Copper River Shorebird Festival

Each May, photographers, families, nature lovers, and adventurers hailing from Alaska and around the world gather to observe one of the Earth’s most spectacular natural phenomena. They assemble in Cordova to welcome and celebrate the brief visit of far more distant travelers: the shorebirds. The Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival is something you do not want to miss in your lifetime.

Millions of shorebirds journey from the southern hemisphere (some from as far south as Chile) to their breeding grounds in northern Alaska. Because of the migration, the wetlands that fall along the Pacific flyway from the southern tip of Chile to Alaska are crucial for the birds’ survival as resting and feeding grounds. Although some of these wetlands are protected, many are threatened by development, pollution, and climate change.  Shorebird conservation relies on collaboration across country boundaries, between government agencies, local organizations, and community members. It is these partnerships that make a difference for conservation throughout the range. The Copper River Delta is one of the most important flyway stopovers, so much so that it has been designated as a site of “Hemispheric importance”, the highest-ranking in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. The Delta encompasses 700,000 acres, making it the largest contiguous wetland on the Pacific Coast of North America. It contains expansive mudflats, freshwater ponds, rivers, peatlands, and dune-covered barrier islands. This landscape is what provides the migrating shorebirds a key stopover on their way north, and again on their return south at the end of summer.

The birds congregate here to rest and gorge themselves on tiny crustaceans and other invertebrates on the mudflats before pushing onward to the final leg of their journey. Many shorebirds can double their weight within the days of their well-deserved Delta rest. Then, like schools of fish flashing through the air, they suddenly take off with stunning agility, as if rejoicing in the gift of flight. The beauty of this “Avian Aurora”, as it has become known there, is something that can only be truly experienced in person; coordinated bodies swooping and gliding over the flats to the song of hundreds of feathers plying the air. Opportunities for excursions to view the birds abound during Cordova’s Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival. Locals and visitors alike travel to Hartney Bay, only 5 miles from downtown Cordova, to observe the migration. Expert guides share knowledge about species identification, migration routes, and more.

The easily accessible area provides birdwatchers with an opportunity to see flocks of up to 50,000 birds at a time flying in unison over the mudflats. Shorebirds that frequent Hartney Bay include western sandpipers, dunlin, whimbrels, black bellied plovers, and least sandpipers.

A lucky visitor might catch a glimpse of a peregrine falcon in hot pursuit of its next (unlucky) meal. The festival is also a mecca for wildlife photographers, who can easily observe large flocks and feeding birds. A family could be viewing shorebirds next to a photographer for National Geographic, or sitting next to the author of a world-renowned bird guide series at a community talk!

The festival includes a variety of activities outside of the mudflat excursions including field trips to Alaganik Slough (a freshwater wetland on the Copper River Delta), art workshops, kids’ activities, and guided boating trips. There are many opportunities for Shorebird Festival attendees to fully partake in the migration experience and gorge themselves in solidarity with the birds throughout the week—although it is not recommended to double in weight as our sandpipers do. In addition to annaul festival events like the Pioneer Pie Social, Cordova offers several delightful options for dining out on your own after a long day of watching the birds. World-renowned speakers are also drawn to the festival, providing a great opportunity to learn more about shorebird migration, international collaborations, and the amazing Cordova landscape.

Cordova itself is an enchanting place. Nestled between Prince William Sound and the towering Chugach mountains, the small fishing town is just starting to come alive for the commercial salmon fishing season in early May. The arrival of the birds coincides with the annual migration of fishermen and women returning to their boats from all corners of the world. The locals are friendly and enjoy the visitors that appear during the spring and summer months. You’ll be hard-strapped to find a more welcoming community in Alaska.

Although disconnected from the main road system, visitors can travel to Cordova via Alaska Airlines or the Alaska Marine Highway system (from Whittier or Valdez). Getting to Cordova is part of the adventure with breathtaking views from your plane or boat that show the vast expanse of this great land. Visitors will find a variety of hotels and other accommodations to complement their Cordova experience. The Cordova Chamber of Commerce has a current list available on their website (www.cordovachamber.com).

The sweeping landscapes, the birds, and most certainly the people of Cordova will entice you to stay in this little town forever. Or at least to come back next May, for the return of the shorebirds.

Cordova’s Copper River Delta Shorebird Festival is usually Thursday-Sunday around the first week of May in order to take full advantage of the migration patterns of the shorebirds, which typically peak around May 8th. For more info, visit www.coppershorebird.com or call the Cordova Chamber of Commerce at (907) 424-7260.