2026 Bird Holidays & Awareness Days

The birds we celebrate in our yards every day get special recognition during designated bird holidays and awareness days in 2026. From bird counts for obtaining important data from everyday bird lovers to awareness days that spotlight particular bird species, these designated months, weeks and days highlight the vital role our feathered friends play in our environment.

January

Jan. 5: National Bird Day
Jan. 10: Save the Eagles Day
Jan. 20: Penguin Awareness Day
Jan. 21: Squirrel Appreciation Day
Late January: Big Garden Birdwatch (UK). This annual event, founded by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, has been called the world’s largest bird count.

February

National Bird Feeding Month
National Wild Bird Feeding Month
Feb. 3: Feed the Birds Day (US)
Feb. 5: Western Monarch Day
2nd Full Week of February: Homes for Birds Week
Feb. 14-21: National Nestbox Week
Feb. 13-16, 2026: Great Backyard Bird Count
Last Full Week of February: Bird Health Awareness Week

March

March 3: World Wildlife Day
March 14: Learn About Butterflies Day
March 11-17: Turkey Vultures Return to the Living Sign
March 15: Buzzards Day
March 15: National Catio Day
March 19: Swallows Return to San Juan Capistrano Day
March 20: World Sparrow Day
March 21: World Planting Day
March 28: National Weed Appreciation Day

April

First full week in April: National Wildlife Week
1st Full Week of April: Be Kind to Spiders Week
April 8: Draw a Bird Day
April 13: International Plant Appreciation Day
April 17: International Bat Appreciation Day
April 21: World Curlew Day
April 22: Earth Day
April 25: World Penguin Day
April 25: Arbor Day
April 26: Audubon Day
Last Saturday of April: National Go Birding Day
April 27: International Crow and Raven Appreciation Day
April 27: Woody Woodpecker Day

May

Be Kind to Animals Month
Garden for Wildlife Month
First Saturday in May: Start Seeing Monarchs Day
May 4: Bird Day
May 4: International Respect for Chickens Day
First Sunday in May: International Dawn Chorus Day
First Full Week in May: Be Kind to Animals Week®
May 8-17, 2026: The Biggest Week in American Birding®. This annual festival, hosted by the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, takes place in a portion of northwest Ohio called “The Warbler Capital of the World.”
2nd Saturday in May in U.S. & Canada: World Migratory Bird Day
3rd Friday in May: Endangered Species Day
May 20: World Bee Day
May 28: Whooping Crane Day
May 29: Learn About Composting Day
May 31: World Parrot Day

June

National Pollinators Month
June 5: World Environment Day
June 7: June Bug Day
June 13: National Pigeon Day
Last Full Week of June: Carpenter Ant Awareness Week
Late June: National Mosquito Control Awareness Week
June 22-28, 2026: National Pollinator Week
June 19: World Albatross Day
June 20: National American Eagle Day
June 23: Pink Flamingo Day
June 22-28, 2026: National Insect Week
June 28: Scarlet Macaw Day
June 29-July 6, 2026: Rabbit Week

July

Wild About Wildlife Month
Last week in July: National Moth Week
July 27: National Tree Day
July 28: World Nature Conservation Day

August

Aug. 14: World Lizard Day
3rd Saturday of August: National Honey Bee Day
Aug. 20: World Mosquito Day
Last Full Weekend in August: International Bat Night

September

National Organic Month
First Saturday in September: International Vulture Awareness Day
First Saturday in September: National Hummingbird Day
Sept. 4: National Wildlife Day
Sept. 6: World Shorebirds Day
Sept. 7: National Threatened Species Day
Sept. 24: National Bluebird of Happiness Day
4th Saturday in September: National Wildlife Ecology Day
Mid-Sept.: International Hawk Migration Week (IHMW)

October

Bat Appreciation Month
Squirrel Awareness Month
World Animal Month
Oct. 1: International Raccoon Appreciation Day
Oct. 3: Butterfly and Hummingbird Day
Oct. 4: World Animal Day
First Monday of October: World Habitat Day
Oct. 7: World Habitat Day
Second Saturday in October.: World Migratory Bird Day (in Mexico, Central and South America & Caribbean).
Oct. 21: American Frog Day
Oct. 21: National Reptile Awareness Day
Oct. 23: International Swallows Depart from San Juan Capistrano Day
Oct. 24-31: Bat Week
Oct. 29: Feed the Birds Day (UK)

November

Adopt a Turkey Month

December

Dec. 14 – Jan. 5: Christmas Bird Count Week
Dec. 21: National Robin Day (UK)