2024 COS Guide to the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival

 

Red-headed Woodpecker. Indiana Dunes State Park, July 10, 2021. Photo by Walter Marcisz.

words by Lauren Kostas

Registration opens March 3 for the annual festival of birding and nature at Indiana Dunes.

Author Leo Tolstoy noted that "spring is the time of plans and projects," and it’s time to start planning your trip to one of the most vibrant and jam-packed celebrations of birding in the Midwest. About an hour south of Chicago, the Indiana Audubon Society will host the annual Indiana Dunes Birding Festival (IDBF) from May 16–19.

The IDBF is an annual event showcasing the expansive biodiversity of the Indiana Dunes. The festival includes hundreds of field trips, programs, and workshop exploring this migratory hotspot.

What to expect

Field trips led by local birding experts are the main attraction of the festival and occur in and around Northwest Indiana, within the state and national parks, and in local preserves and natural areas. Last year, more than 200 bird species were recorded at the festival, and you can be sure to add to your life list with all kinds of warblers, waders, and woodpeckers. The days start early with morning excursions and continue with presentations, workshops, and afternoon trips. The evenings conclude with social events, and jaunts in pursuit of owls, nighthawks, and timberdoodles.

Christina Harber, member of the Chicago BIPOC Birders and COS board member, attended her first IDBF in 2016 as a casual birder. She saw her first warbler on a tour of Indiana Dunes State Park and says the experience hooked her on birding. “I had no idea that these birds had been passing through during migration, and I couldn't believe all the different flavors of warbler,” says Christina. Her advice for first time festival participants is to register early. She says not to worry if you don’t get your first choice on a particular tour because there are so many options. Christina shares, “There's an amazing energy at the festival and it's not just the people. It's the magic of spring migration and the hot spot that is the Indiana Dunes.”

For more on what to expect, check out this video from Journey Indiana.

Planning a trip

Download your festival schedule and review the festival registration how-to video to begin planning your experience.

With more than 150 field trips, workshops, and events planned for this year, there is something for every birder. There are outings to shorelines, wetlands, forests, bogs, pineries and prairies. There are fields trips in kayaks, on boardwalks, along dirt trails, in gardens and atop towers. If winged species aren’t enough, there are programs spotlighting moths, mushrooms, and wildflowers. To give you a sense of the breadth of the programming, below are just a few of the sessions available:

  • Looking for the intensity of a “Big Day” before lunch? Check out the fast and furious Dunes Big Morning trip with a goal of scoring 100 species.

  • Does something more contemplative and quieter suit your style? Consider Mindful Birding, for a gently paced experience that includes simple exercises for intentional observation and reflection.

  • Up for a friendly competition? Illinois takes on Indiana in dueling Big Morning excursions. Which group will prevail in the pursuit to find more species?

  • Are you the type to be prepared for even the worst-case scenario? Sign up for Wilderness Survival for Birding Gone Wrong to hone your wilderness survival skills—from finding food and water to making a shelter.

The festival’s keynote speaker is Paul Labovitz, recently retired superintendent of Indiana Dunes National Park and a founding member of the IDBF. Paul will share his decades long journey from city kid to passionate advocate for public lands, conservation, and accessibility.

Other featured speakers include:

  • Jim Bull - Kirtland’s Warbler Perseverance: An Endangered Species Success Story

  • Tykee James - Building Bridges with Birds

  • Sharon Stiteler - Today’s Office

  • Juan Diego Vargas - Saving Costa Rica’s Rainforest, One Dance at A Time

A four-day festival not enough? There are also pre-fest trips available on May 15, including a behind the scenes visit to the Chicago Field Museum and a Dunes Big Day.

Birding the Dunes

The homebase for the IDBF is the Indiana Dunes, an important migratory stopover along the coast of Lake Michigan. Two different parks make up the Indiana Dunes: the smaller, 2,000-acre Indiana Dunes State Park, and Indiana Dunes National Park, with more than 13,000 acres along 15 miles of coastline. The diverse ecosystem includes oak savannas, dunes, wetlands, and prairies.

More than 370 species of birds have been recorded at the Indiana Dunes, making it one of the top birding destinations in the region. This abundance is driven largely by the presence of Lake Michigan, which serves as a resource for birds but also creates a “funnel effect,” where migratory birds converge on the south shore during spring migration and then follow flight paths along the shorelines.

Register here for the festival.

Registration opens to the public on March 3, with early bird access on March 1 for Indiana Audubon members. Basic registration (adult and youth) includes free entry to the Indiana Dunes State Park, all headliner and afternoon presentations, and access to sign up for field trips. There are additional fees (ranging from $10 to $50) for field trips, workshops, and evening socials.

Circle the IDBF dates on your calendar and formulate your plan to join in a long weekend of exploration, education, community, and a celebration all things avian.

 
Robyn Detterline