Stikine River Birding Festival, April 30 to May 3, 2020 has been cancelled due to COVID-19 BUT the Photo Contest is still open!

In order to follow guidelines from the State of Alaska and the City & Borough of Wrangell in preventing the spread of COVID-19, we are cancelling the 2020 Stikine River Birding Festival.
 

While festival events have been cancelled, birding is still a great way to get outside while still practicing social distancing. We are working on some alternative ways to share birding information this spring in lieu of public events.
 

We hope to see you at our 2021 Festival, April 29 - May 2!

Wrangell is the gateway community for the Stikine River Delta, where the arrival of thousands of bald eagles creates the largest springtime concentration in North America. The festival is the perfect opportunity for adventurous birdwatchers to observe millions of shorebirds, which migrate to the delta each spring. The Stikine River and its tributaries are located within the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness Area of the Tongass National Forest.

Many birds, including bald eagles, concentrate along the Stikine River in April to feed on little oily fish known as hooligan. Two thousand or more birds move between the Middle Arm and North Arm of the Stikine River. Hundreds of thousands of gulls also arrive in the spring to take advantage of this valuable food source. Gull species present at this time include: Banapartes, Herring, Glaucous, Glaucous-winged, California, Mew, Ring-billed, Thayers and Black-legged Kittiwake.

Each year the festival features a PHOTO CONTEST, ART CONTEST, guest speakers, birding excursions, Ducks Unlimited dinner, and family activities.  

Wrangell’s Stikine River Birding Festival provides an ideal opportunity for all ages to celebrate the spring migration. Events are scheduled for all ages and interests. The festival is sponsored by the Tongass National Forest and U.S. Forest Service International Programs in partnership with the City and Borough of Wrangell, the Wrangell Convention and Visitors Bureau, the James and Elsie Nolan Center, and Wrangell Public Schools. 

Check out online our Wrangell Island and Stikine River Birding Guide.