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Tag: Bear Divide

Travel with Purpose: Conservation-Focused Nature and Birding Adventures

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Birds & Birding, KBO Partners, Trips & Events.

Klamath Bird Observatory (KBO) has launched a new webpage that brings its conservation travel program to life. Designed for nature lovers, birders, and eco-conscious explorers, this page showcases how every journey with KBO supports science, education, and habitat restoration. Whether you’re a seasoned birder or a curious traveler, these trips offer a rare chance to connect deeply with birds, landscapes, and the people working to protect them.

A green hillside with a group of people walking on a trail.
The 2023 trip attendees on a hike through Brazil’s Atlantic Forest.

Brazil – Atlantic Forest Adventure (September 3–12, 2026)
Embark on a 10-day expedition through Brazil’s breathtaking Atlantic Forest with KBO and Mantiqueira Bird Observatory. This immersive experience combines birdwatching, hiking, and cultural exploration, while directly supporting an internship exchange program between the two observatories.

  • Dates: September 3–12, 2026
  • Leaders: Jaime Stephens (KBO) & Luiza Figueira (OAMa)
  • Highlights:
    • Birding in the Mantiqueira Highlands
    • Cultural immersion and scenic hikes
    • Supports international conservation internships
  • Group Size: Limited to 12 participants
  • Cost: $6,000 single / $5,500 double occupancy
  • Accessibility: Moderate walking, uneven trails, elevation gain
  • Included: Lodging, meals, in-country transport
  • Not Included: International airfare

This trip is ideal for those seeking a meaningful international adventure that blends ecological learning with cultural richness.

Bear Divide – California Migration Hotspot (May 6–9, 2026)

A line of people looking out onto a vast mountain range looking for birds.
Bear Divide trip attendees from 2023 are seeking migratory birds to spot.

Experience spring migration like never before at Bear Divide, a narrow mountain pass where thousands of songbirds funnel through each morning. This 4-day trip offers expert-guided outings, a special presentation, and optional excursions, like a Pasadena parrot tour.

  • Dates: May 6–9, 2026
  • Leaders: Dr. Ryan Terrill & Elva Manquera-DeShields
  • Highlights:
    • Witness daylight migration of thousands of birds
    • Morning field sessions and optional afternoon outings
    • Supports on-site bird banding and outreach
  • Group Size: Limited to 12 participants
  • Cost: $1,500 per person
  • Included: Breakfast, lunch, transport to Bear Divide, one group dinner
  • Not Included: Airfare, hotel, most dinners
  • Suggested Hotel: Hotel Lexen, Santa Clarita

Perfect for birders who want to witness the magic of migration at a globally unique daytime migration hotspot and support local science.

Why Travel with KBO?
Every trip registration helps fund KBO’s mission, advancing bird and habitat conservation through science, education, and partnerships. From supporting internships to sustaining migration monitoring stations, your journey becomes part of a larger story of stewardship.

Ready to Join?
Visit the new Travel with Purpose page to learn more, view bird lists, and register. Spots are limited, so secure your place today!

 

Bear Divide – California Migration Hotspot

Written by Elva Manquera on .

Experience spring migration like never before at Bear Divide, one of the western U.S.’s premier daylight birding hotspots. Join Klamath Bird Observatory’s Dr. Ryan Terrill for guided morning outings through this narrow mountain pass, where thousands of songbirds funnel through each day. The trip includes select meals, local transportation, expert-led excursions, and a special presentation, with proceeds supporting the on-site banding station. Optional afternoon outings and a Pasadena parrot tour round out this immersive avian adventure.

Learn more at KBO’s Travel page.

A KBO Presentation – A West Coast Migratory Anomaly, Bear Divide (Rescheduled)

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Birds & Birding, Conservation, Trips & Events.

Join us on February 24th at 6 pm. Rescheduled to March 3rd at 6 pm. Virtual Only. for a presentation on Bear Divide by KBO’s Science Director Dr. Ryan Terrill. Bear Divide is a recently discovered migratory bird concentration point near Los Angeles, CA. 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. Dr. Ryan Terrill will discuss the discovery, implications, and ongoing research at this fascinating and unique hotspot for bird migration.

This is a free event hosted via Zoom. Register below.

Did you know KBO is taking a trip to see this migration in action from April 23rd to April 26th, 2025? You can learn more about this vacation for the birds trip here: https://klamathbird.org/callnote/experience-bear-divide/

 

Experience Bear Divide

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Trips & Events.

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: May 6th – May 9th, 2026
  • 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, non-refundable
  • 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

The 2026 trip is full. If you are interested in attending in 2027, please reach out to Elva at ejm@klamathbird.org.

Bear Divide Trip Registration and Details

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Birds & Birding, Trips & Events.

Klamath Bird Observatory is going on a 4-day trip to Burbank, California, where we will explore the wonders of Bear Divide led by Dr. Ryan Terrill, April 24th – 27th, 2024. There are only a handful of places in the United States where you get to experience bird migration in a new way. 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 really is overwhelming to stand on the road and have 5,000 birds of 80 species fly by your knees in a morning,” Dr. Ryan Terrill said.

It’s also one of the only morning “flight spots” on the West Coast (out of very few in the entire world), offering learning opportunities, 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.

Trip Details:

Wednesday evening at Hotel Lexen, we will have a small group get-together to go over the week and have time to mingle. 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 additional birding excursions will be offered in the afternoons, or you can explore the area at your leisure. A special presentation by Dr. Ryan Terrill is planned for Thursday evening.

Included: breakfast and lunch, transportation to Bear Divide, and optional excursions

Not included: airfare, airport transfers, hotel, dinners.

Trip Cost: $1500 per person.

Travel arrangement notes:

Flights: We recommend flying into Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), which is significantly closer to Hotel Lexen than LAX. Please note that ultra-low-cost carrier Avelo Airlines offers direct flights from Medford to Burbank on Wednesday, April 24th, and back on Saturday, April 27th. (KBO does not endorse Avelo or any other airline.)

Hotel: KBO has reserved a block of rooms at Hotel Lexen (24219 Railroad Ave, Santa Clarita, CA) for participants. You will provide payment to the hotel on your arrival Wednesday. The cost of a reserved room is $550. You can call and reserve your own room at Hotel Lexen or another hotel nearby if you want.

Save the Date – Bear Divide Trip with Dr. Ryan Terrill

Written by Elva Manquera on . Posted in Klamath Call Note, Birds & Birding, Trips & Events.

Join KBO’s Science Director for an avian awe-inspiring experience, a spectacle of spring bird migration that is on full display at Bear Divide in the western San Gabriel Mountains. Bear Divide’s topography is a funnel for long-distance migratory birds on the Pacific Flyway. Visitors and scientists can see and study migratory birds up close and personal.

Led by Dr. Ryan Terrill, a collaborative group of scientists is counting thousands of birds each spring morning as they pass over a low saddle in the mountains on their way north. The Pacific Coast has previously lacked a place to monitor diurnal bird migration similar to well-known East Coast migration hotspots like Cape May, and the data we collect will help us understand how well birds are doing as they respond to changing habitats and climates.

You can watch a video of Ryan’s presentation to the Pasadena Audubon Society in 2022 here to learn more about Dear Divide. 

The trip will take place from April 24 to 28, 2024—price to be determined. Registration opens on February 5th.