During Presidents' Day Weekend, Klamath Falls, Oregon swells with an influx of birders and birds for the Winter Wings Festival. Best known for the complex of refuges that are part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, the Klamath Basin is a winter birding hotspot to view eagles and waterfowl.
Winter Bird Populations
In winter, Klamath Falls has one of the highest winter concentrations of bald eagles in the lower 48 states. What attracts these and other birds of prey are the numerous waterfowl that stage in the lakes, marshes and fields of the Klamath National Wildlife Refuges. Snow geese, tundra swans, Canada geese, and various ducks gather by the thousands in the Klamath Basin on their northern migration route. Along with the abundance of waterfowl are small rodents and songbirds that inhabit the agricultural fields and wild lands. These small mammals in turn lure hawks, falcons and owls to the region.
Bald Eagle Flyout
One of the highlights of the festival is the sunrise movement of bald eagles from their nighttime roosts in the Bear Valley to their daytime feeding grounds in the basin. This spectacle begins in the pre-dawn light and continues as the sun rises and provides birders or wildlife enthusiasts with great viewing opportunities of numerous bald eagles of varying age classes.
Wildlife Viewing
To view bald eagles, waterfowl and other wildlife, there are numerous paved or gravel roads that criss-cross through the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges or through the area's numerous agricultural fields. These roads provide excellent and easy access to view the birds and wildlife.
Festival Classes and Courses
A big portion of the Winter Wings Festival is the educational component. Numerous field courses or indoor classes and mini-sessions are devoted to learning about birds and birding, photography, optics, and conservation. Guest speakers include local experts, regional guides and nationally renowed authors and birders. The on-line registration guide provides an easy format to register for the festival, sign up for a field trip or classroom session, or to obtain information for lodging and restaurants.
Organized by the Klamath Basin Audubon Society, this local chapter of the National Audubon Society relies upon countless volunteers to organize and run the event. Other major sponsors include the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT), local tourism organizations, hotels, and the Klamath National Wildlife Refuges. The OIT College Union building serves as registration headquarters and location for many of the indoor classes and presentations. Vendors, sponsors and several area non-profits offer items or information for the birding festivarians to better enjoy this great event.
Damian Fagan - I am a freelance writer and photographer living in the Pacific Northwest, although I lived in Utah for over 20 years. I've written ...
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