Plans are in the works for the 2026 Ladd Marsh Bird Festival. As in past years, registration for the Festival if free and required so Marsh passports can be provided. Festival registration will open the first week of April 2026, with registration for fee-based field trips opening the second or third week of April.
Scheduled at the height of spring migration and nesting in the Grande Ronde Valley, the annual Ladd Marsh Bird Festival celebrates World Migratory Bird Day with an uncrowded, non-competitive, and inexpensive birding opportunity for the whole family.
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area is located about 7 miles south of La Grande, Oregon, and has one of the the most diverse bird populations in Union County. Over 200 species of birds either visit or live permanently at Ladd Marsh.
On Bird Fest weekend, birders can explore areas of the wildlife area generally closed to the public, providing increased opportunities to see abundant ducks, geese, raptors, passerines, and shore birds.
View the Festival Schedule from 2025 to get an idea of what’s in store in 2026: Bird Festival Schedule (Festival Schedule PDF file).
