Thanks to its location on the East Coast Flyway, birders flock to Maine each spring and fall, hoping to add another species to their life lists. Most Maine birding festivals have activities for everyone, from first-timers to experts. These include guided hikes and boat tours, lectures, and other presentations. The most popular activities tend to fill quickly, so plan ahead. This year, due to Covid-19, expect reduced numbers for social distancing and some programs offered online. (updated Feb. 25, 2023)
2024 Maine birding festivals
Feathers Over Freeport, April 27-28, 2024
This festival, free with park admission, offers weekend activities, such as bird walks, hawk watch, vernal pool exploration, and fun for all ages at Bradbury Mountain State Park and Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park.
Down East Bird Fest, May 24-27, 2024
Trescott is the headquarters for this annual festival. Activities occur in the Cobscook Bay Area, including Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge in Baring and Edmunds. According to organizers, the Cobscook Bay region offers the “greatest habitat variety on the East Coast.” Birders in this region have identified nearly three-quarters of the more than 400 bird species sighted in Maine. Habitats include boreal and northern hardwood forests, bogs, fresh- and salt-water marshes, grassy and shrubby fields, streams and lakes, steep and rugged headlands, extensive tidal flats, and coastal islands. Optional session range from $15-250.
Wings, Waves & Woods, May 17-19, 2024
Island Heritage Trust coordinates this annual festival, with most events held on Deer Isle. Nearly two-dozen species of warblers as well as nesting and breeding shorebirds may be sighted on guided walks through the trust’s preserves. In addition, the event includes boat trips.
Acadia Birding Festival, May 30-June 2, 2024
Activities for this annual Maine birding festival occur throughout the Acadia region, including Mount Desert Island (the alleged warbler capital of the world) and the Petit Manan section of the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge. Activities include field trips, van trips, boat trips, and virtual, with fees varying by activity. Pre- and post-trips are usually offered.
Rangeley Birding Festival, June 7-9, 2024
The Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust and Maine Audubon present this festival in the Rangeley Lakes region of Maine’s western lakes and mountains. The promise: The best boreal birding in Maine. Activities include guided walks and hikes in varied habitats.
