Discover the joys of spring migration at the picturesque Presque Isle State Park, which BirdWatching Magazine rates as one of the top birding spots in the country! Situated along Lake Erie’s southern shores in Erie, Pennsylvania, more than 320 species of birds have been recorded at the park! Presque Isle is also home to Gull Point, a sand plain sanctuary that hosts a wide variety of migrating shorebirds and seabirds and the only place in Pennsylvania where you’ll find nesting pair/s of the federally endangered Piping Plover! Presque Isle is a designated Important Bird Area and is nicely located on a major migration corridor. Anything could show up!
The 2026 festival features field trips to all the hotspots and workshops for every level, from:
Presentation: Rats with Wings and Trash Pandas
Presentation: Travels with BirdingApp
Presentation: Bird Joy: The key to unlocking our inner child
Field trip: Imperfect Quirky Bird Walk
Presentation: The extraordinary diversity of origins of our local mammals
Presentation: Birds and Words: Nature Writing for Pleasure and Publication
Witness science in action at Erie Bird Observatory’s bird banding station. Watch raptors ride thermals way up, up, up into the sky at the Presque Isle Hawk Watch. Bring your own kayak (or rent one here) and paddle into the Presque Isle lagoons with us as we search for migrating waterfowl, secretive marsh birds, & more!
Our scheduled 2026 Keynote is Amar Ayyash.
All this plus good food, great camaraderie, a welcome reception on Friday evening with music and fun; lots of friendly helpful people and a small ticket auction, to boot.
We are a small festival, limited to 150 attendees. None of the crowds, all of the birds. All skill levels welcome.
**Keynote information & pending schedule: **
https://www.presqueisleaudubon.org/festival-of-the-birds-at-presque-isle/
**Registration is required to attend - **
https://www.presqueisleaudubon.org/festival-registration/
**Questions can be sent to Jaimie at: jacey78@presqueisleaudubon.org **
