YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO THE
BIGGEST WEEK OPENING CEREMONY
BROUGHT TO YOU BY...
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Friday, May 8, 2026 - 5:30 - 7:00 P.M.
NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED!
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Join Black Swamp Bird Observatory at the beautiful Maumee Bay Lodge & Conference Center for the Biggest Week in American Birding Opening Ceremony including:
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BirdCast: Tracking Migration with Weather Radar
Friday, May 8 at 7:00 p.m.
Maumee Bay Lodge Ballroom Join Ross Ellet, meteorologist at 13ABC, Toledo, and Adriaan Dokter of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for an engaging presentation exploring the intersection of weather, radar technology, and bird migration.
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Premiere of Listers and Book Signing
Saturday, May 9 at 6:30 p.m.
Maumee Bay Lodge Ballroom Black Swamp Bird Observatory is super stoked to announce that The Biggest Week in American Birding will host the premiere screening of Listers, the hilarious birding documentary that’s taking the birding world by storm!
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Everything Birds Trivia
Monday, May 11 at 7:00 p.m.
Maumee Bay Lodge Icebreaker Lounge Join Sabrewing Nature Tours for a fun night with friends for bird trivia! Form a team before or sign up for one when you get there. There will be prizes for first, second, and third place. Brush up on your bird facts and join the fun!
Food and drinks are available in the lounge during the event. The questions cover a wide array of bird related topics other than just identification, meaning there is likely a category for everyone! 
Bird Tattoo Contest
Thursday, May 14 at 6:00 p.m.
Maumee Bay Lodge Icebreaker Lounge Show off your (family friendly!) bird tattoo and share the story behind it at this fun and creative Biggest Week event. Whether your ink is bold, subtle, colorful, or classic, we invite you to bring a publicly shareable tattoo and impress our judges with both the artwork and the meaning it holds. It’s a celebration of birds, creativity, and the personal connections that inspire us.
Life List
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An Evening with Lili Taylor
Tuesday, May 12 at 7:00 p.m.
Maumee Bay Lodge Ballroom Join us for an intimate evening with acclaimed actress, author, and birder Lili Taylor as we discuss her book Turning to Birds. Discover how birding helped her slow down, reconnect, and notice the beauty in everyday life. She’ll be joined by Kimberly Kaufman, Executive Director at Black Swamp Bird Observatory. Together, they’ll explore the power of paying attention to the natural world around us. There will be ample time for the audience to speak with Lili, as well. The Q&A will be followed by a book signing.
Birder Prom
Friday, May 15 at 7:00 p.m.
Maumee Bay Lodge Ballroom Lace up those boogie shoes and join us for a night of nonstop fun featuring a DJ and live music from Artist/Birder Bonner Black! We’ll bring the dance floor, the ambiance, and a cash bar. You bring your best moves for the Tanager Tango, the Hummingbird Hop, the Warbler Waltz, and the Songbird Salsa. Let’s dance like nobody’s watching, except maybe the birds!
An Evening with author Ryan Goldberg
Saturday, May 16 at 7:00 p.m.
Maumee Bay Lodge Ballroom Ryan Goldberg is an award-winning journalist and the author of Bird City: Adventures in New York’s Urban Wilds. He has written for the New York Times, Texas Monthly, ProPublica, Popular Science, National Geographic, and Audubon, among many other publications. Join Ryan as he discusses his book, Bird City: Adventures in New York's Urban Wilds.
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