Jackson Hole Birding Festival

Start: Thursday, May 22, 2025 6:00PM
End: Sunday, May 25, 2025 1:00PM

The first annual Jackson Hole Birding Festival will be held May 22–25, 2025, in Jackson, Wyoming. The Festival is a community celebration of the remarkable diversity of bird life in Jackson and on the magnificent, surrounding public lands. Based at the beautiful Center for the Arts, the festival will draw on a wealth of knowledge and experience of experts in bird conservation, tours, and educational opportunities to provide an engaging and informative immersion in the natural delights of the Tetons. Anyone who is interested in birds is welcome! Jackson Hole provides many opportunities to birdwatch in ecosystems containing iconic species like grizzly bears, wolves, and moose. From delicate alpine habitats to the sagebrush prairie, the region is home to diverse bird species, and the dense mixed forest provides a summer home for neotropical birds. The Festival is partnering with local nonprofits and agencies to offer a wide variety of trips, classes, and other opportunities. “Curlew Cruises” on the National Elk Refuge will take birders behind the scenes at the Refuge in search of Long-billed Curlews. Teton Science Schools is leading birding walks at the historic Murie Ranch. Teton Raptor Center will provide tours of their facility that will be followed by a nature art class with Lori Franklin. Other outings include nighttime adventures using thermal imaging gear; mindful birding by gondola at Snow King Mountain Resort with Holly Thomas; photography workshops; a curated bird-themed art show at the Center for the Arts; and much more. The Festival is also partnering with outfitters to lead half-day tours into Grand Teton National Park at reduced rates for attendees, while local birders will take people to hotspots around the town of Jackson. The Magpie Marketplace will showcase optics vendors, photographers, nonprofit organizations, and more. A grizzly bear interactive exhibit where participants can test their skills using bear spray will be a highlight on the lawn at the Center for the Arts. In the evenings, world-class speakers will take to the stage at the Center for the Arts. Diego Calderón-Franco will talk about being kidnapped in Colombia and then birding with his captors years later. Denver Holt from the Owl Research Institute will present “The Hidden Hunters: Exploring Evolutionary Owl Adaptations.” Tiffany Kersten will talk about her Big Year and elevating women birders. Lynette St. Clair of the Shoshone Nation will present “Beauty, Power, and Wisdom: The Symbolic Significance of Our Winged Relatives.” Jackson Wild will present conservation films. For more information or to register, visit www.jacksonholebirdingfestival.com.