Every fall, more than 300 bird species across North AmericaÌýmigrate south for the winter, an event affected as much by a bird’s location and breeding timeline as it is by the changing climate. Not only will these festivals guarantee that you’re in the right place at the right time, but they’ll allow you to take part in the kind of awe-inspiring wildlife migrations usually associated with more far-flung destinations. SoÌýbook your short-hop flight, grab your binoculars and field guides, and get ready to be captivated alongside North America’s most passionate birding enthusiasts.
Cape May Fall Festival
Cape May, New Jersey; October 17 to 20
New Jersey Audubon’s is the longest-running birding festival in the country—and for good reason. During the crest of the fall migration, more than 100 bird species can be spotted passing the Cape May peninsula, located at the southern tip of the state betweenÌýDelaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, a 50-minute drive from Atlantic City. One of the festival’s highlights is the sky parade of raptors (osprey, sharp-shinned hawks, and kestrels have been prevalent this month) that funnel over Cape May Point; last yearÌýmore than 50,000 raptors were counted by between September 1 and November 30. Enjoy daily field trips on land and sea led by notable birders and photographers, including the popular Trip to the Rips,Ìýa three-hour boat tour that offersÌýthe chance to viewÌýwaterbirds like gannets, gulls, and terns at the mouth of Delaware Bay, as well as marine mammals like bottlenose dolphins and humpback whales. Day pass from $85Ìý
Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival
Harlingen, Texas; November 6 to 10
Though the always features an impressive roster of daily field trips, professional guides, and keynote speakers, a big draw of the five-day event areÌýthe pre- and post-festival trips, which shuttle attendees to in-the-know birding hot spots near and far. This year’s four-day pre-trip, from November 2 to 5, starts in Houston and explores the piney woodsÌýand coastal marshes of the state, while the excursion following the festival,Ìýfrom November 11 to 15, ventures over the international border, nearly 300 miles south, to the Unesco-recognized in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. After a five-hour bus journey toÌýthe mountainous cloudforest in the state’s southeast,Ìýyou’ll be able to search for endemic species like the Tamaulipas pygmy owl and the Altamira yellowthroat. Registration from $25; trips from $825
San QuintÃn Bay Bird Festival
Campo La Chorera, Baja California, Mexico; November 8 to 9
Established by local communities and the land-conservation nonprofit five years ago, the annual is a two-day eventÌýthat aims to promote the protection of over 25,000 birds that visit San QuintÃn Bay every year. Located on the west coast of Baja California, 190 miles south of Tijuana, the region features wetlands, sand dunes, and meadows important to migratory shorebirds of the Pacific Flyway. While you need to register, the festival features a variety of free or affordable activities, including boat tours, guided birding hikes, and a bird-watching marathonÌýwhere participants try to identify as manyÌýspecies as possible in a single afternoon. Stay at a beach campsite in Ìý(from $10).
Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival
Fraser Valley, British Columbia; November 16 to 17
Less than two hours southeast ofÌýdowntown Vancouver is Fraser Valley, home the annual , a free event that commemorates one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Witness thousands of the raptors feed on spawned-out salmon on the banks of the Fraser River, get up close to the birds on boat tours, and check out local vendors, lectures, and family-friendly entertainment at various locations across the valley. While bald eagles (and salmon) may be the main attraction, keep an eye out for large numbers of trumpeter swans and blue herons drawn to the area’s mild climate.
Festival of the Cranes
San Antonio, New Mexico; November 20 to 23
Birders, photographers, artists, andÌýlocal Socorro County residents gather every year to witness the return of tens of thousands of sandhill cranes to their wintering grounds in the Middle Rio Grande Valley at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, 95 miles south of Albuquerque. On top of daily hikes, tours, and seminars organized by Friends of Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, offers 65 photography workshops geared towardÌýcapturing wildlife, which sharpens visitors’ perfect shots of the red-crowned birds. Other highlights include kid-friendly activities, like a hands-on duck-banding project and a biologist-led young birder’s walk. Registration is required for the festival, but like the San QuintÃn Birding Festival, it includesÌýboth free and affordable experiences, as well as more expensive workshops with professionals (from $95).