Spring Bird Festival

May 25, 2024, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Enjoy a day of guided bird walks, live birds, reptiles and amphibians, backyard habitat building, art workshops, children’s activities, and educational displays. Bird walks start regularly throughout the festival. If you are planning on coming to the festival with your four-legged friend, remember to keep your dog on a leash. This festival is part of the annual Toronto Bird Celebration that has activities running throughout May.

Location

Colonel Samuel Smith Park, 3145 Lake Shore Blvd. W., Etobicoke. Festival grounds at the end of Colonel Samuel Smith Park Road.

Schedule

Date	Event	Time	Description
May 23	Urban Innovation for Birds and Biodiversity Webinar	Noon to 1 p.m.	Toronto has been designated as a Bird Friendly City for its efforts and leadership in urban bird conservation. Join Nature Canada staff and a Bird Friendly City Toronto volunteer for a webinar about the certification, efforts to sustain and strengthen local bird-supportive policy, and how you can help promote urban bird welfare.
May 25	Opening Ceremony	10 to 10:15 a.m.	Celebrate the return of the birds and open the 15th annual Spring Bird Festival with Vivian Recollet. Vivian is an Anishinaabe Grandmother, of the Turtle Clan from Wikwemikong unceded territory located on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. Begin the festival with gratitude and honour for the land, its winged inhabitants, and shared ancestral wisdom.
May 25	Hourly Bird Tours	10 to 11 a.m. 11 a.m. to noon Noon to 1 p.m. 1 to 2 p.m.	Guided tours with local bird enthusiasts to look, listen, and learn about birds. You’ll track common species and discuss etiquette and actions for birding in the city. Binoculars are suggested but not required.
May 25	Wildlife Detective: Kids Nature Tour with the TRCA	10:45 to 11:30 a.m. 1:15 to 2 p.m.	Join Toronto and Region Conservation (TRCA) and become Wildlife Detectives as we explore the trails at Colonel Sam Smith Park! We’ll carefully scout the trail, searching for animal clues and learning about the different types of evidence our local wildlife can leave behind. What can these clues tell us about these animals? We’ll also learn about what we can do to protect wildlife habitats at home, at school, and in our communities!
May 25	Family Bird Tours	10:30 to 11 a.m. 11:30 a.m. to noon 12:30 to 1 p.m.	Join local bird enthusiasts for a tour for younger birders. Together you’ll start to discover the wonders, sights, and sounds of local birds. We’ll explore where they build their homes, how they catch a meal, and what they do to survive winter. No birding experience is required, but curiosity is suggested!
May 25	Turtle Protector Tour	1 to 1:45 p.m.	Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of turtles and their ecosystems through an Indigenous lens. Explore the lush surroundings while gaining insight into the crucial role turtles play in the local environment, intertwining their lives with the diverse bird species of Toronto’s landscapes.
May 25	Closing Ceremony	1:45 to 2 p.m.	Wrap up the Bird Festival with Grandmother Vivian leading a closing ceremony, sharing wisdom and blessings while acknowledging the birds that enrich our world. Experience a calming meditation that fosters a deeper connection to nature, leaving attendees with gratitude for our feathered friends.

Gallery

A sign in Cottonwood Flats, in the Lower Don Parklands, that reads "This space is for the birds. — Cottonwood Flats – Lower Don Parklands.

An American goldfinch, predominantly yellow with black markings, perches on a branch in the Don Valley Brick Works Park. — American goldfinch at Don Valley Brick Works Park. Photo credit: Helena Chu

A Baltimore oriole, predominantly orange with black markings, perches on a branch in Tommy Thompson Park. — Baltimore oriole at Tommy Thompson Park

A blue jay, predominantly blue and white, with black and white markings, stands on a rock with a peanut in its beak. — Blue jay at Edward Gardens. Photo credit: Branden Bo Chen

Four Canada geese in the Don River in the East Don Parkland. — Canada geese in the East Don Parkland

An American goldfinch, predominantly yellow with black markings, in Edward Gardens perched on a plant. — American goldfinch at Edward Gardens. Photo credit: Lucy Cherniak

A great blue heron standing on a rock in the Don River in the East Don Parkland. — Great blue heron in the East Don Parkland

A belted kingfisher, with predominately black and white markings and a shaggy crest on its head, perched on a branch in Taylor Creek Park. — Belted kingfisher at Taylor Creek Park

A snowy owl perched on a tree trunk with the CN Tower in the background at Tommy Thompson Park. — Snowy owl at Tommy Thompson Park. Photo credit: Owen Strickland

A downy woodpecker, with black and white markings, on a branch hunting for insects in Taylor Creek Park. — Downy woodpecker at Taylor Creek Park

A hairy woodpecker, with black and white markings, on a tree hunting for insects in Taylor Creek Park. — Hairy woodpecker at Taylor Creek Park

Three wild turkeys by the side of the road in Colonel Danforth Park. — Wild turkey at Colonel Danforth Park

Red-breasted merganser, predominately white and black with a shaggy crest of feathers gives the head, in Lake Ontario at Colonel Sam Smith Park. — Red-breasted merganser at Colonel Sam Smith Park

A trumpeter swan with white plumage and an all-black beak near the water at Tommy Thompson Park. — Trumpeter swan at Tommy Thompson Park

A song sparrow, with rich, russet-and-gray markings and bold streaks down its white chest, in a tree at Taylor Creek Park. — Song sparrow at Taylor Creek Park

An American robin with a bold red chest and black plumage in a tree at Taylor Creek Park. — American robin at Taylor Creek Park

A puffed up red-winged blackbird calling from his perch in common reeds at the Don Valley Brick Works Park. — Red-winged blackbird at Don Valley Brick Works Park

A flying osprey in Guildwood Park. — Osprey in Guildwood Park

An Eastern kingbird from the back with gray plumage and conspicuous white stripes on wing feathers, perched on a plant in Tommy Thompson Park. — Eastern kingbird at Tommy Thompson Park

A common grackle with glossy black-iridescent plumage and bright yellow eye in Colonel Sam Smith Park. — Grackle at Colonel Sam Smith Park.

A male cowbird with glossy black plumage and a chocolate brown head perched on a branch in Colonel Sam Smith Park — Cowbird at Colonel Sam Smith Park

A male northern Cardinal with bright red plumage and black head markings perched on a branch in the Don Valley Brick Works Park. — Northern Cardinal at Don Valley Brick Works Park

Rust coloured rock pigeon perched on a railing. It has a green identification band on one foot. — Rock pigeon in Amos Waites Park

Grey and white ring-billed gull perched on a railing. — Ring-billed gull in Amos Waites Park

American robin perched on a branch in Colonel Sam Smith Park. — American robin in Colonel Sam Smith Park

Song sparrow singing on a tree branch in Colonel Sam Smith Park. — Song sparrow in Colonel Sam Smith Park

Red-necked Grebe, with red and white head and reddish orange neck, swimming in Lake Ontario in Colonel Sam Smith Park. — Red-necked Grebe in Colonel Sam Smith Park.

Red-tailed hawk soaring over Scarborough. — Red-tailed hawk in Scarborough. Photo credit Danny Correia

Male mallard swimming in Amos Waites Park. It has a brown breast and green head with yellow bill. — Male mallard in Amos Waites Park

Long-tailed duck swimming in Lake Ontario in Colonel Sam Smith Park. — Long-tailed duck in Colonel Sam Smith Park

Two female hooded mergansers swimming in a pond at the Don Valley Brick Works Park. — Female hooded mergansers at Don Valley Brick Works Park

Eastern Wood-Pewee, white and grey, perches on a piece of wood in Tommy Thompson Park — Eastern Wood-Pewee in Tommy Thompson Park

Double-crested cormorant swimming. It has dark colouring and a dark bill. — Double-crested cormorant in Colonel Sam Smith Park

2024 Partners

Cancellation Policy

The event will be cancelled if there is a 70 per cent or greater chance of a thunderstorm or if other hazardous weather arises.