May 14 – 17, 2026

The 11^th Pikes Peak Birding & Nature Festival

As the Pikes Peak Birding and Nature Festival heads into 2026, birders can look forward to another amazing array of bird species. The festival motto is “prairie to peak” and it lives up to that billing.

Spring migration along Colorado’s Front Range is often full of surprises and the festival weekend is peak migration time. The Pikes Peak region has much to offer, with the short-grass prairie rising to meet the forested foothills and deep canyons of the southern Front Range, and rich, riparian forests providing for countless birds, insects, and other wildlife.

Over the course of the first ten festivals, the field trips have seen, heard, and identified an amazing 273 species of birds. To put that into perspective, during one weekend each May, festival participants have recorded just over half (actually 52%) of the 520 species of birds ever recorded in all of Colorado throughout the year! In 2025 there were 204 species recorded, 75% of our 273 ten-year total, and the festival checklist grew by 5 species; Yellow-billed Cuckoo, King Rail, Willet, Black Phoebe, and Varied Thrush. We have seen 31 warbler species to date!

All-time Festival rarities include White Ibis, Summer Tanager, Hepatic Tanager, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Flammulated Owl, Canada Jay, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, and Field Sparrow. But please remember these species are rare for the Front Range and are not seen each year.

A May visit to the Pikes Peak Birding & Nature Festival can be very special for visitors and locals alike. We have recorded 10 out of 12 woodpecker species which regularly occur in Colorado. And there have been over 15 species of flycatchers and shorebirds, 20 species of sparrows, and that one lone White Ibis.

Please join us in 2026, and maybe you will be the one to spot our 274^th festival species!

UPDATES LEADING UP TO THE 2025 FESTIVAL (which has passed)

This year we are offering 68 field trip opportunities, along with 13 seminars (3 of these are virtual only), 5 workshops and our signature “Birds, Brews and Bites” get-together.

And the best part? Almost all festival activities are covered in your low, low registration fee.

Virtually, we are offering a “Birds of the Pikes Peak Region” presentation, a beginning birding course, and a presentation by David Suddjian which will help you identify difficult birds seen in the spring. David Neils will talk about where mountain lions roam followed by a hike the next day looking for these elusive predators—or at least signs of them. If a more leisurely style of birding interests you, we have three Big Sits planned this year. Bring a chair, food and drinks, and enjoy waiting for the birds to come to you.

Fountain Creek offers essential food and stopover sites for the many resident birds and those merely migrating through. Our trip offerings visit different habitats so participants have the opportunity to see a wide variety of bird species. We find hidden gems throughout Colorado Springs as well as large family-owned ranches. You can learn about the geology of the renown Colorado Springs Garden of the Gods City Park or spend some time looking for Burrowing Owls and Curve-billed Thrashers.

The Pueblo Nature and Wildlife Discovery Center will show and talk about their live Birds of Prey. A master falconer will share her passion for raptors and interpretation. If you have any eBird questions, make sure you attend the eBird workshop. David Neils is back with another presentation highlighting mountain lions.

Visit a Colorado State Park to learn which flowers bloom on the Front Range, where to find Ovenbirds, and hopefully see a Canada Jay. Choose to attend seminars on bird feeding, and which native plants will attract birds to your own backyard. Or, spend time with the Mile High Bug Club, look closer and discover the magnificent insects that inhabit this region. This year they will be doing a bug walkabout as well as insect black lighting in the evening.

Hummingbird banding is one of our most popular events, and we are so happy Fred and Tena Engelman are able to join us for another year. Hummingbird banding requires a special federal permit, and Fred and Tena have been banding these diminutive birds for years. Experience the excitement of seeing a hummingbird “in the hand” while it is being banded.

We try to add a new field trip, seminar or workshop each festival. This year we are excited to welcome Dr. Tyler Lyson from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. He will share his experience of exploring Corral Bluffs—when the dinosaurs died out and mammals started to expand. Sharon Milito leads the field trip to Corral Bluffs and she has a fossil named in her honor. How exciting is that!

We continue having field trips to a major Colorado migrant stopover—Chico Basin Ranch. The banding station is a hub of activity and everyone hopes a rare warbler will make an appearance. Imagine the great bird photographs you can take.

We will drive up “America’s Mountain” searching for high elevation birds. Due to snow, last year they were unable to reach the summit of Pikes Peak so maybe this will be the year participants can visit the new visitor center. You have to try the donuts! We have two trips to the Paint Mines Interpretive Park. One is a “Past & Present Tour” and the other goes to the west section which is currently not open to the public. The formations on the west side are a bit different than the colorful hoodoos people come to enjoy.

We continue offering other popular trips to local birding hotspots led by experienced leaders. If you have visited one of the more popular destinations, please choose a different trip this year so others may enjoy the location.

On Saturday evening, join us for the all-the-rage “Birds, Brews, and Bites” event with food, drinks, beer from our partners at Phantom Canyon Brewery, and live music by Tidal Breeze Jazz. Find the list of birds which have been seen or heard during the festival and get a chance to share stories with other participants. Meet our wonderful partners and sponsors. Bid on the festival artwork and maybe your ticket will be chosen for a great door prize.

Look over the festival website for festival information, registration, speaker/leader 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. We hope you will join us in Colorado Springs, Colorado on May 15 – 18, 2025 for dynamic field trips and fun and educational seminars and workshops.

 

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