A pair of barn owls at Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area's nest box has produced eggs that can be viewed live online. According to state ornithologist Allisyn Gillet, the eggs are expected to hatch in mid-May. Indiana's DNR has installed over 400 nest boxes to protect endangered barn owls, which number fewer than 50 nests annually in the state.
Alabama Audubon's sixth annual Black Belt Birding Festival runs July 31-August 2, 2026, featuring guided field trips, keynote speaker Nate Swick from the American Birding Association, and events at The Joe Farm and Perry Lakes Park. The festival celebrates the region's distinctive birdlife, civil rights history, and ecotourism opportunities.
The Osprey Adopt-A-Nest program, a partnership between Audubon Great Lakes, the Michigan DNR, and Michigan Natural Features Inventory, invites volunteers to monitor osprey nests across Michigan. A 2024-2025 study found 56% of observed nests were built on cell towers, with over 97% on human-made structures, highlighting ospreys' remarkable adaptation.
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources highlights spring bird-watching opportunities, including World Migratory Bird Day events at the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Wildlife Education Center on May 9 and the 28th annual Great Salt Lake Bird Festival May 14-17. The article features numerous bird-watching locations across Utah's regions.
Wisconsin Fat Bird Week returns May 8-15 with a March Madness-style bracket featuring eight native Wisconsin birds. The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin and SOS Save Our Songbirds are partnering to raise awareness about native birds and encourage planting native plants to support them.
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission celebrates Bird Month in May with the theme "Every Bird Counts – Your Observations Matter." Activities include the Nebraska Birding Bowl competition, nature center programs at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park and Platte River State Park, and a bird-inspired kite-making workshop led by Dominique Ellis at the Schramm Treehouse Classroom.
April is an ideal month to view sage-grouse on their leks in Wyoming. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department, led by sage grouse biologist Nyssa Whitford, launched a Sage-Grouse Lek Viewing Guide to direct visitors to publicly-accessible locations and provides guidelines for responsible wildlife observation.
The Great Wisconsin Birdathon, coordinated by the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, returns for its 15th year from April 15 through June 15. Teams compete to spot birds and raise $130,000 for the Bird Protection Fund, which has raised over $1 million since 2012 supporting Wisconsin bird conservation projects.
Registration is open for the fourth annual Nebraska Birding Bowl, a free statewide competition running May 1-31 to celebrate Nebraska Bird Month. Organized by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission with support from Wild Bird Habitat Store, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Kowa Optics, and Vortex Optics, the event welcomes birders of all levels to compete individually or in teams using eBird to track observations.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Ruffed Grouse Society invite the public to a free guided woodcock walk on April 23 near Gladwin to observe the American woodcock's spectacular mating display. Participants will meet at 7:30 p.m. at the Lame Duck Foot Access Area, a DNR-managed Grouse Enhanced Management Site.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is offering four free spring birding tours across state wildlife areas to observe migratory birds including ducks, swans, osprey, bald eagles, and sandhill cranes. Tours are scheduled at Fish Point, Shiawassee River, Nayanquing Point, and Portage Marsh state wildlife areas from April through May 2026.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is hosting a free great blue heron viewing event on April 18 at the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Wildlife Education Center in Farmington. DWR biologists will assist visitors in spotting herons nesting in the rookery, with spotting scopes and binoculars available.
Utah's wetlands host tundra and trumpeter swans during spring migration in March. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources highlights three prime viewing locations: Salt Creek Waterfowl Management Area's Compton's Knoll, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge near Brigham City, and the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Wildlife Education Center at Farmington Bay.
The third annual Camp Warbler takes place June 1-3 at the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center near Roscommon. This all-inclusive getaway includes lodging, meals, transportation from Detroit, and activities featuring guided wildlife drives through Shiawassee Wildlife Refuge, visits to Hartwick Pines State Park, and a Kirkland's Warbler breeding site. Tickets are $450 per person.
Bald eagle populations continue to grow in Massachusetts, offering winter birders improved opportunities to spot these iconic birds. MassWildlife encourages observers to report eagle sightings and nests to help monitor the population's expansion across the Commonwealth.
Winter and early spring offer the best opportunities to view large concentrations of bald eagles across Nebraska. Prime viewing locations include Sutherland Reservoir, Harlan County Reservoir, Lake McConaughy, and areas below Gavin's Point Dam, with Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District maintaining dedicated viewing facilities.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is hosting two waterbird viewing events in southern Utah this month. The Delta Snow Goose Festival (Feb. 20-21) features free viewing at Gunnison Bend Reservoir where up to 20,000 snow geese gather, while a Jackson Flat Reservoir event (Feb. 21) showcases various duck species and other waterbirds with DWR biologists available to assist.
The DNR's third annual Camp Warbler runs June 1-3 at the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center near Roscommon. This all-inclusive event features guided birding activities, presentations, lodging, meals, and transportation from Detroit, including visits to Shiawassee Wildlife Refuge and a Kirtland's warbler breeding site.
Nine compilers reported results from Oklahoma's 126th Audubon Christmas Bird Count across 24 designated count circles, with 200 birders documenting 200,379 individual birds. The Tulsa Count Circle reported the highest bird count at 54,919 individuals, while the Oklahoma City Count Circle recorded the richest species diversity with 118 species, including notable sightings at Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge and other locations.
Niobrara State Park offers viewing blinds to observe sharp-tailed grouse mating displays from March 1 to May 1, with peak activity between March 7 and April 20. Reserve the trailer blind accommodating up to 12 guests or pop-up blinds by calling 402-857-3373. Use promo code "SHARPTAIL26" for discounted lodging at NebraskaStateParks.ReserveAmerica.com.