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.

If you plan to arrive on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, you can take advantage of early check-in from 3-6pm at the Morro Bay Community Center, Morro Bay, 1001 Kennedy Way. Festival hours can be found here.

The first thing to do:  Go to the festival HQ and check-in.  If you haven't registered, you can do so at this time. Check-in and registration open at 6:00 a.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and 6:45 a.m. Monday.

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 2024, trips are meeting at alternate locations to avoid over crowding. For directions, refer to location maps provided in your registration packet or Bobolink App. 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, leaders will describe the best route to the event venue (field trip location).

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. Mask wearing is optional for each person. Bring binoculars, camera and extra batteries along with scope if desired; we will have storage space for scopes during transit.

Maps are no longer provided in the packets.  Guests can ask for a map at the Trip Starter/Information Desk.

Lunches:  If you ordered a lunch, you must pick it up at HQ (the Community Center) BEFORE NOON. 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. Contact Registration if you need to make a change or cancel.

Morro Bay Bird Festival ONLINE registration closes noon, January 4, 2024. No refunds are available after this date and time, and no further changes can be made to your registration until ONSITE registration opens.

Onsite registration will open on Thursday, January 11 at 6am and you can request changes to an existing registration at that time. You can do so by visiting Festival HQ at the Morro Bay Community Center, by sending a message to support@morrobaybirdfestival.org or by using the Bobolink app to contact the Festival. New registrations can also be made starting January 11; these must be made at Festival HQ.

Thank you for your support of the 2024 Bird Festival.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

Cancellations made before noon January 4, 2024, will result in a refund of fees paid, less $35 administrative fee for each registrant.  Refunds will be processed by the Registrar after the festival. No refunds will be made for cancellations after noon, January 5, 2024, or for no-shows.

Morro Bay Winter 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.

Need information about the program, registration and/or closed events? Either visit other pages on this website (to download the schedule, the program detail, or the registration form), or call the Bird Festival at (805-600-2147). Or you can email Registration,

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 trip has two types of venues – the Meeting Venue and the Event Venue. The Meeting Venue is the location where that trip meets. The Event Venue is the location where the trip takes place. Trip 102, Birding Montana de Oro, meets at the South Bay Community Center and takes place at Montana de Oro. In some cases, the Meeting Venue and the Event Venue are the same place, such as trip 110, Birding for Beginners Workshop. This workshop meets at and take place at The Inn at Morro Bay.

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.

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.

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