2023 FESTIVAL OF BIRDS
January 14-21, 2023
Pre-registration is required for all activities (prices vary).
Hear lectures from birding experts on January 14: $10 admission includes access to three 45-minute lectures, a decoy workshop, and the Environmental Learning Center. Keynote speaker is an additional $25.
Take guided field trips to wildlife hotspots around Southwest Florida
Participate in birding workshops and classes
Registration is now open!
Early bird Members Only registration opened November 29. Become a member for exclusive access for future events.
SPECIAL GUESTS AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING CENTER
Seabird Social: Decoy Painting Workshop
Help biologists, volunteers, and students paint these cutouts known as decoys for next summer's breeding season!
Scrub-Jays
Learn how drones are used to discern habitat selection of Florida Scrub-Jays. Presented by Meredith Heather, Research Assistant at Archbold Biological Station.
Chasing Migration
See how birds have been tracked in the past and present and how Rookery Bay fits in to the bigger picture. Learn how you can track them yourselves. Presented by Collette Lauzau.
Beach Nesting Birds: Strategies for Uncertain Times
Learn about the pressures facing beach nesting birds and the efforts being taken to ensure their survival for future generations presented by Rochelle Streker, Southwest Florida Shorebird Manager, Audubon Florida
Keynote: Conservation Success Story
Join us for a reception and presentation about saving petrels and people by Tabitha Stadler, Executive Director at Environmental Protection in the Caribbean.
FIELD TRIPS
Rookery Bay: Sunrise Flyoff Boat Tour
Venture out into the estuary at sunrise to witness over a thousand birds fly from the famous Bird Rookery Island in a massive unified fly-off!
Rookery Bay: Sunset Roost Boat Tour
Join us for a beautiful sunset cruise through Rookery Bay in search of nesting bald eagles, osprey, terns, gulls, shorebirds and waders.
Big Cypress: Bear Island Bike Ride
Bring your own bike and join us exploring the hardwood hammocks, pinelands, cypress swamps and prairies of the Bear Island Unit in Big Cypress National Preserve.
Big Cypress: National Preserve Kayak Tour
Bring your own kayak and paddle with us along one of the scenic waterways in Big Cypress National Preserve to explore the diversity of plant and animal life along the way.
Big Cypress: Birding Caravan and Boardwalk Tour
Join a Park Ranger to learn the easy-to-get-to spots in the Big Cypress National Preserve that can be enjoyed by amateur and expert birders.
Bunche Beach: Birding Walk
We will spend the morning walking along Bunche Beach, the mainland side of San Carlos Bay, to see an abundance of shorebirds and wading birds.
Corkscrew Swamp: Backcountry Swamp Buggy Trip
Board a swamp buggy vehicle to explore the "off-limits" backcountry as we traverse several habitat types searching for birds.
Corkscrew Swamp: Morning Birding Walk
Experience the sights and sounds of the awakening swamp with one of our naturalists guiding you on the boardwalk.
Eagle Lakes: Birding for Beginners
Join us for an easy walk at a great birding spot. This trip provides an introduction to birding and tips on how to identify the most common birds in our area.
Fakahatchee Strand: Swamp Tromp
Wade through cypress forest and popash-pondapple sloughs in water from 1 to 2 feet deep! Discover a rich growth of tropical plants, as well as many birds and other animals.
Ten Thousand Islands: Birding the Marsh Trail
Walk the Marsh Trail path within the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge to experience variety of wetland habitats and to see many unique species of wading and marsh birds.
Tigertail Beach: Lagoon Birding
Would you like to learn to identify shorebird species you see when you take a trip to the beach? If so, this is the program for you!
ACTIVITIES
Essentials of Digital Photography
Learn how to get the most from your digital camera at this workshop!
Lunch & Learn Lecture Series: Birds of Rookery Bay
Enjoy a hot buffet from Carrabba’s Italian Grill and learn about "The Birds of Rookery Bay and How They Tell Us Their Stories" by Avian Specialist, Collette Lauzau.
Watercolors & Wildlife: Herons
Paint the beauty of coastal Naples and the wildlife of estuary waters in this watercolor painting class.
Virtual Binoculars Workshop
Learn ID skills and discuss the amazing journeys of migrating and wintering shorebirds.
Seabird Social: Decoy Painting Workshop
Help biologists, volunteers, and students paint these cutouts known as decoys for next summers breeding season!
2023 FESTIVAL OF BIRDS CALENDAR
Become a Member
Connecting people with southwest Florida’s dynamic coastal environment in support of Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.
