FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David Rohm, Festival Operations Director, Jackson Hole Birding Festival
jacksonholebirdingfestival@gmail.com, 412-260-9001
Jackson Hole Birding Festival Returns May 27–30, 2026
More than 30 trips, workshops, and speakers bring world-class birding to the Tetons
JACKSON, WYOMING — The Jackson Hole Birding Festival returns to Jackson, Wyoming, this spring for its second year, offering birders from across the country an immersive four-day celebration of birds, conservation, and the spectacular landscapes of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The festival runs May 27–30, 2026, and is based at the Center for the Arts.
This year’s program features more than 30 field trips, workshops, and classes, as well as evening presentations by world-renowned speakers, with experiences designed for birders of every level.
Unique Field Experiences
The festival’s partners and guides will lead birders on exclusive adventures to places many visitors never experience.
Highlights include:
• Curlew Cruises on the National Elk Refuge, offering behind-the-scenes access in search of Long-billed Curlews.
• Birding walks at the historic Murie Ranch, led by Teton Science Schools.
• Tours at Teton Raptor Center, followed by a nature journaling class with Mary Arnold.
• Birding at Snow King Mountain Resort, led by Jakub Galczynski, who designed the Snow King Observatory with birds in mind.
• Wildflower walks at Cache Creek with Teton Botanical Garden.
• Finding Fire-Dependent Woodpeckers hikes at Jackson Fork Ranch.
• Trumpeter Swan Field Tours hosted by Wyoming Wetlands Society.
• Half-day tours into Grand Teton National Park with local outfitters at reduced rates for attendees.
• Snake River Adventure: Birding by Raft with Dave Hansen Whitewater.
Evening Speakers
Evenings will feature presentations at the Center for the Arts and the National Museum of Wildlife Art from some of the most compelling voices in ornithology, conservation, and natural history:
• Denver Holt, Founder of the Owl Research Institute: “Snowy Owls & Lemmings: 35+ Years of Predator-Prey Dynamics in the Arctic”
• Paul Bannick, award-winning author and photographer: “Woodpeckers of the Inland West”
• Dr. Katherine Gura, local researcher: “Discovering the Phantom of the Forest: Great Gray Owls of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem”
• George Bumann, noted sculptor: “Eavesdropping on Ravens: What We Can Learn from Corvid Conversations”
• Dr. Charles Preston, Senior Scientist and Senior Curator Emeritus at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West: “Golden Eagles of the Greater Yellowstone”
• Lisa Ansell Frazier, Indigenous leader : “The Return of Life: Birds, Bison, and Belonging”
• Emmanuel Guzmán, conservationist and hotelier: “Beyond Eco-Tourism: Hotels as Active Conservation Partners”
Friday evening at the National Museum of Wildlife Art will include access to the Sculpture Trail as well as docent-led tours of the museum before the speakers take the stage. Opening night festivities on May 27 will be held at the Center for the Arts. The festival finale takes place at Teton Raptor Center on May 30, with bird-inspired music performed by singer/songwriter Jen Hajj.
Registration
Anyone with an interest in birds is welcome to attend. To register or learn more, visit www.jacksonholebirdingfestival.com.
About the Jackson Hole Birding Festival
The Jackson Hole Birding Festival offers tours, walks, workshops, lectures, and cultural celebrations that deepen the appreciation and conservation of birds and their habitats. The festival is presented by Wild Excellence Films (WEF), an award-winning conservation film company that works with nonprofit organizations, state and national parks, and public television.
www.jacksonholebirdingfestival.com | jacksonholebirdingfestival@gmail.com
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More pictures to come…
Preview YouTube video Birding the Tetons | Highlights from the Jackson Hole Birding FestivalPreview YouTube video Birding the Tetons | Highlights from the Jackson Hole Birding Festival