Join the Great Adirondack Birding Celebration at Paul Smith’s Visitor Interpretive Center

It’s the 20th Anniversary of one of the region’s most cherished birding festivals.

Female blue-winged warbler. Photo credit: Jay McGowan

The Great Adirondack Birding Celebration (GABC) will return to Paul Smith’s Visitor Interpretative Center (VIC) from May 31 to June 2, 2024.

The 3-day event introduces birders of all ages and skill levels to the Adirondack Park's unique boreal bird species and habitats.

The festival features birding field trips to local Important Bird Areas (IBAs), with full-day trips on Friday and half-day trips on Saturday and Sunday. The field trips have limited capacity, so pre-registration is required.

The Paul Smith’s College Visitor Interpretive Center in Paul Smiths, NY, will host beginner bird walks, expert presentations, interactive programs and activities for the whole family in addition to off-site field trips.

This year, the organizers partnered with Uihlein Farm and Heaven Hill in Lake Placid to plan the event. Collaborators from Explore Adirondack Frontier and Northern New York Audubon also make the event possible.

Male Ruby Throated Hummingbird

For more information, visit Paul Smith’s VIC website.

Over the course of the weekend, birders have several options for half-day field trips and learning experiences. They include excursions to:

• Whiteface Mountain

• Bloomingdale Bog

• Grassland Birds at Heaven Hill and Uihlein Farm

• Madawaska Flow Search for Spruce Grouse

Visitors can also stay on Paul Smith’s VIC campus for a variety of birding presentations.

Enjoy a walk on the VIC trails, peruse vendors with bird-related goods, take in the art exhibit in Heron Marsh Gallery, or enjoy some of the best views in the Adirondacks and see what’s at their bird feeders.

Visit Paul Smith’s website for more information and to register.