Alaska Fish & Wildlife News
April 2026
2026 Bird and Wildlife Festivals
There are many festivals planned in the coming months which include bird and wildlife festivals. 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 3 to May 1
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 festival includes Saturday morning guided bird walks, a Friday Night Insights lecture series, Family Fun Day activities, a juried art show, and more. All programs are free to the public. To learn more about the schedule of events look here.
For more information contact Hazel Brewi at 907-228-6246 or hazel.brewi@usda.gov
Gunsight Mountain HawkWatch Weekend
April 18 and 19
Mile 118.8 on Glenn Highway
Celebrate spring by observing migrating raptors at this annual spring event. It is 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 Hawks, Northern Goshawks, American Kestrels, Peregrine Falcons, Merlins, and occasionally Swainson's Hawks and Ospreys. Bring warm clothing, binoculars, spotting scopes, lunch, snacks, water, and lawn chairs. For more information check here.
Spring Migration Celebration
April 25, 11-4 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 be 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 more information view here or call Friends of Creamer's Field: 907-978-8457
The Stikine River Birding Festival
April 22 to 26
Wrangell
The Stikine River Delta—located within the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness area of the Tongass National Forest—has North America's largest springtime concentration of Bald Eagles, 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
For more information call the Wrangell Convention and Visitor Bureau, 800-367-9745, in Alaska 907-874-2829
The Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival
May 7 to 10
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 call 907-424-7260.
Events are included in festival registration: keynote speakers, classes, workshops, and birding adventures.
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
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 artist, Yumi Kawaguchi, carves woodblocks and presses them onto Japanese paper. Her inspiration comes from time spent outside, watching wildlife, and enjoying nature.
Sponsoring Organizations are Homer Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges, and Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.
Registration is $27.75 for adults and 7.55 for children under the age of 18. A pass costs about $20.00 and provides access to many events, however, many other events have some additional charges. The program, available online offers excellent details.
For questions contact the festival coordinator, Marcy Melville: kachemakshorebird@gmail.com. For issues with registration, call 877-317-0595.
Yakutat Tern Festival
May 28 - 31
Yakutat
The Yakutat Tern Festival celebrates 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, 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 2026 Keynote speaker is Paul Bannic.
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.
More information: https://www.yakutatternfestival.org/
Potter Marsh Discovery Day
June 6, 12- 4 p.m.
Potter Marsh, E 154th Ave, Anchorage.
Potter Marsh is a wetland with an extensive boardwalk where you can view birds and other wildlife. There are breeding Tree Swallows, Lesser Yellowlegs, Arctic Terns, Sandhill Cranes and much more. It is not uncommon to see moose and other wild mammals walking through this wetland area.
Potter Marsh Discovery Day is an annual family friendly event that includes many activities such as archery, bear spray demonstrations, spin casting, arts, birding stations, a bat station, falconry birds, Alaska Zoo porcupine, and more.
If you have any questions, please contact Marian Snively at marian.snively@alaska.gov.
Reflections Lake Discovery Day
June 13, 12-4 p.m.
Reflections Lake, Palmer
Celebrate the 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!
Sponsoring Organization: Alaska Department of Fish and Game
If you have any questions, please contact Burl Dickman at burl.dickman@alaska.gov.
Summer Hummingbird Days
June 13, 9 a.m. -2 p.m.
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
This family-friendly event celebrates Alaska’s tiniest travelers with a full day of activities. There will be live hummingbird banding demonstrations at the center. Join us for fascinating talks on hummingbird natural history, pollinators, and plants. There will be fun, hands-on educational activities for all ages. There will be door prizes, special guests, and more. If you can’t make it in person, you can catch the action on their Facebook Live stream. Stay tuned for updates and find the event page here: https://alaskawildlife.org/event/summer-hummingbird-days-2026/
Alaska SalmonFest
July 31 to August 1st
Kenai Peninsula Fairgrounds, Ninilchik
Salmon fest is a music festival and a hub that supports all salmon related causes and more. One of the features is the ‘Salmon Causeway’, where you can learn about how to act on issues facing Alaska and its communities. This music festival attempts to be a Zero Waste event even using discarded materials to be resources for others to use. They locally source food and services whenever possible. You can find a lineup of bands and learn more about the event here.
Alaska Bearfest
Aug. 6 to 9
Wrangell
This activity-packed event will include an art workshop, a cooking demonstration, Alaskan Native stories and culture, smoked salmon contest, a half marathon, a dinner, and an auction. Kid activities include the famous Bearfest fish toss, and much more. Saturday night there will be live music at the Marine Bar. To find out more about this event here is the schedule. If you would like to contact Bearfest call 907-874-2998.
Tanana Valley Sandhill Crane Festival
August 16-23
The main festival weekend is Aug. 22 and 23.
Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge in Fairbanks.
There will be nature walks, photography, workshops, many other activities, and a chance to win Alaska Air Group tickets (formerly called Alaska Airlines). For more information about the schedule look here.
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.
Check the Creamer’s Field schedule for other activities.
Alaska Bald Eagle Festival
Main Celebration Weekend: November 6-8
The American Bald Eagle Foundation, 113 Haines Highway, 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 mile-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.
Check General Festival Information for developing updates
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