Alaska Fish & Wildlife News
April 2024
Alaska Birding and Wildlife Festivals for 2024
A number of Alaska birding and wildlife festivals are planned for the coming months. In some cases, 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 5 – 27, 2024, Ketchikan
Sponsoring Organization: Ketchikan Southeast Alaska Discovery Center
The Rufous Hummingbird is the most widely distributed hummingbird in North America, and the most common hummingbird in Alaska (Anna’s Hummingbird is the only other, and a rare visitor at that). 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 Southeast Alaska Discovery Center serves as the hub for a series of events, including a juried art show opening at 5 p.m. April 5 highlighting birds, bird habitat, and bird migration.
Scheduled activities include Saturday morning guided bird walks, the Friday Night Insights lecture series, and Earth Day activities at the Discovery Center. All programs and activities are free to the public.
For more information contact Hazel Brewi at 907-228-6246 or hazel.brewi@usda.gov
Spring Migration Celebration
Saturday, April 27, 2024, Noon-4 pm
Fairbanks, Creamer’s Field, organized by the Friends of Creamer’s Field
A visit during late April offers great viewing opportunities for Trumpeter Swans, Canada Geese, White-fronted Geese, and various species of ducks. Activities include birdwatching, wildlife viewing, guided nature walks, and crafts for school-aged children.
For information visit the Friends of Creamer’s Field website
Friends of Creamer's Field: 907-978-8457
The Stikine River Birding Festival
April 24-28, 2024, Wrangell
For more information contact 800-367-9745 or in Alaska 907-874-2829. You can also visit the Stikine River Birding Festival website.
Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival
May 8-12, 2024, Homer
The Homer- based festival is located on the beautiful shores and waters of Kachemak Bay. With more than 100,000 shorebirds migrating through in early May, this event celebrates the return of spring and migrating birds. Since 1993 the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival has offered great birds, excellent guiding, educational seminars and workshops, and children’s activities to thousands of birders of all ages and all skill levels. Kachemak Bay provides miles of shoreline and intertidal habitat for migrating birds. Kachemak Bay’s unique ecology, easy accessibility to beaches, and the scenic landscapes of Homer make this a prime location to experience this annual migration.
Discover festival opportunities, register for festival events, download the program, and get updates at kachemakshorebird.org.
The keynote speaker is Ted Floyd who is the longtime Editor of Birding magazine. He has written more than 125 articles and has contributed to many scholarly journals. He has also written five bird books. Adriana Nelson is the 2024 recipient of the Schantz Scholar Award. She was also named the 2020 American Birding Association Young Birder of the Year. This year’s Festival Artist is Homer local, Torie Rhyan.
Sponsoring Organizations: The Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges and Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.
Shorebird Festival coordinator Melanie Dufour: 907-226-4631 Kachemakshorebird@gmail.com
32nd Annual Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival
May 2 -5, 2024 Cordova
The Keynote speaker is Subhankar Baner Jee who is a professor of Art and Ecology and director of the Center for Environmental Arts and Humanities at the University of New Mexico. The initial schedule includes five guided birding trips, a shorebird ID 101 class, guest presenters, and much more. Check the Copper River Shorebird website for schedule updates. For more information call 907-424-7260 or email FESTIVAL@COPPERSHOREBIRD.COM
Bear Aware and Mother’s Day Event
May 12th, 2024 (Mother’s Day), Noon-4 p.m. Alaska Zoo, Anchorage. Moms have FREE zoo entry on this day!
Sponsoring organization: The Alaska Zoo
BE BEAR AWARE
Mother’s Day at the zoo is an annual tradition which combines bear awareness and a special day out with the moms in your life. Treat them to free zoo entry! Enjoy seeing zoo bears and other animals.
Some of the activities will be the annual bear resistant container testing, bear safety, bear spray clinic, bear crafts, and bear biofacts. For the black bear resistant container testing meet on the black bear bridge at 1 p.m. and for the brown bear testing meet at the brown bear bridge at 3 p.m. Both sessions will be streamed live on the Alaska Zoo Facebook page.
Yakutat Tern Festival
May 30-June 2, 2024, 2024 Yakutat
The Yakutat Tern Festival is a celebration of the natural and cultural resources of Yakutat, Alaska. Join us to experience unique recreation opportunities including children's field trips and activities, adult workshops, guest speakers, educational programs, local foods, and more!
This year's festival features Keynote Speaker Denny Olson who is the Flathead Audubon Conservation Educator. Chantil Bremner, the 2024 featured artist, is a local Yakutat traditional beader. There will be workshops, field trips, presenters, and more. Please check out the Yukutat Tern Festival website for more information and updates.
Potter Marsh Discovery Day
June 1, 2024, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m., Potter Marsh
Sponsoring Organization: Alaska Department of Fish and Game
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 so much more. There will be a food cart available.
If you have any questions about the event, please contact marian.snively@alaska.gov
Summer Hummingbird Days
Saturday June 1, 2024, 9:00am – 2:30pm
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
43520 Seward Highway
Girdwood, Ak 995874
Sponsoring Organization: Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Event details can be found and will be updated at: https://alaskawildlife.org/event/summer-hummingbird-days-2024/
The rufous hummingbird migrates to Alaska from as far south as Mexico each spring. The edges of Turnagain Arm are part of their furthest north habitat range. They can be seen humming around the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) eating, displaying territorial behavior, and pollinating our local flowers.
This event is put on in partnership with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. During this event one of Alaska’s three hummingbird banders (USFWS) will be doing a banding demonstration, expert talks will be given on Rufous Hummingbirds, current impacts to their population, and their ecosystem roles. Additionally, there will be activities for kids and learners of all ages and door prizes. This event is free with admission to AWCC. Can’t make it to the event in person? There will be a live stream at 2:00pm where you can catch up on the happenings of the day. For more information contact Lily Grbavach – Director of Education, education@alaskawildlife.org
Music in the Mountains
June 1, 2024, 6 p.m.-10:00
Sponsoring organization: Eagle River Nature Center 32750 Eagle River Road
Details are developing.
For more information contact Laura Kruger at info@ernc.org or call 907-694-2108.
Reflections Lake Discovery Day
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Department of Fish and Game
June 15, 2024, Noon – 4 p.m.
Reflections Lake is nestled within the larger Palmer Hayflats State Game Refuge, where tens of thousands of birds fill the air with life and sound. Thousands of dabbling ducks including Northern Pintails, mallards, Green-winged Teal and American Wigeon; and diving ducks, primarily Greater Scaup along with Northern Canvasback, Common and Barrow’s Goldeneyes, Common and Red-breasted Mergansers, and Buffleheads, flock to the Hayflats in the springtime to nest and breed. The Hayflats are also an important stopover for spring and fall migrations of swans, Sandhill Cranes, and Canada, Greater White-fronted (including the tule subspecies), and Snow Geese. Shorebirds arrive in spring to feed on the mudflats during their northerly migration and return in smaller more scattered numbers in mid to late-summer as they migrate back south. Upland birds including songbirds and game birds are found in forested and brushy areas throughout the refuge.
Join us to celebrate this vibrant and diverse refuge for the annual Reflections Lake Discovery Day! At this free, family-friendly event, visitors can 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, outdoor crafting activities, watch dog retriever demonstrations, and more!
For questions about this event email burl.dickman@alaska.gov
Alaska Bear Festival
July 24 -28, 2024 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. Covid precautions will be in place, and live events will be held.
For more information and to contact Bearfest: 907-874-2998
See Anan Wildlife Observatory website
Tanana Valley Sandhill Crane Festival
August 23 – 25, 2024 Fairbanks
Sponsoring Organization: Friends of Creamer's Field and Arctic Audubon Society.
Each August, thousands of Sandhill Cranes begin their southward passage from Alaska and Siberia and the Tanana Valley rings with gathering calls. One of the best places to catch this spectacle is at Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge in the heart of Fairbanks, Alaska where daily Sandhill Crane tallies regularly top 1,000. The best time to enjoy fall staging is late August and early September.
The festival includes talks, bird watching, nature walks, workshops, and many other related activities with ample opportunities for observing cranes and other fall migrants.
View the 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
Dates for 2024 To Be Announced, it is typically held in early November in Haines
Sponsoring Organization: American Bald Eagle Foundation.
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. The peak of the gathering usually occurs in mid-November.
Events are at the American Bald Eagle Foundation Raptor Center and Natural History Museum at the intersection of Second Street and the Haines Highway. The center has live raptors on site, (eagles, owls, falcons and hawks), and museum exhibits. Specifics are pending; typically there are presentations and featured speakers.
For information contact Business Manager and interim Director Lilianna Benassi 907-766-3094
Website will be updated as presenters and events are confirmed.
More on the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
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