Celebrate the Avian Diversity of Southwest Montana
Southwestern Montana features a variety of habitats, ranging from rocky canyon slopes along the Missouri River, to open shrublands, up through forested mountain slopes, and down to vibrant riparian areas where spring warblers and orioles sing from towering cottonwoods. For its 23rd Wings Across the Big Sky bird festival, Montana Audubon aims to celebrate these species-rich habitats and the large community of local birders in the Queen City of the Rockies – Helena, Montana. The festival will be held May 31 – June 2, 2024 at Carroll College in Helena.
The Wings Across the Big Sky birding festival is traditionally held in a different location across the state each year, which lets attendees experience the wide variety of habitats and species that call the Big Sky State home. Helena offers a great central starting point for trips in the area, including some right in town for those who want to maximize time birding, and others a bit further away from the hustle and bustle.
This year’s festival celebrates Helena and the surrounding area’s ecological diversity and abundance of birdlife with 23 guided field trips through the area’s shrublands, wetlands, grasslands, and forests on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Led by local bird experts, the birding trips include tours of several state parks and Wilderness Management Areas (WMAs), as well as local birding hotspots. A number of trips are on private property and in locations not generally open to the public. In addition, attendees can choose from a guided canoe/kayak trip on Lake Helena WMA and a special field trip to the Spring Meadow Lake bird banding station, hosted by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and Montana WILD.
Delivering this year’s keynote presentation is Tiffany Kersten, founder of Nature Ninja Birding Tours. Kersten, a Wisconsin native who now lives in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, has been hooked on birds since the age of 12. She spent 15 years working in conservation and environmental education with organizations including the US Forest Service, US Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Cape May Bird Observatory. She spent 2021 traveling to all corners of the Lower 48 states, tallying birds and gifting personal safety alarms to women she met along the way. Her goal was to see 700 species and raise awareness of women’s safety in the outdoors. She ended up setting a new record of 726 species. The title of her presentation is “Birdie Big Year- Elevating Women Birders.”
Tiffany Kersten
In addition to Kersten’s keynote presentation, there will also be bird science lectures by Montana Audubon staff and other regional researchers and professionals. The Saturday evening banquet features a State of the Birds Address by Montana Audubon Executive Director Larry Berrin, the presentation of Montana Audubon’s Conservationist of the Year Award, and a live auction.
For more information and to register for the festival, visit the Wings Across the Big Sky Birding Festival webpage.
Explore Montana eBird to keep track of Helena-area hotspots and recent sightings ahead of the festival: