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Over the past 15 years, there's been a huge increase in the number of festivals, eco-lodges, and tour companies that cater to traveling birders. Those of you who prefer to flock together rather than fly solo, check out this list of professionally guided tours in North America and worldwide that are endorsed by the American Birding Association (ABA).

Here are some resources to help get you on your way:

Festivals

Birding festivals are typically multi-day events that celebrate a particular species or the wildlife of a region. They offer seminars on topics like hummingbird identification and birding by ear, speakers that are renowned naturalists, photography workshops, displays from vendors of products such as optics and bird feeders, and field trips to see notable local species. Dozens of festivals take place throughout the year.

The ABA and Audubon websites both list birding festivals and events nationwide.

Find more festivals at AARP The Magazine Online