2026 Birding Festivals in Tennessee

The two-day Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival in Birchwood, Tennessee is a popular birding event Jan. 17-18, 2026 at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge. Sandhill cranes are almost hard to believe in their incredible size, beauty and grace. You may be familiar with their far-carrying honking calls as they fly over on migration, but have you ever been enchanted by the sights and sounds of hundreds of them in one place? If not, this festival is a must-visit. The birding festival includes numerous speakers and family-friendly entertainment, in addition to bird-watching the migrating sandhill cranes.

The annual Reelfoot Lake Eagle Festival Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2026 at Reelfoot Lake State Park is one of the popular birding events in Tennessee. Go on one of the bird-watching tours hosted during the weekend to spot American bald eagles and the rare golden eagle, the two types of eagles in Tennessee. Birds of prey programs, children's activities, photography and art contests, vendors and bald eagle meet-and-greets add to the family-friendly fun.

The Hatchie Birdfest is April 24-26, 2026 at the Hatchie River and Wildlife Refuge. The birding festival combines guided birding walks, expert talks, and live music into a widely popular festival in West Tennessee. The Hatchie River and Wildlife Refuge hosts more than 200 species of birds during the spring migration, making the festival one of the best birding events in Tennessee.

The Warner Park Nature Center in Nashville hosts the annual birding event, Warner Parks Hummingbird Celebration in September, which features live hummingbird banding, kid-friendly fun like face painting, and informative sessions on using native plants to attract hummingbirds to your garden. If you love hummingbirds, you should add this event to your next trip to Music City. Dates for the 2026 birding festival are to be announced soon. Check the park's event calendar for up-to-date information.

Take part in bird-watching with birding experts and learn about Tennessee birds, birds of prey and more during the annual Tipton County Museum Bird Festival May 1-3, 2026 in downtown Covington. The festival includes local hikes, ornithological lectures and meeting a diverse group of birding enthusiasts. Enjoy a Tennessee birding adventure in West Tennessee.

The ruby-throated hummingbird viewing event is an annual event hosted by the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge, typically in August at the Visitor Center. The birding event includes live demonstrations by expert banders as they secure scientific bands on hummingbirds to track their migration patterns, health and lifespan, family-friendly hummingbird-related crafts, educational birder talks, close-up views of ruby-throated hummingbirds and more. 

The annual Hummingbird Festival is hosted in August 2026 at the Rotary Park in Clarksville. The free, family-friendly event celebrates hummingbirds as they migrate to Tennessee in August and September. The birding event includes watching live hummingbird banding where trained experts capture, band and release birds for scientific research. Learn about the biology, migration patterns and bird conservation. The 2026 festival events will be announced soon on the Cumberland River Compact's calendar.

The Hummingbird Festival: A Celebration of Wings! is the annual birding festival Aug. 15, 2026 hosted at Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville. The educational, birding festival is centered on bird conservation and research. Master banders from East Tennessee Avian Research and Seven Islands State Birding Park will conduct a banding station on-site so you can see the scientific work in real time. The festival also features birding speakers, guided bird-watching tours, workshops, hands-on science and art activities, festival marketplace and more.

See hummingbird banding demonstrations, learn about bird conservation and more at the Hummingbird Festival in August 2026 which takes places at the Wilderness Station in Barfield Crescent Park in Murfreesboro, about 34 miles near Nashville. The event is free and family-friendly. Celebrate the ruby-throated hummingbirds, the only hummingbird species that nests in Tennessee. Learn more about this species, where they migrate, their habitats and more at the annual festival. Dates for 2026 will be announced soon here.

The annual Reelfoot Lake Pelican Festival typically takes place in October when hundreds of pelicans migrate to Reelfoot Lake. Pelican birding tours are hosted as well as live animal meet-and-greets, arts and crafts, photographry and art contests, silent auction and more. The 2026 festival events will be announced soon. Follow Reelfoot Lake State Park's Facebook page for up-to-date information.