Experience Avian Amazement at the 2nd Annual Tybee Spring Shorebird Festival
Tybee Island Marine Science Center and Manomet Conservation Services collaborate for the second year in a row to host this special celebration of shorebirds.
In 2025, shorebird biologist with Manomet, Allie Hayser and colleagues ideated and executed the island’s inaugural Tybee Spring Shorebird Festival to raise awareness about and promote conservation efforts for the approximately 300,000 shorebirds that flock to our barrier isle during their migration season. With buy-in from the City of Tybee, the Tybee Island Maritime Academy, and the Tybee Island Marine Science Center, which hosted last year’s events, the shorebird fest was born, attracting hundreds of attendees over the February 20–22 weekend.
“We had a great turnout, especially for our first year,” said Beth Palmer, operations director at the Tybee Island Marine Science Center and co-coordinator for the shorebird festival. “On the festival day, we had more than 200 people attend, and we had around 100 people come to the events before the festival day. . . We’re hoping to grow it each year and have more people come out and learn more about shorebirds and how important our coast is during their migration.”
Tybee is a vital feeding ground for the hundreds of thousands of shorebirds that migrate each year from Alaska, Canada, and South America. Birds migrating along the coast stop on our shores to fuel up on food, equipping them with the energy they need to continue their Herculean flights. The festival celebrates our avian amigos with a full slate of events over the course of three days.
This year’s festival will take place Feb. 19–21, kicking off on Thursday with a shorebird walk and talk and a virtual trivia night followed by a special PSA documentary presented by Manomet. Following on Friday is the (Shore)Birds and Brew Happy Hour at Back River Brewery.
“It was a popular event last year, so we’re doing it again. People can come out and meet others who are interested in birds, learn cool facts and have a drink while doing it,” said Palmer.
The celebration culminates on Saturday, Feb. 21 — the main festival day complete with family friendly activities and free admission to the marine science center.
“The festival will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. We’ll have partner tables with different activities and games around the center. We’ll have live music from two local bands — The Surf Clams and The Aloha Joes. We’ll have Mac Attack food truck, and North Beach Bar & Grill right next door will offer 15% off for festival attendees, and they’ll have a special shorebird cocktail as well,” she said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun, and we’ll learn about shorebirds in the process, how important our coast is to them, and how we can protect them.”
To help protect shorebirds and ensure that our shores remain safe and accommodating for them, there are things that beachgoers can do.
“Take trash and anything you bring to the beach back with you. Any trash left behind might be confused as food for the shorebirds or interfere with their nesting habitats. . . It’s also good to keep your eye out for shorebird nests. And as much as we love dogs, it’s important to keep them off the beach because even though your dog may be the most perfect pet, it still looks like a predator, like a coyote or a wolf, to shorebirds. That will scare them away and make it harder for them to lay their nests and hunt for food,” Palmer said.
The shorebird festival is one of the many efforts that the marine science center and Manomet are making to educate and engage the public in conservation and environmental stewardship. Beyond the festival, visitors to the marine science center will discover interactive and informative exhibits about local marine life and Tybee’s unique ecology.
“Feel free to come out and support us,” she said. “We have a lot of great souvenirs about shorebirds and more in our gift shop as well!”
All Tybee Spring Shorebird Festival events are completely free and open to the public. To learn more and to see the full festival schedule, visit tybeemarinescience.org/events/second-annual-tybee-shorebird-festival/.
