Grand Isle Migratory Bird Festival

The best spring migration birding across the southeastern United States, the Grand Isle Migratory Bird Festival offers guided birding tours from Elmer’s Island, the Nature Conservancy’s Maritime Forest and Birding Trail to the Grand Isle State Park.  Grand Isle is an essential stop for migrating songbirds after their long flight across the Gulf of Mexico during spring migration. The island has become one of the best places in the world to see the variety of species during spring and fall migration. The Migratory Bird Festival not only celebrates their spring arrival, but also provides easy viewing access to visitors. See Neotropical birds in their splendid spring/breeding colors, songbirds in oak-hackberry woods, shorebirds and waders on beaches and in the marshes, and raptors overhead. Bird species in abundance: warblers, vireos, woodpeckers, Painted Buntings, wading birds, gulls, raptors. Over 100 species seen in a day. In past years, 168 bird species were identified during this event.

Daily, expert-led birdwatching tours on the Grand Isle Birding Trail, Elmer’s Island, and the Grand Isle State Park. Watch the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries catch migrating songbirds for weighing and measuring before release in Lafitte Woods Preserve. Kayak tours through the island’s mangroves and boat tours to pelican-rookery Queen Bess Island will also be offered as well as walking tours and wagon ride to visit historical homes that have survived hurricanes for over 100 years.

Registration will open online in January.