Madison Bird & Nature Festival 2026

Madison’s Bird & Nature Festival is set for Sunday, April 26, with four hours of free bird, wildlife and outdoor activities at Warner Park Community Recreation Center. (cityofmadison.com) The City of Madison Parks listing says the event runs from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 1625 Northport Drive, and organizers suggest visitors plan a 30- to 45-minute stop. (cityofmadison.com) The program includes live birds of prey from Open Door Bird Sanctuary, a 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. talk by Alicia King of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, guided bird and nature walks, canoe paddling and kids fishing. (cityofmadison.com) Other activities listed by the city include face painting, free kites for the first 200 kids, native wildflower seed bombs, telescope viewing of an eagle’s nest, and exhibits from groups including the International Crane Foundation, The Nature Conservancy and Friends of Cherokee Marsh. (cityofmadison.com) The festival is tied to three spring observances at once: Madison Bird City, Arbor Day and Earth Day. Bird City Wisconsin says its statewide program recognizes communities that commit to bird conservation and environmental stewardship. (cityofmadison.com; birdcity.org) That framing puts the event in Madison’s larger parks and habitat work, where city-run recreation space doubles as a place for bird education, native plant outreach and volunteer recruiting. The Warner Park center page lists the festival alongside other public programs at the facility. (cityofmadison.com; cityofmadison.com) A District 20 weekly update from April 17 highlighted the festival as one of the city events for the week of April 20, placing it next to the April 25 Earth Day Challenge park cleanups. (cityofmadison.com) For families, the pitch is straightforward: show up anytime Sunday afternoon, park for free, and move between birds, walks, exhibits and hands-on activities in one stop on Madison’s north side. (cityofmadison.com)