ca/ .
May TBA — WINGS OVER WHIDBEY FESTIVAL, Washington. For information, please visit the website at https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/event/wings-over-whidbey-festival/ .
May TBA — BC NATURE Annual General Meeting.
May TBA — VICTORIA BIRD WEEK, Victoria. For information, please visit the website at https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/event/victoria-bird-week/ .
May TBA — PUGET SOUND BIRD FESTIVAL, Edmonds, WA. For information and to register, check the festival website at http://www.pugetsoundbirdfest.com or contact Jennifer Leach at the City of Edmonds Parks Dept. (phone 425-771-0227), or email her at jennifer.leach@edmondswa.gov .
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 at https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/bird-surveys/landbird/north-american-breeding/overview.html, which includes further details and has contact information for the CWS staff in charge of the program.
June TBA — Annual conference of WASHINGTON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY, Yakima Valley, WA. For information and to register, please visit the WOS website at https://wos.org/annual-conference/current-year .
June 5-7 — BC FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS ANNUAL CONFERENCE in Lillooet, BC. Membership with BCFO is required. Details to follow.
July 3-7 — Annual meeting of the AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY in Amherst, Massachusetts. For details, please check the AOS website at: https://americanornithology.org/meetings/annual-meeting/ .
July 7-10 — Joint Annual meeting of the ASSOCIATION OF FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS and the WILSON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY at Newport, Rhode Island. For information, please check the society website at https://afowos2026.org/
Sept 17-20 — Annual WESTERN FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS conference, Ashland, OR. For information, please visit the WFO website at
https://westernfieldornithologists.org/conference .
Sep. TBA —Annual meeting of the WESTERN BIRD BANDING ASSOCIATION . For information and to register, please visit the WBBA website at https://www.westernbirdbanding.org .
Oct. TBA — BIRDS AND BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL, Ridgefield NWR, Ridgefield, WA (near Vancouver, WA). For information, visit the Friends of Ridgefield website at https://ridgefieldfriends.org/birdfest-bluegrass .
Oct. TBA — RAPTOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION annual conference. For further information, visit the Foundation’s website at https://raptorresearchfoundation.org/events/current-conference .
Oct. TBA — TRUMPETER SWAN SOCIETY conference. For information and to register, please visit the Society website at https://www.trumpeterswansociety.org/what-we-do/symposium-conference
Nov. 1-5 — Annual conference of THE WILDLIFE SOCIETY, the professional society for wildlife biologists, in Des Moines, Iowa. For information, please check the conference website at
https://twsconference.org/past-conferences/
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 17 Oct 2025