Experience Bear Divide

Klamath Bird Observatory is going back to Bear Divide! Last April we took 10 people for the first time to Bear Divide to experience bird migration in a new way. This trip is led by Dr. Ryan Terrill KBO’s Science Director. As a postdoc at Occidental College Ryan helped establish the monitoring happening at Bear Divide. Even though he is now at KBO this place still calls him back.

“Personally, I really think it’s one of the best birding spots in the world,” Ryan Terrill

It is one of the only places in the western United States where you can see bird migration during daylight hours. Calling Bear Divide a migratory hot spot would be an understatement. Every year — roughly between March 15 and June 15, with peak migration between April 10 and May 20 — thousands of birds funnel through the narrow pass. It offers a unique learning opportunity, such as how timing, weather, climate, sex, age, and other factors affect migratory patterns. The area attracts as many as 13,000 tanagers, orioles, buntings, grosbeaks, and warblers on a single day. One of the fascinating aspects of Bear Divide is the sheer variety of bird species it attracts. From the diminutive hummingbirds to the impressive birds of prey, each species adds a unique dimension to the study of migration.

At Bear Divide sits a banding station run by graduate students and volunteers. Volunteers come from all over to contribute to the science and experience the wonder that is Bear Divide. KBO donates a portion of the proceeds from this fundraising trip to support the banding station.

Trip Details:

• Dates: April 23rd – April 26th, 2025
• On Wednesday evening at Hotel Lexen, we will have a small group get-together to discuss the week. There will be time to mingle with refreshments.
• The group will leave for Bear Divide by van from Hotel Lexen Newhall in downtown Santa Clarita at 5:30 am on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday mornings. We plan to stay there for several hours or until migration slows.
• Optional birding excursions will be offered in the afternoons, or you can explore the area at your leisure. A highlight from last year was visiting and learning about the Pasadena parrot population.
• A special presentation by Dr. Ryan Terrill is planned for Thursday evening with a provided dinner
• Included: breakfast and lunch, transportation to Bear Divide, dinner Thursday night, and optional excursions
• Not included: airfare, airport transfers, hotel, most dinners
• Trip Cost: $1500 per person
• Flights: We recommend flying into Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), significantly closer to Hotel Lexen than LAX.

Read more about Bear Divide in these articles:
https://californiacurated.com/2024/02/27/feathers-on-the-flyway-unraveling-avian-mysteries-at-bear-divide-with-the-moore-lab/
https://www.npr.org/2024/05/13/1250248970/birds-migration-la-bear-divide-california-science-environment 

Suggested hotel: Hotel Lexen