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404 1st St
Cordova, AK, 99574
United States
907-424-7260
We invite you to join the mass migration of Pacific shorebirds, raptors, waterfowl and songbirds. Their shoreside respite is framed against the pristine backdrop of coastal glaciers and mountains, the breathtaking vista that we call home. Come armed with your binoculars, spotting scopes, cameras, sketch books and pencils and leave with a heart full of memories.
The 2026 Shorebird Festival is taking flight!
Click here to view the festival schedule in grid format.
Click here to get your event listed on the Shorebird Schedule.
Beat the “Sunday Scaries” with Sunset Yoga at the Science Center.
Join PWSSC for a Shorebird themed yoga session in the atrium of our building on May 10th from 7:00pm - 8:00pm. Come discover what birds can teach us about resilience and stamina. Don’t have a yoga mat? Let us know and we will try to have a few extra on hand.
This is an 8-hour Challenge from 1:00pm - 9:00pm on Sunday, May 10th. Meet at 9:00pm for tallies and awards! Location TBD.
Checklists must be turned into officials before 9:00pm on May 10th.
Teams that fail to meet the 9:00pm deadline will forfeit one bird from their official total for every five-minute period they are late.
Make sure you double-check your checklist to verify that all birds recorded have been checked off. Totals are considered final when submitted. NO ALTERATIONS OR CORRECTIONS MAY BE MADE AFTER CHECKLISTS HAVE BEEN TUNED OVER TO OFFICIALS.
In the event of a tie, the place will be shared.
Please return the form and entry fee to the Shorebird Festival Welcome Table. Fee only applies for non-festival registrants. Make checks payable to the CORDOVA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
Register: Arctic Tern Needle Felt Workshop – The Net Loft
Enjoy an afternoon of crafting at the Net Loft as you create a framed wool painted Shorebird. You will learn the basics of needle felting while illustrating in wool, a male Black Bellied Plover in breeding plumage, a migratory bird that travels to the Copper River Delta region each spring.
May 10th 1:00pm - 5:00pm at The Net Loft
Class Instructional Fee $25, includes use of needle felting tools
Materials Fee $75, includes all fibers, felt background, mat, and thick shadowbox frame
*Shorebird Event Participants receive 5% discount with code distributed when enrolled in the festival
Through Our Eyes is a participatory photography research project funded by the National Science Foundation’s EPSCoR program that invited young people in rural, Gulf of Alaska communities to document the role of land- and ocean-based wild foods in their lives. Participants created photographs and written captions showing how harvesting, preparing, and sharing wild foods shape their connection to place and culture. Their images also reflect the challenges they notice and the ways they imagine caring for wild foods into the future. Together, these images and stories offer a youth-led contribution to understanding how environmental change affects community health through impacts on wild foods. Cordova students will be displaying their work on this project.
Check out the Festival Artisan Market on Saturday and Sunday. This cozy market will feature a small group of local artisans offering everything from homemade tinctures, to beautiful locally made jewelry, and more. It’s the perfect spot to find something unique, support local creators, and take home a special festival keepsake.
Saturday May 9th, 11:00am - 4:00pm
Sunday May 4th, 10:00am - 1:00pm
Lower Atrium, Cordova Center
This field trip offers participants the chance to observe Shorebirds and other wildlife in their natural habitat with the guidance of seasoned birding experts. Registrants will have the opportunity to enhance their identification skills while exploring one of the region’s prime birdwatching locations.
Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to connect with nature and deepen your birding knowledge!
Join expert guides for a unique birding experience during high tide at Hartney Bay. This guided field trip offers participants the chance to observe Shorebirds and other wildlife in their natural habitat with the guidance of seasoned birding experts. Registrants will have the opportunity to enhance their bird identification skills while exploring one of the region’s prime birdwatching locations.
Audubon Alaska invites you to join them for a reception to celebrate the shorebirds. Refreshments provided. Free and open to all.
Location: Cordova Center Lower Atrium
Shorebirds that nest in Alaska migrate to New Zealand, South America, and beyond. Shorebirds are part of the diet and culture of Yup’ik people of western Alaska. A dance mask from the early 1900s highlights connections of Yup’ik people with their culture and homeland as well as the importance of including Indigenous peoples in bird and shorebird conservation.
Lili has over two decades of life and work experience in Alaska dedicated to bird conservation, research, and management. She has worked in collaboration with state, federal, Indigenous, nonprofit, and other partners. Lili’s work has blended natural and social sciences, focusing on bird ecology, harvest assessment, Indigenous knowledge, co-management, outreach and education, and place- and culture-based conservation actions. She is a recipient of the Alaska Bird Conference Isleib Award for outstanding contributions to bird conservation. Lili serves as the Director of Conservation for the Alaska Program of the National Audubon Society. Lili earned a BS in Oceanography and MS in Biological Oceanography from the Federal University of Rio Grande (Brazil) and a PhD in Biodiversity from the Sorbonne-Université Pierre et Marie Curie (France).
Brooke Mallory is a member of the Native Village of Eyak (NVE) and grew up commercial fishing with her family out of Cordova, Alaska. She has been involved with NVE for 16 years, serving both as staff and on the Tribal Council, 2 years as the Chair, and currently serves as their Interim Executive Director. She served on The Eyak Corporation Board of Directors for 6 years, 3 of them as the Chair. Brooke has vast experience working with Alaskan Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, and Tribal nonprofits, where she works to educate and partner with outside organizations, educating others on how diverse Alaska is. Brooke works to blend traditional knowledge with the scientific world to provide tribally led conservation practices. Brooke earned a BS in Education from Linfield College, with an emphasis on science, math, and art.
Northstar Theater
Fold, sip, and celebrate Shorebird Festival with a hands-on origami crane workshop at Copper River Brewing Co—paper provided, creativity encouraged.
Included with your Shorebird ticket.
Friends of the Library presents:
Listers - A Glimpse into Extreme Bird Watching
1:00pm at the North Star Theater (during low tide!)
Register: Watercolor Study | Feathers & Eggs Shadow Box – The Net Loft
in the Education Room at the City Center
Enjoy a cozy spread of tea and light fare, then linger a little longer as the tables clear and the music begins. English Country Dancing invites you to join in—no experience needed—for a joyful, welcoming way to move, laugh, and connect. Round out the afternoon with classic games and good company, where the pace is relaxed and the atmosphere is full of charm.
It’s the perfect blend of elegance and playfulness—an unexpected festival moment that feels both nostalgic and wonderfully alive.
The Pioneer ladies will be hosting a pie social in the Upstairs of the Pioneer as well as selling homemade whole pies in the parking lot outside the Pioneer building on Saturday, May 9th from 12:00pm - 3:00pm.
Check out the Festival Artisan Market on Saturday and Sunday. This cozy market will feature a small group of local artisans offering everything from homemade tinctures, to beautiful locally made jewelry, and more. It’s the perfect spot to find something unique, support local creators, and take home a special festival keepsake.
Saturday May 9th, 11:00am - 4:00pm
Sunday May 10th, 9:00am - 1:00pm
Lower Atrium, Cordova Center
Hartney Bay to Orca Adventure Lodge Race
This all-ages, family-friendly event offers two options:
Bike 6.1 miles from Hartney Bay to the City Center, then run/walk 3 miles to Orca Adventure Lodge
Run the full 9.1 miles from Hartney Bay to Orca Adventure Lodge
The race is not a relay, and the winner is determined by the most average time. Two winners will receive a prize.
Participants can sign up at Bidarki, online through the City of Cordova Parks & Recreation, or on race day at Hartney Bay. A $5 registration fee is required.
For more information, contact the City of Cordova Parks & Rec Dept at (907) 424-7282
Join us at Alaganik for some morning birding!
Link to view map: CRD_Overview_Trails
Swing by St. Joseph’s Catholic Church on Saturday, May 9th from 7:00am - 11:00am for a delicious breakfast in support of a great cause.
Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to connect with nature and deepen your birding knowledge!
This field trip offers participants the chance to observe Shorebirds and other wildlife in their natural habitat with the guidance of seasoned birding experts. Registrants will have the opportunity to enhance their identification skills while exploring one of the region’s prime birdwatching locations.
Before you bird, come nature journal at Hartney Bay!
Alaskan Fine Yarn, Gift, Needlework, & Handcraft Supply Store – The Net Loft
Meet at Hartney Bay at 6:45am and venture out into nature to observe and record your experience through art with expert instruction.
Keynote Speaker Rob Clay will be presenting the 2026 Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival’s main presentation in the Northstar Theater within the Cordova City Center. This event will immediately follow The Copper River Delta, an Introduction.
Susan Oehlers grew up in Minnesota, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota and a Master's Degree in wildlife biology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Susan has worked with a wide variety of animals and birds, including wolves, moose, brown bears, small mammals, spotted owls, songbirds, Canada geese, and terns. Susan is currently the wildlife biologist for the Yakutat Ranger District of the Tongass National Forest. As co-chair of the Pacific Seabird Group Aleutian Tern Technical Committee, she is involved in the Yakutat-based Aleutian tern research. Susan also plays a key role in the Yakutat Tern Festival.
Anne grew up in South Dakota and has spent the past 12 years living and working in Alaska. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from South Dakota State University and a Master of Science in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana. Anne is currently a researcher at the Prince William Sound Science Center in Cordova, Alaska, where her primarily focuses on seabirds and shorebirds in Prince William Sound and on the Copper River Delta.
Included in Paid Festival Registration.
About the Presenter: Erin Cooper, a Wildlife Biologist for the Forest Service, has lived and worked in Cordova for 23 years. Her work has ranged from shorebirds and waterfowl to mountain goats and moose with a focus on ecosystems of the Copper River Delta. Since 2001 she has been a core member of the Copper River International Migratory Bird Initiative, promoting international conservation for migratory birds and their habitats throughout the Pacific Flyway.
About the Talk: Learn about the landscape and ecology of the Copper River Delta in this introductory presentation. Erin will present a brief overview of the Delta, the species that use it, and its connection to the Pacific Flyway.
Alaskan Fine Yarn, Gift, Needlework, & Handcraft Supply Store – The Net Loft
Join Dotty Widmann for a talk on the basics of keeping a nature journal. Dotty will guide you through simple yet effective techniques to record your outdoor observations, helping you capture the beauty of nature in a personal and meaningful way. This talk is a great way to build on your shorebird knowledge and enhance your field experience.
The Prince William Sound Science Center will be at Eyak Corporation's upper camping area at Hartney Bay, exploring shorebirds and their adaptations through hands-on learning and play. Bring your beginning birders so they can get their feet wet in the wild world of birding. There will be a craft, games, scavenger hunt, and a chance to learn how to use binoculars and spotting scopes. Open to kids of all ages and their caregivers.
Join us at the Education Room to learn how to watercolor birds, featuring Emily Lex’s book!
Register: Introduction to Watercolors featuring Emily Lex's Birds Book – The Net Loft
Come bird with us around town in a group of loved ones or complete strangers. This self-guided social event is meant to help you find and identify birds as well as share in community. Meet at the Festival Welcome Table at the Cordova City Center at 9:30am to grab a birding locations map and decide with the group where you’d like to go.
This comprehensive introduction to the region’s Shorebirds will offer expert insights and identification tips to enhance your skills and enrich your experience before heading out on your first guided field trip!
This class will take place in the Cordova Center Com Rm A.
Class is included with your Festival Ticket.
