Frequently Asked Questions
The festival is a complex event, and even though our volunteers have been working to keep it smooth and user friendly, there are always things that are not totally obvious.
If you don't find an answer here, email support@morrobaybirdfestival.org
Headquarters: Check-in, Registration, Bazaar and Hospitality are at the Morro Bay Community Center, 1001 Kennedy Way. Many workshops and field trips start from this location. You can always get information about an event or Morro Bay in general at HQ.
All registrants should come to the Festival Headquarters to check in and pick up their registration packet and any pre-ordered merchandise. Festival Headquarters is the Morro Bay Community Center, Morro Bay, 1001 Kennedy Way. If you plan to arrive on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, you can take advantage of early check-in from 3-6pm at Festival Headquarters.
Festival hours can be found here.
The first thing to do is go to the festival HQ and check-in. If you haven't registered, the volunteers at the registration desk will assist you. Check-in and registration open at 6:00 a.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and 6:45 a.m. Monday. If you plan to arrive on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, you can take advantage of early check-in from 3-6 pm.
Field trips go, rain or shine. Under some circumstances, a trip may be cancelled and we will provide an alternative if possible. Pelagic trips will be cancelled if the Coast Guard or the Captain believe conditions are unsafe. Leaders may cancel a trip if they believe it is necessary. We will refund fees for specific trips if they are cancelled by the bird festival, the trip leader or the Coast Guard.
Pay close attention to the information in your registration packet or Bobolink App regarding Meeting Venue. In the past, most of our trips met at festival HQ. For 2026, trips are meeting at alternate locations to avoid overcrowding. For directions, refer to the location information provided in your registration packet or use the Bobolink App for directions. Plan to arrive at your meeting venue 10 minutes before the scheduled start time.
Please note that the starting time for the event means you need to be at that location by that time, so plan ahead.
Transportation to the majority of field trips and workshops is with your private vehicle. For our field trips that depart from Festival Headquarters, leaders will describe the best route to the event location and attempt to arrange car pools.
All boat trips leave on time. Note that the trip start time is the departure time; you should arrive at the appropriate dock location at least 15 minutes prior to departure time.
For bay cruises, dress for weather as it can be windy on the bay. For pelagic trips, some considerations are: Bring layers of clothes to keep up with changing temperatures, and at least one windproof coat and a warm cap. Light fabric long-sleeved shirts and pants can protect you from sun and wind. Bring close-toed shoes with sufficient tread. Sun protection is extremely important, so bring a sun hat, sunblock, and sunglasses. Give consideration to taking an appropriate anti-seasickness remedy prior to departure. Bring binoculars, camera and extra batteries; scopes are not appropriate for the pelagic trips.
All of our bus trips feature easy in and out access; in most cases, there will be multiple stops through the trip. Bring binoculars, camera and extra batteries along with scope if desired; we will have storage space for scopes during transit. For full day trips, be sure to bring a lunch and water/drinks.
Maps are no longer provided in the packets. Guests can ask for a map at the Information Desk.
Lunches: If you ordered a lunch, you must pick it up at HQ (the Community Center) BEFORE 1PM. Lunches will be available starting at 6am.
Please note: lunches will not be delivered to your field trip.
Changing your registration: Our online registration system does NOT permit changes by registrants once registration is complete. Registration change requests can be made at any time up to and during the Festival. If you need to add or remove one or more events, contact our Support Desk by messaging: support@morrobaybirdfestival.org. Include your name, registration ID and information on the changes requested. During the Festival, you can also make registration change requests by using the Bobolink app or by visiting Festival HQ at the Morro Bay Community Center.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
Cancellation and Refund Policy: Cancellations made before midnight on December 29, 2024 will result in a refund of fees paid, less $40 administrative fee for each registrant. Refunds will be processed by the Registrar after the festival. No refunds will be made for cancellations after December 29, 2024 or for no-shows. Morro Bay Bird Festival reserves the right to cancel any event for any reason, and you will receive a full refund for any paid event which we cancel.
Bobolink is a web application that allows registrants to view their trips, see what trips have available spaces, get maps and directions to Festival venues and communicate with the Festival support team. Once you have registered, you will receive info on how to set up a log in with the app. If you did not receive this info, send us an email to support@mybobolink.org.
Each Festival event has two types of venues – the Meeting Venue and the Event Venue. The Meeting Venue is the location where that event meets. The Event Venue is the location where the event takes place. Example: Trip116, Birding Laguna Lake, meets at the Morro Bay Community Center and takes place at Laguna Lake. For many events, the Meeting Venue and the Event Venue are the same place. Always go to the Meeting Venue for your event.
A Master Class is defined as a class taught by someone who has an expert knowledge or skill in a particular area, such as photography, gull identification, etc. You do not need a particular skill set in that area to attend. The Master Classes will touch on all aspects within the time allotted.
The MBBF will be sharing all the eBird Checklists collected from the various field trips via this website. To find your checklists and share links, go to morrobaybirdfestival.org/ebird-checklists/
All lost and found items will be located at Festival HQ; come to the Information Desk to inquire about your item. Please return any items found to this desk. You can also use the Bobolink App Blog to post messages about lost and found items.
There are no "waiting lists" but if you monitor the open events ( a link available during the festival) you can request to be added to any open trip. You can request this in person at Festival HQ or by emailing support@morrobaybirdfestival.org
You can order merchandise using the Registration process. However, we are unable to ship merchandise to you. Any pre-ordered merchandise would have to be picked up at the Festival Headquarters.
If you have a valid registration and cannot attend, we will send any purchased merchandise to you, for destinations within the US. We are unable to ship outside the US. You must make the request to send your merchandise prior to Festival close on January 20, 2025.
For cancellation of registrations prior to December 30, 2025, you will receive a full refund of fees minus $40 per registrant. The refund amount includes fees paid for merchandise. We are unable to ship merchandise for canceled registrations.