On Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, more than 500 birders will visit Morro Bay, California (a Globally Important Bird Area), to see, photograph, and learn about birds. Morro Bay offers panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, a federally protected estuary, plenty of beaches, parks and museums, and best of all, thousands of birds. Approximately 200 species are sighted each festival.
The 2022 Festival features 163 events over 5 days, including master classes, pelagic cruises, birding by boat and kayak, bus and car trips throughout San Luis Obispo County, day hikes, and many informative workshops. Birders of all levels are welcome. Nature Track events (highlighted in turquoise on the Festival schedule) emphasize natural history and wildlife interactions, with less emphasis on bird identification.
Young adults and teens are encouraged to participate. Registration fee is waived for attendees aged 17 and under.
A complete description of all events can be found under the Festival Schedule tab. Online registration begins Saturday, November 6, 2021, at 8:00 am Pacific Time. For newcomers, practice registration opens on October 30 at 8:00 am Pacific Time. Some events fill up fast, so have a list of your top choices.
Here's just a taste of what we will be offering in the 2022 festival.
- Field trips by bus
- Meet-you-there field trips
- Pelagic trips
- Boat trips
- Kayaking
- Meet the Raptors
- NEW: Master Classes
Follow us on Facebook and other social media at https://www.facebook.com/MBWBF. We’ll keep you informed of updates, changes and new events as they occur.
Thank you for your continued support of the Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival. We look forward to seeing you in 2022!
Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival Board
Important Update
Covid-19
Our goal is to ensure that all participants are safe and protected during the festival. Therefore, all attendees, leaders and volunteers must provide proof of vaccination. We are looking at the various methods used throughout the country and will keep you posted. In the meantime, we advise you to take a photo of your immunization card with your cell phone, or have the ability to provide a digital immunization record.
Festival Bazaar
Keeping everyone safe means limiting all indoor activities to vaccinated attendees only. Therefore, we will forego our Public Vendor Bazaar in 2022. We look forward to inviting them back in 2023! Please support our Vendors online.
Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival Board
Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival Special Events
25th Anniversary Celebration
Friday, January 14th, 5:00 to 7:00 at the Morro Bay Community Center.
Come celebrate 25 years of the joy of birding in Morro Bay. Enjoy wine, appetizers, and cake with your fellow birders as we remember festivals of the past.
We are excited to showcase opticals from Out of This World, Wildlife Ambassadors from Pacific Wildlife Care and Allis Markham, award-winning taxidermist/Nassologist.
Keynote:
John Muir Laws
Saturday, January 15, 2022, 7:00-8:30pm
Cuesta Performing Arts Center
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Birders
How can you see more and relate to birding in a way that gets you out of the house, into the field, and loving every minute of it. It is not about the size of your life list but the mindset that you bring to your adventures outdoors. John Muir Laws will explore seven practices and habits of mind that enhance your ability to notice more around you, connect with community, help protect birds, and have fun all the while.
Keynote:
Raymond VanBuskirk
Sunday, January 16, 2022, 7:00-8:30pm
Cuesta Performing Arts Center
Birding: Medicine for the Soul
The natural world brings depth and meaning to our lives; it offers deep personal connection to our natural heritage and healthy escape from the hustle and bustle of the modern world. Arguably one of the most enjoyable aspects of birding is sharing the diversity of the birding experience with others....Join me as I share my experience of growing up as a young birder, and what birding means to me. I will recount tragedy, grief, and the healing powers of nature, and why this is reason enough to do everything we can to safeguard the natural world for generations to come.
Please enjoy the following recorded keynote speaker presentations from previous bird festivals: (Hint for optimum viewing: open this webpage in your cell phones browser and "cast" to a nearby smart tv. Turn up the volume on your tv)
- John Muir Laws Presentation - Part 1
- John Muir Laws Presentation - Part 2
- Chris Cameron - Migration and Peregrines
- How Woodpeckers can save the World: Stephen Shunk presenter, 2020 Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival
- Dancing with the Grebes: Krisztina Scheef, presenter, 2020 Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival
- Birding the Globe with James Currie: James Currie, presenter, 2019 Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival
- The World's most amazing birds, Seabirds: Alvaro Jaramillo, presenter, 2019 Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival