The Morro Bay Winter Bird Festival is a yearly ecotourism event promoting an understanding and appreciation of birds and other wildlife and an awareness of environmental and conservation issues of the Central Coast, while contributing to the well-being of the Morro Bay community. Each year the Festival has grown to include more events and to attract more participants.

Morro Bay and the surrounding area is an idea spot for avid birders.  Located on the Pacific Flyway, Morro Bay is a Globally Important Bird Area and a designated State and National Estuary.  Morro Coast Audubon Society always ranks in the top five for the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. In most years, over 200 different bird species are spotted during the Festival.

Schedule:
Friday January 13, 2023
7:00am - 4:00pm: Big Day Birding
7:45am - 12:00pm: Birding Montana de Oro
8:00am - 12:00pm: Birds of the North Coast
8:00am - 12:00pm: Birding Along the Bay
8:00am - 12:00pm: Birding by Careful Observation
8:00am - 12:00pm: Los Osos Hot Spots with Jon Dunn
8:00am - 12:00pm: Birds and Butterflies
8:00am - 2:00pm: Birding Las Cruzitas Ranch
8:30am - 11:00am: Meander Morro Bay Marina
8:30am - 11:30am: Birding for Beginners Workshop
8:30am - 12:00pm: Back Bay Birding
8:30am - 12:00pm: Birding Estero Bluffs
8:30am - 1:30pm: Casual Little Big Day
8:45am - 4:00pm: Big Day at Santa Margarita Lake
9:00am - 10:45am: Bay Birding Photo Cruise
9:00am - 11:30am: Bats of California's Central Coast
9:00am - 11:30am: PMShoreline Birding for Beginners
9:00am - 12:00: The Diverse Birds of Morro Bay
9:00am - 12:00pm: Birding by Kayak
9:00am - 12:00pm: Gulls of SLO Identified
9:00am - 1:00pm: Owl Box Building and Wine Tasting at Wolff Winery
9:00am - 5:00pm: Master Class - Bird Photography
10:00am - 11:30am: Morro Bay Estuary from Black Hill
10:00am - 11:45am: Morro Bay Nature Cruise
10:00am - 3:00pm: Master Class - The Basics of Bird ID with David Allen Sibley
11:15am - 12:45pm: Snowy Plovers in the Field
12:30pm - 2:00pm: Condor Recovery
1:00pm - 3:00pm: Basics of Bird ID in the Field
1:00pm - 4:30pm: Plugging into Bird Song Magic Workshop
1:30pm - 3:30pm: Gardening to Attract Birds
1:30pm - 3:30pm: Bird Recording
1:30pm - 4:00pm: Los Osos Hot Spots
1:30pm - 4:00pm: Shoreline Birding for Beginners
1:30pm - 4:00pm: Birding Laguna Lake
1:30pm - 4:00pm: Bird Montana de Oro State Park
1:30pm - 5:00pm: Morro Bay Hot Spots with Jon Dunn
2:00pm - 3:00pm: Finding those Elusive Owls
2:00pm - 3:45pm: Bay Birding Cruise
2:00pm - 4:00pm: Birding Morro Rock
2:30pm - 5:00pm: Peregrine Falcons of Morro Rock
3:00pm - 4:30pm: Rookery Wonders in Windy Cove
3:00pm - 4:45pm: Bay Birding Cruise
3:30pm - 9:30pm: Owling Field Trip
5:00pm - 6:30pm: Friday Opening Reception

Saturday January 14, 2023
7:00am - 9:00am: Early Morning Marina Boardwalk Birding & Photo Stroll
7:00am - 11:30am: Bird Song Magic in the Field
7:00am - 2:00pm: Wildlife of Point Buchon
7:00am - 4:00pm: Big Pelagic: Birds & Whales
7:30am - 9:30am: Learning To Look
7:30am - 12:00pm: Birding Estero Bluffs with Jon Dunn
7:30am - 12:00pm: Bird Montana de Oro State Park
8:00am - 11:00am: Birding by Kayak
8:00am - 11:30am: Ranchland Birding
8:00am - 12:00pm: Advanced Bird Photography
8:00am - 12:00pm: Wintering Birds at Cal Poly Pier
8:00am - 12:00pm: Birds of the North Coast
8:00am - 12:00pm: Birding Morro Strand
8:00am - 12:00pm: Smart Phone Bird Recording
8:00am - 12:00pm: Bare Naked Birding
8:00am - 12:00pm: Birding by Careful Observation
8:00am - 12:00pm: Los Osos Sweet Springs Preserve
8:00am - 5:30pm: Condor Country
8:15am - 12:00pm: Songbirds in the Pines
8:30am - 11:00am: Montana de Oro Nature Walk
8:30am - 11:00am: Meander Morro Bay Marina
8:30am - 11:30am: Young Birders Field Trip in Los Osos
8:30am - 11:30am: Birding with David Allen Sibley
8:30am - 11:30am: A Snipe Hunt For Rails?
8:30am - 11:30am: Land and Sea Birds at Morro Rock
8:30am - 12:00pm: Birding Elfin Forest & Sweet Springs
8:30am - 12:30pm: Santa Rita Ranch Diverse Habitats
8:30am - 1:30pm: Casual Little Big Day
8:30am - 3:15pm: Big Day at Santa Margarita Lake
9:00am - 10:45am: Bay Birding Photo Cruise
9:00am - 11:00am: Basic Bird Art
9:00am - 11:00am: Bay Birding Cruise
9:00am - 12:00pm: Birding by Kayak
9:00am - 2:00pm: Master Class - Falconry Experience
9:00am - 3:00pm: Master Class - Pro Gull ID
10:00am - 12:00pm: eBird for Intermediate and Advanced Users
1:00pm - 2:30pm: Listening and Calling Birds as an Art
1:00pm - 2:45pm: Bay Birding Cruise
1:00pm - 2:45pm: Bay Birding Photo Cruise
1:00pm - 3:00pm: Calling Birds In for Closer Study
1:00pm - 3:00pm: The Otter Truth of Morro Bay
1:00pm - 3:00pm: Build a Kestrel Box
1:00pm - 4:00pm: Basics of Bird Photography
1:30pm - 4:00pm: Birding By Ear Workshop
1:30pm - 4:00pm: Birding Estero Bluffs
1:30pm - 4:00pm: Birding Laguna Lake
2:00pm - 4:00pm: Hawk Migration Association of North America Raptor Survey
2:00pm - 4:00pm: The Elfin Forest Wonderland
2:30pm - 3:30pm: Optics Demystified
3:00pm - 4:45pm: Bay    Birding Cruise
3:30pm - 4:30pm: Meet the Raptors - Pacific Wildlife Care
3:30pm - 9:30pm: Owling Field Trip
7:00pm - 9:00pm: Keynote with David Allen Sibley

Sunday January 15, 2023
6:15am - 5:00pm: Birding the Carrizo Plain
7:00am - 11:30am: Bird Song Magic in the Field
7:00am - 12:00pm: Wildlife of Point Buchon
7:00am - 12:00pm: Half Day Pelagic Trip
7:00am - 4:00pm: Big Day
7:30am - 9:30am: Learning To Look
7:30am - 12:00pm: Oak Woodland and Wetland Birds
7:30am - 4:30pm: Big Day Birding by Bicycle
7:45am - 12:00pm: Birding Laguna Lake
7:45am - 12:00pm: Birding Montana de Oro State Park
8:00am - 11:00am: Birding & Photography at El Chorro Park
8:00am - 11:30am: Shorebirds Made Easy
8:00am - 12:00pm: Morro Strand Scrub
8:00am - 12:00pm: Explore the Mushroom World
8:00am - 12:00pm: Birds of San Simeon with Jon Dunn
8:00am - 12:00pm: Harmony Headlands
8:15am - 12:00pm: Advanced Bird Photography
8:15am - 2:30pm: Highway 1 for Raptors
8:30am - 11:00am: Birding at El Chorro Park
8:30am - 11:30am: Birding Oso Flaco Lake
8:30am - 11:30am: Birding By Ear Field Trip
8:30am - 11:30am: Bird Sweet Springs & Cuesta Inlet
8:30am - 11:30am: Birding with David Allen Sibley
8:30am - 12:00pm: Raptors of Sunshine Ranch
8:30am - 12:00pm: Birding Morro Bay State Park
8:30am - 12:00pm: Back Bay Birding
8:30am - 12:30pm: Santa Rita Ranch Diverse Habitats
8:30am - 1:00pm: Casual Little Big Day
8:30am - 2:00pm: Raptors of East San Luis Obispo County
8:45am - 12:00pm: Birding Hot Spots for Beginners
9:00am - 10:45am: Bay Birding Photo Cruise
9:00am - 11:00am: A Splash of Color: Expressive Bird Art in Watercolor
9:00am - 11:00am: Bay Birding Cruise
9:00am - 12:00pm: Land and Sea Birds at Morro Rock
9:00am - 12:00pm: Birding by Kayak
10:00am - 12:00pm: Easy Birding
1:00pm - 2:30pm: From Anatomy to Function
1:00pm - 2:45pm: Bay Birding Cruise
1:00pm - 3:00pm: The Elfin Forest Wonderland
1:00pm - 3:00pm: The Otter Truth of Morro Bay
2:00pm - 3:45pm: Bay Birding Cruise
2:00pm - 4:00pm: Birds of Morro Rock with Jon Dunn
2:00pm - 4:00pm: Build a Blue Bird Box
2:00pm - 5:00pm: Shape & Structure of Bird Song
3:00pm - 4:45pm: Bay Birding Cruise
3:30pm - 9:30pm: Owling Field Trip
6:30pm - 9:00pm: Dinner with David Allen Sibley and Friends

Monday January 16, 2023
7:00am - 1:00pm: On the Prowl for Rare Birds
8:00am - 11:00am: Birding by Kayak
8:00am - 12:00pm: Harmony Headlands
8:00am - 12:00pm: Birding & Wine at Halter Ranch
8:00am - 12:00pm: Birding Fiscalini Ranch Preserve
8:00am - 12:00pm: Birding by Careful Observation
8:00am - 2:00pm: Birding Las Cruzitas Ranch
8:15am - 12:00pm: Birds and Plants at Coon Creek
8:30am - 11:30am: Birding Oso Flaco Lake
8:30am - 12:00pm: Los Osos Hot Spots Walking Tour
9:00am - 10:45am: Bay Birding Photo Cruise
9:00am - 11:00am: Shorebird Habitats
9:00am - 11:30am: Birds of Atascadero Lake
10:00am - 11:45am: Morro Bay Up Close

Date: January 13 - 16, 2023

Location: Various Venues in CA

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