Alaska Fish & Wildlife News
April 2025
2025 Alaska Bird and Wildlife Festivals
A number of birding and wildlife festivals are planned in the coming months. In some cases, planning is still underway and specific presenters are being finalized, but most festivals will feature guest presentations, birding outings, youth activities and guided walks and tours. Check with specific festivals regarding advance registration, travel and lodging details, and ancillary outings through local guides and marine transporters which include additional charges.
Alaska Hummingbird Festival
April 4 to 26, 2025
Southeast Alaska Discovery Center Ketchikan
The rufous hummingbird is the most widely distributed hummingbird in North America, and the most common hummingbird in Alaska. The rufous migrates to Alaska every spring, traveling up the coastline from the Pacific Northwest, arriving in Alaska throughout April.
The Alaska Hummingbird Festival celebrates the return of Rufous Hummingbirds to the Tongass National Forest. The festival offers a series of educational and creative events, including a juried art show (open to all Alaskan artists) to promote awareness of the region’s spring migratory birds. The show’s opening reception, presented by the Cape Fox Foundation, is at 5 p.m. on April 4 at the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center. Artwork will be on display through May 30, 2025. The festival’s series of events continue through April 26 and include Saturday morning guided bird walks, the Friday Night Insights lecture series, and Earth Day activities at the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center. All programs are free to the public. For more information, call 907-228-6220.
A schedule of events is on the Discovery Center website
For more information contact Hazel Brewi at 907-228-6246 or hazel.brewi@usda.gov
Gunsight Mountain HawkWatch Weekend
April 19 and 20, 2025
Mile 118.8 on Glenn Highway (near Anchorage)
Celebrate migrating raptors with this annual spring event put on by the Anchorage Audubon Society, which typically oversees HawkWatch for the season at Gunsight Mountain.
Migrating raptors seen along the ridgeline during Gunsight Mountain HawkWatch Weekend include Golden Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks, Rough-legged Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Northern Goshawk, American Kestrels, Peregrine Falcons, Merlin, and occasionally Swainson's Hawk and Osprey. Bring warm clothing, binoculars, spotting scopes, lunch, snacks, water, and lawn chairs.
Spring Migration Celebration
Saturday, April 26, 2025, Noon-4 pm
Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge in Fairbanks, organized by the Friends of Creamer’s Field
Celebrate the coming of spring at the Spring Migration Celebration with the Friends of Creamer’s Field, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and more local outdoor organizations. This event is free to the public and will have fun for all ages. A visit during late April offers great viewing opportunities for Trumpeter Swans, Canada Geese, White-fronted Geese, and various species of ducks. Activities include meeting local outdoor organizations, guided nature walks, wildlife viewing, and crafts for kids and families. Please dress for the weather and wear boots.
For information Friends of Creamer’s Field website Friends of Creamer's Field: 907-978-8457
The Stikine River Birding Festival
April 23 to 27, 2025
Wrangell
The Stikine River Delta—located within the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness area of the Tongass National Forest—has the largest springtime concentration in North America of Bald Eagles, followed by Sandhill Cranes, and Snow Geese. The Stikine River Birding Festival celebrates spring in Southeast Alaska and is the perfect opportunity for birders to spot millions of shorebirds, which also migrate to the delta each spring. Wrangell's birding festival includes activities like bird feeder building, art and photo contests, guest speaker lectures, and exploring the surrounding islands and Stikine River flats.
https://travelwrangell.com/birding-festival
Wrangell Convention and Visitor Bureau, 800-367-9745, in Alaska 907-874-2829
The Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival
May 1 to 4, 2025
Cordova
In early May, the tidal flats of the Copper River Delta shimmer with the activity of hundreds of thousands of shorebirds. As many as five million shorebirds rest and feed in the Cordova area during spring migration. Organized by the Cordova Chamber of Commerce, the Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival provides the ideal opportunity for birders to be part of this epic migration. Many activities, workshops, and community events are offered throughout the festival. For more information, use the link or call 907-424-7260.
Events are included in festival registration: keynote speakers, classes, birding adventures, and discounts on third party events like Net Loft fiber art workshops, Copper River Canvas paint night, and boat & bike birding tours. Transportation shuttle service will not be provided this year.
Registration: $125 adults, $25 for students (13-18 years old), children 12 and under are free, but please register so organizers have an accurate count of attendees.
Presenters include keynote speaker Rob P. Clay, a migratory bird conservation expert with over 20 years of experience. Originally from the UK, his passion for Neotropical birds began during an undergraduate expedition to Paraguay in 1992, leading to Ph.D. studies on manakins in Costa Rica and Panama. The international presenter is Vianey Ramirez, originally from Colombia, who has more than 10 years of experience in shorebird conservation.
Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival
May 7 to 11, 2025
Homer
The annual Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival—organized by Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges and held at the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center—offers expert speakers, naturalists, and guides who will share their extensive wealth of birding knowledge. Enjoy field events, workshops, presentations, tours by boat, bus, and kayak, and several birding hotspots in and around the Homer area. Also the very popular bird calling contest. When your day of birding and exploring Homer winds down, spend your evening enjoying the great line-up of entertainment for all ages. To find more information, see the website and/or contact the festival by email.
In recent Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festivals as many as 134 bird species were identified.
Discover festival opportunities, register for festival events, download the program, and get updates at kachemakshorebird.org.
The featured speaker is Ben Mirin, an ethno-ornithologist, musician, science communicator and media producer. He is based in the Cornell Lab or Ornithology. His presentations will include a wildlife sound recording workshop, musical performance, and a coffee get-together. More details in the festival program
Sponsoring Organizations: Homer Chamber of Commerce and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges and Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.
A festival pass is $20 and provides access to many events, however, many other events have some additional charge. The program, available online offers excellent details.
Shorebird Festival coordinator Marcy Melville: 907-226-4631. For issues with registration, call 877-317-0595.
Yakutat Tern Festival
May 29 to June 1, 2025
Yakutat
The Yakutat Tern Festival is a celebration of the natural and cultural resources of Yakutat in northern Southeast Alaska. Yakutat hosts one of the largest and southernmost known nesting colonies of Aleutian Terns, as well as Arctic Terns, and up to 200 other bird species that nest in or migrate through the area. The festival is family-friendly and offers activities for birders as well as non-birders, including field trips, seminars, kid’s activities, keynote speakers, evening banquets, bird-banding demonstrations, and other programs.
The 2025 Keynote speaker is Julia Zaraki
A nice article by the Audubon Society published Feb. 12, 2025 on the festival: At Alaska’s Yakutat Tern Festival, seabirds and Local Culture Soar https://www.audubon.org/news/alaskas-yakutat-tern-festival-seabirds-and-local-culture-soar
More information: https://www.yakutatternfestival.org/
Potter Marsh Discovery Day
May 31st from 12 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Events are at Potter Marsh, E 154th Ave, Anchorage.
Potter Marsh is a wetland that attracts many species of waterfowl, shorebirds, songbirds, eagles, and more. There is a boardwalk that can take you to viewing stations along the way with one ending near an eagle’s nest. Potter Marsh Discovery Day is an annual event that includes many activities such as archery, bear spray demonstrations, spin casting, arts, birding stations, bat information, and more.
Sponsoring Organization: Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Utqiagvik, Alaska - Migratory Bird Festival
June 13, 14, and 15th, 2025.
The primary festival events will be hosted at Fred Ipalook Elementary School, with tours leaving the festival daily.
Initiated in 2023, this relatively new festival is still getting established. More information at their Facebook page:
Utqiagvik Migratory Bird Festival
Reflections Lake Discovery Day
Saturday June 7, 2025, Noon-4pm.
Reflections Lake, Palmer
Celebrate Palmer Hayflats Refuge at this free, family-friendly event. Engage with birding stations along the boardwalk, assist ADF&G staff with a fish release, learn how to deploy bear spray, participate in hands-on nature activities, go geocaching, and more!
Alaska Bearfest
July 30 – Aug. 3, 2025
Wrangell
Presenters include bear biologists and researchers. Opportunities are available to travel to Anan Creek for bear viewing, up the Stikine River, and to the LeConte Glacier. Wrangell offers a number of opportunities for viewing other wildlife - bird, whales and marine mammals - as well as bears. Excursions can be easily set up with local operators during the festival. Free guided nature and bird watching walks will be offered.
For more information and to contact Bearfest: 907-874-2998 See Anan Wildlife Observatory website
Tanana Valley Sandhill Crane Festival
August 18-24, 2025. The main festival weekend is Aug. 23 and 24
Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge in Fairbanks
The festival is organized by the Friends of Creamer's Field in collaboration with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Alaska Songbird Institute, and the Arctic Audubon Society.
Each August, thousands of sandhill cranes begin their southward passage from Alaska and Siberia. One of the best places to catch this is at Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge in the heart of Fairbanks, Alaska where daily sandhill crane tallies regularly top 1,000. Fall staging is late August and early September.
Enjoy nature walks, bird and wildlife viewing, photography, workshops, kid’s activities, silent auction, food, a chance to win Alaska Airlines Tickets, and more! The schedule: Tanana Valley Sandhill Crane Festival
Video on Sandhill Cranes at Creamer’s Field with ADF&G biologist Mark Ross
For information visit the Friends of Creamer’s Field website or call 907-978-8457
Alaska Bald Eagle Festival
Main Celebration Weekend: November 7th, 8th, & 9th, 2025
Haines
Eagle viewing within the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve - along the Chilkat River from many stops on the Haines Highway (10 mile to 26 mile, with biggest concentration between 19-23 mile). In some years more than 3,000 eagles gather along the four-mile stretch of the Chilkat River north of Haines in the fall to feed on a late run of salmon. This wildlife spectacle is the largest gathering of eagles in the world.
Sponsoring Organization: American Bald Eagle Foundation.
To access general information about the festival and the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, please follow this link: General Festival Information
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