Explore St. Louis

Audubon’s Wings of Spring Birding Festival
Forecasts Feathery Fun in the Gateway City

Did you know that bird watching is the Number One hobby in the U.S.? Bird watchers will chirp with joy during the first annual Wings of Spring Confluence Birding Festival on Saturday, April 29.

The public event takes place Saturday, April 29 from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Birding buffs can expect to see diverse species of the feathered friends who live and travel through a rich habitat located at the confluence of America’s two great rivers – the Mississippi and the Missouri. The Festival base is the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary just north of Downtown St. Louis. Located near Alton, Illinois along the Mississippi Flyway, the area has received the prestigious Audubon Society “Important Bird Area” designation as a nationally significant migratory path.

The Wings of Spring Festival program has something to offer visitors of all levels of bird watching interest, from the serious keepers of “life lists” to those who simply enjoy seeing beautiful animals in a natural setting. Talks by naturalists, close encounters with birds, fun kids programs and guided birding tours are planned. Professional photographers will conduct nature photo seminars and talented storytellers will delight children with fun animal tales. Master gardeners from the Missouri Botanical Garden will share their knowledge on how to create wildlife gardens. On hand will be eagles and other spectacular species from the World Bird Sanctuary. Bird-centric films including March of the Penguins, Winged Migration, and Fly Away Home will be presented at the nearby national Great Rivers Museum.

Wings of Spring events for school groups will be held on Friday, April 28 by reservation only.