Southeast Arizona Birding Festival

08/20/2026

You may have heard of the recent earthquake in Colombia--on behalf of Southeast Arizona Birding Festival friend, sponsor, and presenter, Giovani Ortiz of Icaro Birding Tours, we share this message of seeking help for those affected:
"If you have traveled to Colombia for birding or plan to soon, I can assure you you'll remember much more than the birds. You'll remember the guides who shared their knowledge and passion with you, the families who welcomed you, the lodges and reserves that opened their doors, and the people who made your experience in Colombia possible. Today, some of them need our help.
Following the recent earthquake, birders, guides, families, reserves, lodges, and birding places have been affected. Colombia’s birding community have come together to reactivate , an initiative originally created in 2020 during the pandemic to support our community in difficult times. We are currently identifying and verifying affected people and places and raising funds to provide support where it is most needed.
If Colombia and its birds have given (or will give) you special memories, today we invite you to stand with the people who helped make those experiences possible. Every contribution, no matter the amount, can make a difference.
https://vaki.co/en/vaki/birders-together
Important note about your donation: When you make your contribution, Vaki may automatically suggest an additional 15% contribution to support the Vaki platform. This amount does not go to and is completely optional.
If you can't contribute financially, sharing this campaign with other birders, travelers, and friends of Colombia is also a meaningful way to help.
Once again, we come together. Thank you for being part of this community."
--Giovani Ortiz and Icaro Birding Tours

Colombia needs our help.Birders Together is bringing the birding community together once again to support birders, guides, families, reserves, lodges, and birdwatching places that need us today.Your contribution will help support cases identified and verified by the campaign. Once again, we come tog...

08/18/2026

We really appreciate you being part of this year's Southeast Arizona Birding Festival! The birds were plentiful, the people were joyful, and our community was inspired. Thank you! Here are a few numbers to highlight:

* Preliminary species count is 236. This would be our second highest total, with only 2022 coming in ahead at 241. Once we have all the eBird lists together we will share the final number. See the eBird Trip Report at https://ebird.org/tripreport/557012

* Total registrants for the festival: 960! This doesn't include the 150+ who attended the Family Birding Day and the many people who visited the Nature Expo throughout the week.

* 124 Volunteers, 115 Field Trip Leaders, and 26 Presenters. Huge thanks to each and every one who shared their expertise, time, and resources with us!

We hope to see you next year: August 11–15, 2027!

08/14/2026

Thanks to all who have sent festival photos, they are great! Here's a small selection from today--be sure to see the full set on the monitor at the check in tables.
We look forward to more!

08/14/2026

Calling all junior birders and families! Tomorrow is Family Birding Day at Reid Park! Come on out for some early morning nature fun. 8-10am.

08/13/2026

The Festival has begun! Some quick highlights so far...

08/13/2026

Bonner Black in concert tomorrow night! Tix still available at https://www.ticketmaster.com/bonner-black-191-toole-tucson-arizona-08-14-2026/event/1900647AA20057B5

Tucson, Arizona! I’m coming to do my 2 favorite things on earth on my birthday with you 😭 I could not be more excited. Forreal gonna named my future kid Tucson Bird Alliance (Tuc for short).

08/12/2026

Back by popular demand, share your festival photos with us this weekend! Send bird photos, trip photos, landscapes, wildlife shots, etc to Matt at [email protected] and we'll add them to the slideshow playing near the stage in the Nature Expo. It's a great way to showcase the full festival experience. Thank you!

08/12/2026

Don't miss the Festival Opening Party sponsored by Vortex Optics tonight 4:30–6:00pm in the Nature Expo. It's the best way to kick off your long weekend of birding!
* Free appetizers & enjoy a free drink courtesy of Vortex Optics!
* Raffle drawings for prizes
* Unveiling of Bird and Wildlife Big Boards
* Check out over 50 vendor booths chock full of cool, birdy stuff!

And most important, we'll find out what the first bird of the festival is and add it to the big board! Will Broad-billed Hummingbird win again or will House Sparrow finally dethrone it?? Or perhaps something else... See you there!
UPDATE: Festival featured guest Bonner Black saw her lifer Vermilion Flycatcher out in the parking lot as our first bird of the festival!!
https://tucsonbirds.org/festival/nature-expo/

08/11/2026

WELCOME to FESTIVAL WEEK!
A few things to be mindful of as we anticipate the big bird party:

🟠Festival headquarters is at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Tucson – Reid Park.

🟠Our #1 Goal: "Inspire People to Protect and Enjoy Birds." Everything your festival leaders and Tucson Bird Alliance staff and volunteers are doing is because we want you to be inspired. Thanks for joining us in our mission!

🟠Stay hydrated and cool. Drink more water than you think you should and use the electrolyte packets generously sponsored by SUNVEK Roofing.

🟠Follow along as we track our bird sightings on our eBird trip report, https://ebird.org/tripreport/557012 . Let's get to 230!

🟠Join us for daily FREE celebration hours. Free entry and appetizers, door prizes, raptors, and laughter. This is where festival connections can be made, and you'll find some good deals on optics too! The daily Nature Expo features over 50 exhibitors including our Tucson Bird Alliance Nature Shop! Find details at https://tucsonbirds.org/festival/nature-expo/

08/11/2026

Festival Featured Sponsor: Naturalist Journeys.
Naturalist Journeys, LLC offers worldwide small-group birding and nature tours and is a locally-owned company right here in Southeast Arizona! One of our valued festival sponsors, Naturalist Journeys also partners with us on international tours throughout the year. Check out our partner tour with them in 2027 to India, only a few spots left!

Discover the wonders of India - amazing birds, mammals, and landscapes as Naturalist Journeys travels to Nagarhole National Park and other birding and nature hotspots on this Western Ghats India birdi