Families, bird enthusiasts and nature lovers invited to annual Spring Wings Bird Festival in Fallon

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - The Spring Wings Bird Festival is back this weekend! The city of Fallon is hosting this event May 20 and May 21 from 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. each day with events in downtown Fallon and at Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge. Stillwater is an avian safe haven for over 280 species, attracting hundreds of thousands of birds to its sanctuary each year.

Mike Goddard with the Lahontan Audubon Society stopped by Morning Break to talk about the various family-friendly activities.

Also celebrating World Migratory Bird Day, the event takes place during spring migration for birds through this part of the country. This event began in 1998 as a method of promoting and entertaining locals and visiting bird lovers, growing into one of Nevada’s most beloved wildlife events over the years.

Activities include:

• Big Day Birding Competition
  • Find as many birds as you can on May 20th from 12:01 am Saturday morning until 11:59 pm Saturday night. The individual or team who spots the greatest number of species will get their name engraved on the official Spring Wings Big Day Birding Contest trophy and bragging rights until the next festival!
• Bird Scavenger Hunt
  • Find the following list of birds in Lahontan Valley, drop off your completed scavenger hunt at Festival Central by 11:00 am Sunday and get entered in a drawing to win a prize.
• Spring Wings Bird Festival Passports
  • Pick up a passport at Festival Central, or download one here. Take your kid(s) who are 12 and under on a self-guided tour to each location and get their passport stamped if manned or take a photo. Plan on going to Stillwater NWR for your last stamp and present completed passport to the refuge staff there for a free ride on an AIRBOAT! Boat rides are for kids and one parent/guardian.
• Great Basin Bird Observatory Bird-a-Thon
  • GBBO is hosting the 2023 Nevada Bird-a-thon, a state-wide birding community event and fundraiser for bird conservation. Teams and individuals can participate by choosing one 24-hour period between May 5st-15th and record as many bird species within Nevada as possible. GBBO’s proceeds from the Nevada Bird-a-thon 2023 will go towards community science projects and research benefiting some of Nevada’s species in greatest need.

Stop by Festival Central to meet local experts. You can also pick up the Scavenger Hunt Bird list, area maps, and Passports. For more information, click here.

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