The Morro Bay Bird Festival returns January 16-20, 2025, for its highly anticipated annual event. The weekend full of birding adventures, expert presentations, and family-friendly activities celebrates the rich biodiversity of the Central Coast. Nature lovers, seasoned birders, and families are invited to experience one of North America’s top birding destinations, right here in our back yard. Registration starts Nov. 2.
This is one of the top 5 “birding” festivals in the US; the area is unique in that hundreds of thousands of migrating birds decide to spend their winter in the bay and surrounding area. Over 200 unique species of birds can be seen in and near the bay during this time.
The upcoming Festival will celebrate 28 years by bringing an estimated 900 participants to the area for a lineup of over 260 events. It will offer attendees a chance to attend presentations by subject matter experts and attend field trips ranging north to San Simeon, south to Oso Flaco Lake, east to the Carrizo Plain and west offshore 25 miles.
A Festival for All Nature Lovers
With more than 260 events, attendees can immerse themselves in birding tours, photography workshops, keynote lectures, nature journaling, kayak adventures, bicycle excursions, and much more. Guided field trips will explore Morro Bay’s diverse habitats where attendees will experience the winter migration of thousands of birds along our beaches, bay and all over San Luis Obispo County.
Free Events for the Local Community
The festival also features Community Family Day on Saturday, January 18, aimed at engaging local youth and families. The event offers fun, educational birding activities, arts and crafts, and eco-friendly vendors promoting local conservation and wildlife. From Friday, January 17-Sunday, January 19, 2025, the Vendor Bazaar offers an opportunity for the community to visit dozens of booths selling nature-oriented art, books, jewelry, and a variety of binoculars and scopes for bird enthusiasts. Both events are free to the public.
New events this year include condor adventures, nature journaling and sketching, technology on the birding trail, olive oil tasting while birdwatching, and riparian rhythms and forest bathing.
Keynote Speakers and Leader Events
This year the festival welcomes internationally acclaimed European speaker, writer, and tour leader David Lindo, also known as “The Urban Birder,” who will share his fascinating insights from around the globe on urban birding and conservation.
Other notable speakers include Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman, Rebecca Heisman, and other leading ornithologists, conservationists, and environmental advocates who will share their expertise on climate change’s impact on bird migration, bird photography, birding by ear, bird biology, feather ID, owling, and up-close adventures with sea otters, elephant seals, bats, butterflies, and mushrooms.
Registration Opens November 2, 2024
Secure your spot when registration opens at 8 a.m. on Saturday, November 2, 2024. The five-day pass is $186, granting access to 169 events at no additional charge. Additional fees apply to boat, kayak, and bus trips.
Volunteer With the Festival
Volunteers are essential to the festival’s success. Community members to invited to join the team and help out with the dozens of different volunteer opportunities. Volunteers receive a free festival T-shirt, free registration on day two, and the opportunity to join free post-festival birding excursions with festival trip leaders.
For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit MorroBayBirdFestival.org Anyone with questions or comments is asked to send an email to support@morrobaybirdfestival.org or leave a message at 805.600.2147.
