Join us for a celebration of spring migration as we welcome our feathered friends, the modern dinosaurs, back to Dinosaur Provincial Park!

Avian Extravaganza will take place May 16-17, 2026. Join us and bird lovers of all kinds for a weekend of live raptor interaction, family friendly activities, and expert talks in the Alberta Badlands.

Saturday, May 16th 

• 8:30 am - Basics For Future Bird Nerds - Birding Walk 
  • A magical world of beautiful birds to be watched awaits! Join us for a stroll with us through the cottonwood forest in the early morning light, listening for bird song and practicing the basics of bird identification. 
  • Meeting Location: Provided upon Registration
  • Advanced registration required; stop in at the Visitor Centre, email [email protected] or phone 403-378-4342. Limited Capacity. All birding experience levels welcome. Families welcome (recommended ages 6 and up). Pets politely asked not to attend please (as not to scare the birds). 

• 10:30 am - From Scaly to Fluffy, the Dinosaurian Ancestry of Birds - Guest Presentation by Dr. François Therrien
  • Join the Curator of Dinosaur Palaeoecology at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology as he
    explains how feathers and wings evolved—and why—drawing on groundbreaking discoveries from Alberta, including finds from Dinosaur Provincial Park that revolutionized our understanding of the origins of bird flight.
  • Location: Visitor Center Theatre
  • Free public talk. All ages welcome. No registration required.

• 1:30- 4:00 pm - Build a Bird Crafternoon
  • Take inspiration from the beauty and architectural brilliance of birds to create handmade masterpieces and memories. 
  • Location: Visitor Center Legacy Room
  • Free Public Drop-in Craft Program. All ages welcome. No registration required.

• 7:30 pm - Kingdom of the Cretaceous - Amphitheatre Show Opening Night
  • Join Merlin and his friends on their epic quest through Dinosaur Provincial park to find the fabled Bone in the Stone.
  • Location: Deadlodge Canyon Amphitheatre - by the Day-use area
  • Free Public Show. All ages welcome. No registration required.

Sunday, May 17th 

• 10:30 am - The Birds of Alberta 100 Years Ago - Guest Presentation by John Acorn
  • A fascinating journey into Alberta’s past to discover the birds that filled its skies 100 years ago
    with one of Canadas most beloved Naturalists.
  • Location: Visitor Center Theatre
  • Free public talk. All ages welcome. No registration required.

• 1:00 pm - Alberta Birds of Prey Center Presents - Guest Presentation by Colin Weir 
  • Join the Managing Director of the Alberta Birds of Prey Foundation to learn about raptors of Alberta and the extraordinary rescue work done by the team at the Alberta Birds of Prey Nature Centre.
  • Location: Visitor Center Theatre
  • Free public talk. All ages welcome. No registration required

• 2:00 - 4:00 pm - Birds of Prey Meet and Greet
  • Get up close with the long‑term raptor residents of the Alberta Birds of Prey Nature Centre! Meet some of Alberta’s most majestic birds face‑to‑face and chat with their caregivers to learn what makes these incredible hunters so unique.
  • Location: Visitor Center
  • Free public Drop-in. All ages welcome. No registration required

Citizen Science Volunteer Opportunity 

For those interested in contributing to citizen science, the 27th annual Brooks-Lake Newell Bird Count is being held at Tillebrook Provincial Park May 15-17,2026. Prospective volunteers are welcome to contact Debora Hornsby for information about pre-registration via email at [email protected]

Program Date(s)