Overview of the Hawaii Island Festival of Birds
The incredible abundance and diversity of wildlife in Hawaii extends to our feathered residents as well. The Big Island is a wonderful place for bird watching and bird lovers gather here each year to explore and learn. The Annual Hawaii Island Festival of Birds is held each October. The festival is typically held at the Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
Wandering Tattler photo by Jack Jeffrey courtesy of Hawaii Island Festival of Birds
Hawaii Island Festival of Birds 2020 Event will be held digitally
The 2020 festival has been scheduled as a digital event from Oct 15-19, 2020. Please refer to the festival website for all information. They will be offering special, online bird-related content during the digital festival dates as well as give aways. The event theme is, “Wanderers and Migrants – Hawaii’s Unique Avian Visitors,” highlighting the migratory and accidental avian visitors that arrive in Hawaii each year.
Nēnē – an endangered Hawaiian goose
Festival activities were originally scheduled to include education on Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Monument, the Birds, Brews & Binos street fair, a reception, a film festival, guided birding excursions on land and sea and the event gala. Watch the festival website to see what all will be included in the alternative digital event.
The aukuu or Black-Crowned Night-Heron
Hawaii Island Festival of Birds 2020 Speakers
The key speakers originally scheduled for the 2020 Festival of Birds event include renowned experts on wanderers and migrants:
- Robin Baird, PhD. Hawaiian cetacean and seabird researcher with Cascadia Research
- Peter Pyle, Research Scientist, Hawaiian bird authority with the Institute for Bird populations
- Lindsay Young, PhD. Executive Director, Pacific Rim Conservation
Java Sparrow
Hawaii Island Festival of Birds Beneficiaries & Sponsors
Beneficiaries of this educational event are Hawaii Wildlife Center and The Hawaii Island Coast to Coast Birding Trail. The event sponsors include Hawaii Tourism Authority, County of Hawaii, Hawaii Forest & Trail, Destination Marketing, Hawaii Wildlife Center and Alaska Airlines.
For more information on how to attend tune into this exciting event, please visit the official Festival Website.
