Families, birders, and nature fans will descend on Sapsucker Woods this Saturday for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s biggest event of the year: Migration Celebration 2025.
The free, all-day festival runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and promises hands-on exhibits, live birds of prey, nature walks, storytelling, science talks, and activities for all ages.
A day packed with bird science and storytelling
The day kicks off early with a bird walk at 8:30 a.m. led by the Cayuga Bird Club. Visitors can then explore dozens of interactive exhibits and presentations at the Visitor Center starting at 10.
Among the most popular attractions each year is the live raptor demonstration by the Cornell Raptor Program, featuring eagles, owls, and falcons up close in the Circular Driveway area from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Bird banding demonstrations at the North Feeders give guests the rare chance to see wild birds gently captured, measured, and released by scientists collecting vital data on migration and species health.
Storytelling also takes center stage this year. Perry Ground, a Turtle Clan member of the Onondaga Nation and Cornell alum, will share traditional Haudenosaunee legends featuring birds at 10:15 a.m. in the auditorium.
Behind the scenes, hands-on, and high-tech
Guests curious about the science behind conservation media can catch screenings of new films followed by live Q&A sessions at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2 p.m. in the theater.
Those interested in art can sketch the landscape with muralist Jane Kim at 12:30 p.m. or join her to help paint a group mural of a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at 2 p.m.
Bird tracking and ID are also big themes. Staff from BirdCast, Merlin Bird ID, and the Macaulay Library will help visitors explore bird migration patterns, sound ID tools, and tracking tech like radiotelemetry and GPS tagging.
Face painting, guessing games, and stuffed bird challenges are planned for kids and families, led by the Lab’s K–12 team and scientific illustrators.
Nature walks, native plants, and museum tours
Throughout the day, expert-led walks and tours will take place around the Sapsucker Woods property. These include guided bird walks, a nature sketching session, and multiple “behind the scenes” tours of the Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates — limited to small groups, so early arrival is encouraged.
At noon, visitors can join Becca Rodomsky-Bish for a walking tour on how to support birds at home using native plants and habitat features.
And for families, a 1 p.m. performance called Fluff Your Feathers. We Gotta Go! will follow a bird and butterfly on their first migration south, complete with audience participation and a mask-making activity afterward.
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