Early summer is great time birding, and many birding festivals in June take advantage of the end of spring migration and the beginning of breeding season to highlight a wide variety of bird species. The June bird festivals listed below offer a range of activities including field trips, presentations and other features, but festivals can vary from year to year – check each festival’s updated website for specific information, schedules, registration details and costs. Note: Only a few features of each festival are mentioned; many more are on each festival’s complete schedule!
Festivals are listed in chronological order according to the date they begin; scroll down or check additional pages for festivals later in the month, and if you are interested in an early June festival, also check birding festivals in May for late May events that extend into June.
Don’t see your favorite June birding festival listed? Email me to have it added to the directory!
Roger Tory Peterson Festival
Derek Bakken
- Dates: June 7-8, 2013
- Location: Jamestown, New York
In honor of one of the fathers of modern birding, the Roger Tory Peterson Festival features a wide range of bird walks and hikes as well as other events in a family-friendly atmosphere. Bird banding demonstrations, live raptor presentations, keynote speakers and more are frequent parts of this popular summer festival.
Adirondack Birding Festival
Franco Folini
- Dates: June 7-9, 2013
- Location: Lake Pleasant, New York
Centered around several area lakes, the Adirondack Birding Festival is a great opportunity to find not only waterfowl, but also boreal birds that thrive in mountain forests. Along with bird walks and guided hikes of different endurance levels, this festival includes a luncheon cruise, canoe trips and presentations, all of which are free except the cruise.
Northwoods Birding Camp
Dan Pancamo
- Dates: June 7-9, 2013
- Location: Sarona, Wisconsin
Though not a festival per se, the Northwoods Birding Camp is an unparalleled opportunity for adults to immerse themselves in Wisconsin's summer birding. With flexible options for one weekend or the full week, this event includes hikes, presentations, bird banding and other activities. All meals are included, and all experience levels are welcome.
Urban Birding Festival of the Twin Cities
Tony Hisgett
- Dates: June 7-9, 2013
- Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Sponsored by the Saint Paul Audubon Society, the Urban Birding Festival of the Twin Cities proves you can see a lot of birds and have a lot of birding fun in a major metropolitan area. Free events are hosted throughout the city and include bird walks, children's crafts, bird banding demonstrations and rehabilitated bird releases.
Wings Across the Big Sky
Louis
- Dates: June 7-9, 2013
- Location: Kalispell, Montana
One of the premier birding festivals in Montana, Wings Across the Big Sky features a wide variety of birding tours as well as wildflower walks, a bird-calling contest, birding by ear tours, biking tours, informational presentations, a raffle and a dinner banquet.
Sussex County Birding and Nature Festival
Jen Goellnitz
- Dates: June 8-9, 2013
- Location: Augusta, New Jersey
Experience New Jersey's greenest county at the Sussex County Birding and Nature Festival, and not only will there be birds, but also dragonflies, butterflies and more. This family-friendly festival includes birds walks as well as canoe trips, nature exhibits, children's activities and a keynote speaker.
Kaskaskia Valley Nature Festival
Manjith Kainickara
- Dates: No festival in 2013; Check back for 2014 details
- Location: New Athens, Illinois
Co-sponsored by the Kaskaskia Valley Audubon Society and the Illinois Audubon Society, this nature festival includes a focus on birds as well as other local wildlife. Festival events include a bluebird house workshop, hummingbird banding demonstration, American kestrel banding demonstration, presentations and information on insects and mammals.
Potholes & Prairie Birding Festival
Christopher Drake
- Dates: June 12-16, 2013
- Location: Carrington, North Dakota
Organized by Birding Drives Dakota, the Potholes & Prairie Birding Festival gives visitors the opportunity to see more than 140 bird species on a variety of walks and tours. Other features of the festival include an evening social, big day competition, digiscoping opportunities and a picnic dinner.
Dean Hale Woodpecker Festival
Linda Tanner
- Dates: June 13-16, 2013
- Location: Sisters, Oregon
More than 10 species of woodpeckers are seen annually at the Dean Hale Woodpecker Festival, and birders can also expect to encounter up to 200 or more additional bird species in the rich, diverse habitats the festival covers. In addition to all day and half day hikes with small, intimate groups, a night prowl is a popular part of this annual event.
Lostwood Birding Festival
Kevin Cole
- Dates: June 14, 2013
- Location: Bowbells, North Dakota
Birders can get lost in the birding excitement at the Lostwood Birding Festival. This free event includes multiple hikes and guided bird walks, many of which focus on grassland sparrows and other grassland species perfect for early summer birding. Bus tours and plant walks are also part of this festival.
Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua
Michael Woodruff
- Dates: June 14-16, 2013
- Location: Lee Vining, California
A unique event that focuses not only on birds but on all of local ecology, the Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua has a variety of field trips available to different bird habitats. Wildlife workshops, field sketching classes, campfire legends, wildflower walks, insect presentations and a gala dinner are all part of this festival as well.
Bobolinks at Byers Woods
Andrea Westmoreland
- Dates: June 22, 2013
- Location: Ashland, Ohio
A specialized half-day event, Bobolinks at Byers Woods celebrates these amazing members of the Icteridae family with interpretive walks led by top birders. Other festivities that are part of this free event include a vendor area and children's crafts.
