Pikes Peak Birding and Nature Festival

Spring migration along Colorado’s Front Range is often full of surprises. Pikes Peak Birding and Nature Festival offers a diversity of bird species found in short-grass prairie, forested foothills, deep canyons, and riparian forests.

Fountain Creek, an oasis on the plains, offers essential food and stopover sites for many resident birds and those migrating through the area. Walk the land where ornithologist Charles Aiken raised his sheep and see which bird species live there today. Observe which species thrive in our regional parks or learn about the geology of the renowned Colorado Springs Garden of the Gods City Park. Field trips include the 440-acre Kane Ranch Open Space, the rarely-accessible Jimmy Camp Creek Open Space, Corral Bluffs Open Space, and the restricted-access portion of the Paint Mines Interpretive Park.

Enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour at one of America’s most highly-regarded zoos, learn about Flammulated Owl research at the Manitou Experimental Forest, hone your skills at a photography workshop, expand your artistic side in a nature sketching workshop, learn about banding hummingbirds, and learn to identify the common raptors of the Pikes Peak region.

On Saturday evening, join us for the very popular “Birds and Brews” happy hour with free appetizers, drinks, and beer from Phantom Canyon Brewery. See the list of which birds have been seen or heard during field trips, visit festival sponsors and partners, enjoy music, and share stories with other participants. There will be door prizes and a silent auction.

Visit our website for festival information, registration, speaker bios, and field-trip descriptions to help you decide how to spend your weekend in and around the Pikes Peak Region. There are events for everyone.