A great way to enjoy birdwatching is by going to festivals—they’re organized to get you to well-known birding spots at the right time of year, and they’re a perfect way to meet people. Experts and locals help you see more birds, and you’ll meet other visitors who share your hobby. While you’re there, keep an eye out for Cornell Lab representatives, as we do attend several festivals each year.

To list your festival on this page, please contact our advertising manager:
Susanna Lawson
phone: 434-983-1771
fax: 434-983-1772
svl22@cornell.edu

Festivals by Location

See the map and listings, below, for upcoming festivals.

Originally published in the Spring 2022 issue of Living Bird magazine; updated October 2024. Subscribe now.

The genomes of Baltimore and Bullock’s Oriole are almost identical, but one key point of difference is a chromosomal in­version within a set of hundreds of genes, including genes that appear to account for the different range of orange and black coloration be­tween the two species.

Jennifer Walsh, a researcher in the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Center for Biodiversity Studies, discovered the chromosomal inversion when mapping the two orioles’ genomes, and she says it may be a reason that distinct oriole species arose from a single ancestral species—and stayed separate.

That’s because chromosomal in­versions, genetically speaking, have staying power. The inverted section of one parent’s chromosome can­not successfully recombine with the non-inverted section of the other parent’s chromosome during meio­sis, when the DNA combines, splits, and combines again. Chromosomal inversions can happen within a sin­gle species as well, and sometimes they give rise to what evolutionary biologists call a “supergene.”

That may sound like a caped hero from a children’s biology book, but supergenes are more like characters in a mystery—and they’ve been key to several recent studies aiming to solve the puzzle of how species di­verge and evolve.

A supergene is a region of DNA that contains closely linked traits. When a supergene is inverted, it cre­ates a pathway for that entire suite of traits to get passed down as a unit, sometimes leading to fascinating adaptations.

In White-throated Sparrows, for example, two supergenes under­pin a unique reproductive strate­gy. The species has, in effect, four sexes—”white-striped” male and female and “tan-striped” male and female. White-striped birds mate almost exclusively with tan-striped birds, and vice versa. The inverted supergenes play a part in maintain­ing this mix of different forms with­in a single species.

In Ruffs, which are large Eurasian shorebirds, a supergene resulted in three distinct plumage patterns for male birds. The Ruff supergene also underlies a complex and unlikely mating system in which a small percentage of males grow up to look like females and sneak their way into reproductive success. (See Among Ruffs, Some Fight-Loving Fighters Don’t Like to Fight, Summer 2018.)

Most recently a supergene has been identified that plays a part in plumage variation in the much-de­bated redpoll complex. Common and Hoary Redpolls are considered to be separate species as of this writ­ing. But research published in the journal Nature Communications in November suggests that Common and Hoary Redpoll genes regu­larly get mixed around through interbreeding, with the supergene playing a part in maintaining the differences in appearance between the streakier, larger-billed Common Redpoll and the paler, smaller-billed Hoary Redpoll.

“I think, solidly now, the new pa­per shows that there is widespread gene flow across the [redpolls’] ge­nome, except for this one region, and it just so happens this one re­gion influences how they look,” says University of Colorado Boulder sci­entist Scott Taylor, an author on the paper and former Cornell Lab post­doctoral fellow.

Irby Lovette, director of the Cor­nell Lab’s Fuller Evolutionary Biolo­gy Program, says the new findings add weight to the idea that the redpolls might actually be one species: “I think it would be hard…not to lump the redpolls based on those new findings.” [Update: In 2024 this came to pass: Common, Hoary, and Lesser Redpolls were lumped into a single species, now called simply Redpoll.]

In the case of the orioles, Walsh says it’s not proven that the Baltimore–Bullock’s inversion is a super­gene because there is still no research that directly links the inverted genes with reproductive fitness or appearance—but she wouldn’t rule it out. Walsh calls the oriole chromosomal inversion “a major region of interest” in the search for the next avian supergene.

Birds are brilliant and colorful; they sing sweet melodies; they perch outside our windows to bring us joy. And they… send a cold shiver down our spines? It seems like there’s a bird out there for every emotion we can feel. So today we celebrate the spooky birds—including not just night birds and vultures, but birds that happened to be captured in an evocative moment: a Western Capercaillie “howling at the moon”; a Green Heron in a scene festooned with spiderwebs; a hummingbird with a decidedly goth sensibility, and many more gems from our Macaulay Library archive. We hope they thrill you (in a good way).

Crows and ravens are large black birds in the family Corvidae. They’re found on most continents and are often common around towns, cities, and agricultural land. But with more than 40 species worldwide it can sometimes be tricky to identify them to species.

Four species of crows and ravens are widespread across the U.S. and Canada: American Crow, Fish Crow, Common Raven, and Chihuahuan Raven. (Tamaulipas and Sinaloa Crows of Mexico, and Hawaiian Crow, endemic to Hawaii, are not covered here.) The best clue for identifying these four species is usually the voice, but the species differ in some other subtle ways, too. This page will help you recognize the differences among these often confusing birds.

Crows and Ravens: By Sight

Click on each species name to go to its in-depth identification page in our All About Birds species guide.

American Crow

Fish Crow

Common Raven

Chihuahuan Raven

Crows and Ravens: By Sound

One of the best ways to tell crows and ravens apart is by their calls. Here are some expert tips on the sounds they make, and what those sounds mean.

Practice by listening to the sounds of each species:

American Crows have a strong, harsh caw.

Fish Crows make a weaker, more nasal, and often 2-noted caw.

Common Ravens make a deep, throaty croak.

Chihuahuan Ravens make a deep kraaa sound.

Recording credits: American Crow: Mike Anderson, Geoffrey A. Keller, Geoffrey A. Keller; Fish Crow: Geoffrey A. Keller, Oliver H. Hewitt; Common Raven: Mike Anderson, Geoffrey A. Keller; Chihuahuan Raven: William W. H. Gunn, William W. H. Gunn, William W. H. Gunn; all recordings via Macaulay Library.

October is right around the corner, and that means its time to mark your calendars for October Big Day—12 Oct 2024!

Like Global Big Day, October Big Day is an opportunity to unite around our shared love of birds. Last October, nearly 36,332 people from 191 countries submitted 83,735 checklists with eBird, demonstrating the power of birds to bring people together. Each year more and more participants join in this global celebration, how many people will contribute this year?

Wherever you are on 12 October, take a few minutes to join in this global celebration. Participate from anywhere—even from home! By taking part in October Big Day you’re also celebrating Global Bird Weekend and World Migratory Bird Day. Be a part of the global team and help set a new record for October birding.

Plan for your October Big Day

Whether you’re a seasoned birder or just starting out, October Big Day is the perfect opportunity to contribute to participatory science, enjoy nature, and connect with a global community of bird lovers. With two months left to the big day, here’s how you can prepare for the celebration:

• Take the free eBird Essentials course for an introduction to eBird or learn how to make your checklists more valuable for science and conservation,
• Use eBird Mobile Explore to plan your route by locating nearby places to go birding and recently reported species.
• Explore Birds of the World to discover new things about your favorite species —FREE ACCESS starting 8am ET Friday, October 11th through 9am ET Monday, October 14th.
• Download the free Merlin Bird ID app to help you to identify the birds you see and hear on October Big Day. Upload your recordings to your eBird checklists to help Merlin identify more birds by sound.

How to participate

• Get an eBird account: eBird is a worldwide bird checklist program used by millions of birders. It’s what allows us to compile everyone’s contributions into a single massive October Big Day list—while at the same time gathering data to help scientists better understand birds. Sign up here. It’s 100% free from start to finish.
• Watch birds on 12 Oct: It’s that simple. You don’t need to be a bird expert or go out all day long, even 10 minutes of birding from home counts. October Big Day runs from midnight to midnight in your local time zone. You can report what you find from anywhere in the world.
• Enter what you see and hear in eBird: You can enter your observations via our website or download the free eBird Mobile appto make submitting lists even easier. Please enter your checklists no later than 15 Oct to be included in the results announcement.
• Watch the results roll in: During the day, follow along with bird reports from more than 180 countries in real-time on our October Big Day page.

eBird Trip Reports on October Big Day

eBird Trip Reports are a great way to share where you went and the birds you found on October Big Day. We had so much fun exploring eBird Trip Reports from last October and can’t wait to see more this year!

Simply create an eBird Trip Report for 12 October 2024. As you submit lists and upload media throughout the big day, they’ll be added to your report automatically. Send the trip report link to friends and family so they can follow along. (Learn more about eBird Trip Reports)

Create an eBird Trip, such as this one from October Big Day 2021 by Liam Ragan, to share your locations, species lists, and media from October Big Day. You can make eBird Trip Reports for past October Big Days as well!

October Big Day Pro Tips

• Make your observations more valuable: submit complete checklists, keep counts of the birds that you see, and keep multiple checklists throughout the day.
• Bring a Friend: Birding with others can be more enjoyable and can help with spotting and identifying birds.
• Share what you’re seeing on social media with #OctoberBigDay!

No matter where you go birding on 12 October, have fun, enjoy the birds you find, and share your observations with eBird. Your checklists will help us better understand global bird populations through products like these animated abundance maps brought to you by eBird Science.

From the Autumn 2024 issue of Living Bird magazine. Subscribe now.

It may look like this bird is giving the camera the stare-down, but look closely … it’s actually looking down. Spanish photographer Rafael Armada found this Cinnamon Flycatcher while exploring the Aburra Valley region of Colombia. Armada was with ornithologists documenting the northernmost population of a different species, the Yellow-headed Brushfinch, when he happened upon a pair of Cinnamon Flycatchers perched at eye level.

“At one point, one of them flew down to catch a fly while the other, still perched, followed the movement with its eyes,” says Armada. “That’s how I managed to capture this picture, where the big eyes of the flycatcher seem to be looking at me, while its beautiful yellow crest is exposed.”

See more of Armada’s work in the new book Portfolio 1: Photographs and Stories of Extraordinary Birds, available from Lynx Nature Books.

From the Autumn 2024 issue of Living Bird magazine. Subscribe now.

Ornithologists and birders across the Northern Hemi­sphere have long grappled with the question of how many species of redpolls—small, streaky finches with neat red caps—exist. In its 2024 checklist update, the American Ornithological So­ciety provided a clear answer: the three redpoll species previously recognized by the AOS—Common, Hoary, and Less­er Redpoll (of Europe)—are now a single species, known simply as Redpoll.

This redpoll lump is the result of a 2023 proposal submitted to the AOS North American Checklist Committee by Nicholas Mason, assistant professor at Louisiana State University; Erik Funk, postdoctoral fellow at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance; and Scott Taylor, associate professor at the University of Colorado. Mason and Taylor were researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in 2015 when they completed DNA analyses that found no genetic differences between Common and Hoary Redpolls. Based on those results, published in the journal Molecular Ecology, they proposed lumping the two species in 2017. The committee declined, however, because they said the underlying research couldn’t fully explain how the larger, paler, shorter-billed Hoary Redpoll could look so different than a Common.

In 2021, Funk—then a PhD student in Taylor’s lab at the University of Colorado—found the answer. Using whole-genome data, Funk discov­ered that a chromosomal inversion, also known as a “supergene,” explains the plumage variation within redpolls.

While some birders might mourn the loss of one or two species from their personal life lists, Taylor hopes the birding community will appreci­ate the interesting new story of the red­poll supergene discovery. “This actually makes redpolls even more fascinating to me,” he says. “You still have morpho­logical [physical] variation even though you have widespread gene flow.”

Other highlights from this year’s checklist update include the splitting of the cosmopolitan Barn Owl into three species (American Barn Owl is the new name for birds found in the Americas) and the splitting of House Wren into two widespread species—Northern House Wren and Southern House Wren—and five Caribbean endemic species: Cozu­mel, Kalinago, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Grenada Wrens. See a full rundown of the 2024 AOS Checklist changes.

From the Autumn 2024 issue of Living Bird magazine. Subscribe now.

In May 2024, officials from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources announced a complete, indefinite closure of Deveaux Bank—a small sandy island just off the coast of Charleston, at the mouth of the Edisto River. It’s a long-awaited boost for the thousands of Brown Pelicans that nest there, along with Black Skimmers and several species of terns. Deveaux is also a key stopover site for migratory shorebirds like Red Knot, Piping Plover, and, famously, Whimbrel.

Deveaux Bank made national news in 2021 when scientists announced that around 20,000 Whimbrels—more than half of the eastern North American population—use the horseshoe-shaped spit of sand and vegetation as a way station each fall as they travel from Arctic nesting grounds to South America. Upon the 2021 announcement, former Cornell Lab of Ornithology director John Fitzpatrick told the New York Times: “This was one of the most mind-blowing discoveries in the history of 20th- and 21st-century ornithology.”

Because of its outsized importance to different birds at different times of year, concerned citizens and conservationists have lobbied to close Deveaux Bank to boat landings in the past. New statewide beach regulations and increased patrols around Deveaux Bank started in 2022, but efforts to close the area completely were hampered by local pushback from people who had boated to the bank for decades for fishing and swimming.

Then in August 2023, the South Carolina coast was hammered by Hurricane Idalia, and later that year by a December nor’easter. By the time spring rolled around, the 200+ acre Deveaux Bank had been decimated: a scant 22 acres remained above the high-tide line.

The new reality for Deveaux Bank prompted local leaders and the SCDNR to announce a total closure of the remaining sandbar, citing the extreme reduction in area and its importance as bird habitat.

In a May news release, SCDNR announced: “In light of the magnitude of Deveaux’s [nesting Brown Pelican] colony and the fact that the nesting birds are squeezing into ever-shrinking habitat, the agency is temporarily closing the entirety of the sanctuary to safeguard a colony that is critical to pelican reproduction not only for South Carolina but also for the region.”

Felicia Sanders, the SCDNR biologist who first discovered the masses of migrating Whimbrels in 2017, says the timeline for the current closure is still uncertain: “Since this is the first year to close the entire island during the spring and summer, we are still figuring out how long it needs to remain completely closed. Other SCDNR-owned seabird sanctuaries are closed March 15 to October 15 … [to] protect immature pelicans as well as migrating birds.”

Sanders points out that shifting water currents at the mouth of the river have already helped Deveaux Bank accrete new land, so she thinks the sandy spit will continue to be a crucial migratory stopover spot for Whimbrels: “We went to Deveaux [during spring migration] and attempted to count Whimbrel roosting. The team counted 10,000 Whimbrel and guessed there could have been another 10,000 that roosted on a sand spit that has formed oceanward of Deveaux…. So we think there is still plenty of habitat.”