Do you know what premier winter event has been in the Klamath Basin for 43 years?

It is the Klamath Basin Audubon Society's Winter Wings Festival — which will be back in all its glory February 17–20, 2023, based at Oregon Institute of Technology.

There is lots to tell about the Winter Wings Festival — but first, a little history.

A Different Beginning — The Plight of Bald Eagles

The Winter Wings Festival had a very different beginning — prompted by the plight of Bald Eagles in the 1970s.

With help from the Portland and Eugene Audubon chapters and the Klamath Basin Wildlife Refuges, the first Bald Eagle Conference was held in Klamath Falls in 1980.

Issues of bald eagle management relative to the habitat, politics, and the economy of the area were discussed by professionals and conservationists.

That founding conference established Klamath Falls as one of the most significant places in North America for serious Bald Eagle scholarship — a status the basin has held ever since.

From Conference to Festival

The Klamath Basin Audubon Society (KBAS) began sponsoring the Bald Eagle Conference in 1984.

In 2005, it was expanded and renamed the Winter Wings Festival.

KBAS continues to produce the Winter Wings Festival, and it is the primary source of funds for the organization which are funneled back into the local community.

KBAS grants for projects create opportunities for people of all ages to experience and appreciate our region's spectacular natural resources.

A Festival for Visitors and Locals Alike

The Festival draws hundreds of visitors from all over the country over Presidents' Day weekend — but many locals don't know it exists and/or have not attended.

The Festival organizers want you to know that this weekend is not just for visitors. There are many ways residents in the Klamath Basin can be engaged.

Local Engagement Opportunities

Basin-Wide Youth Art Show

Did you know the festival hosts a Basin-wide Youth art show? Schools across Klamath County participate, with student artwork featuring local birds and wildlife displayed during the festival. A great way to engage your kids in birding even if they're not interested in field trips.

Free Sessions

Many Winter Wings sessions are free and open to all — keynote talks, exhibits, photography demonstrations, and the kind of educational programming that's accessible regardless of whether you're a serious birder or curious newcomer.

Field Trips

The Festival's guided field trips are the centerpiece for many attendees — taking participants to the basin's prime birding locations with expert guides who know exactly where to find Bald Eagles, Great Horned Owls, Snow Geese, and the dozens of other species that winter here.

Vendor Hall + Optics Demos

Major optics manufacturers (Swarovski, Zeiss, Vortex, others) typically demo their latest binoculars and spotting scopes at the festival. Local conservation organizations, photographers, and outdoor businesses set up booths.

Photography Workshops

The festival hosts photography workshops led by acclaimed nature photographers — both classroom-style instruction and in-field practice with the basin's spectacular bird subjects.

Why the Klamath Basin Is World-Class for Winter Birding

For non-birders wondering why hundreds of people travel from across the country to Klamath Falls in February:

  • The Pacific Flyway — one of the most important migratory bird corridors in North America passes directly over the basin
  • Bald Eagles — the basin hosts one of the largest concentrations of wintering Bald Eagles anywhere in the continental United States
  • The National Wildlife Refuges — Lower Klamath, Tule Lake, Upper Klamath, Bear Valley, Clear Lake, Klamath Marsh — collectively one of the most important wildlife-refuge complexes in the country
  • Geothermal influence — keeps key waterways open during freeze, providing refuge for birds when surrounding waters are iced over
  • High desert + lake + wetland + forest ecosystems all within easy access of Klamath Falls

That combination of factors makes the Klamath Basin one of the few places in the world where you can see this many wintering birds in this much variety in February.

How to Register

Klamath Basin Audubon Society's 43rd Annual Winter Wings Festival February 17–20, 2023 Based at Oregon Institute of Technology

Registration, field-trip booking, workshop tickets, and program details: visit the Klamath Basin Audubon Society website at the time of festival registration opening.

Support KBAS Year-Round

Beyond the Festival, the Klamath Basin Audubon Society works year-round on:

  • Habitat preservation advocacy
  • Educational programming for schools and community
  • Bird counts and research
  • Conservation grants funded by Festival proceeds
  • Birding-tourism support that drives basin economic activity

To join, donate, or volunteer — connect through the Audubon Society website.

Bring the Whole Family

Whether you're a serious birder or just curious about why bald eagles love this basin in winter — Winter Wings has something for you.

For Klamath Basin residents who haven't been: change that this February. The Festival is one of the basin's most distinctive cultural events, and it deserves your attention.

Bring your binoculars. Or borrow ours. See you in February.