Discover the Bruny Island Bird Festival: Celebrating Diversity and Nature
The Bruny Island Bird Festival is for all nature lovers, especially anyone with an extra interest in birds and returns again this year 15th to 17th March 2024!
The festival was first held in 2010 as a community celebration of the remarkable diversity of birdlife on the island.
The three day festival is jointly presented by the Bruny Island Environment Network, BirdLife Tasmania and Inala Nature Tours, drawing on the wealth of knowledge and experience of experts in these groups to provide both an engaging and educative immersion in the natural delights of Bruny.
Bringing Together Science, Conservation, Community and Creativity
The Bruny Island Bird Festival brings together Science, Conservation, Community and Creativity to create three days of enjoyment and education about the birdlife of this wonderful island.
Packed with new features as well as old favourites, there will be Expert Speakers, Birdwatching Tours & Walks, a Nature Market Day, Art Exhibition and evening events to celebrate birds.
For the Joy of Birds
Birds bring joy and interest to our lives; colour and music to our days. Humans all over the world have always had a fascination for birds.
They are part of our cultures, our stories, our language and our technological innovations. Even as we have exploited them, we have simultaneously exalted them and throughout history we have watched and wondered.
Understanding birds helps us better to understand the world we live in.
The Bruny Island Bird Festival is Held Every Two Years
Held every two years, the Bruny Island Bird Festival has become a much anticipated event by the community and visitors alike.
Each Festival brings new features and long-term favourites. In 2024, the Festival will continue to build on the four key elements of Community, Conservation, Science and Creativity to further involve the people of Bruny and Tasmania in the many tours, walks, workshops, lecturers, markets and cultural celebrations that are the Festival.
The Bruny Island Bird Festival’s Extensive Program
Every two years the festival program includes a wide variety of bird watching tours across Bruny Island, ranging from full day island tours, to free and accessible short walks.
Inspiring Events
We hold Nature Printing Workshops, Art Exhibitions, Expert Speaker presentations, Beanie Competition, A Nature Market, Silent Auction, and Evening Events.
Before each evening’s event, come together as a merry group to record what birds we have all seen during the day on Bruny.
Rapid Fire Bruny Island Bird Festival Name Shout-Out
Join the rapid fire Bruny Bird name shout-out led by bird guide Karen Dick to mark the days tally on a giant chart.
As with all such counts, what seems so straightforward can lead to pistols at dawn!
So as a guideline, more than one person must have been present for a sighting to be valid.
If only one person was present or a rare bird ID is contested by others, then photographic evidence will help your cause greatly!
The results will be for communal enjoyment, not a scientific record.
Welcome Dinner & Entertainment on Friday 15th March
This year, our Evening Events include a welcome dinner and party on Friday 15th March.
Following guest speaker Cat Davidson (Held in the Church nearby), enjoy an informal shared meal catered by Noona Auderset, whilst feasting on the sounds of local performers.
Sweet sounds for the evening will be provided by The Island Ensemble, The Island Ensemble formed one year ago, it comprises skilled and passionate island musicians who initially met to share in the simple pleasure of playing music together.
They have been heartened by the growing number of invitations to perform at celebrations on the island, and have quickly become an integral part of Bruny’s cultural life.
This is a wonderful evening to meet and chat with other bird enthusiasts, and plan your weekend together!
Trivia Night at the Bruny Island Bird Festival
Saturday 16th evening is Trivia Night! Hosted by Bird life Australia’s Sean Dooley, and Dinner by Bruny Dine.
An evening of quick wit and brilliant questions! Hosted at the Bruny Bowls Club and catered by Bruny Dine, dinner is included in the ticket (Classic Roast meal with dessert), and the bar will be open throughout the night.
Organise your own trivia team, or we can allocate you into a team on the night.
Discover Botanical and Nature Journaling with Tanya Scharaschkin
Explore through art and science botanical and nature journaling with botanist Dr. Tanya Scharaschkin in a unique three-day art retreat experience!
Guest Speaker Dr Bob Brown on Sunday Night
Our final evening event is Sunday 17th, an alfresco dinner, followed by a discussion panel With guest speakers: Dr. Bob Brown, Dr. Andrew Hingston & Dr. Sally Bryant and Sean Dooley.
An Evening of Performance, Science & Activism
After dinner move inside for an evening of performance, science and activism.
Music composer and synthesist Peter Rankine will begin the evening with a recital to fit the theme! Peter has been inspired by birds and birdsong since childhood. This recital is a meditation on the voices of precious birds endemic to Bruny Island.
Forty-Spotted Pardalote and the Swift Parrot Update
Hear about projects and actions focussing on the Forty-spotted pardalote and the Swift parrot from special guest speakers Bob Brown, Sally Bryant and Andrew Hingston, followed by a casual panel discussion.
This is not one to miss! Great information, entertainment and a fundraiser for our Threatened Woodland Birds of Bruny Island Project (TWBBI).
The Beanie Competition
The Beanie Competition is an incredible collection of entries from across the world, all hand made, and all within the theme of Tasmanian Bird inspired creative beanies, let your imagination run wild. Beanies can be sold at the festival, and will be on display for the weekend of 15th-17th March, come in and drop in your vote for the peoples choice awards at the Adventure Bay Hall.
Fabulous Supporters of the Bruny Island Bird Festival
We are extremely grateful to everyone who is supporting the 2024 Bruny Island Bird Festival through volunteering your time and your knowledge and to the community or your generous in-kind donations.
The festival would just not be possible without the support and encouragement of every business, individual and organisation. We thank you all.
Our Wonderful Sponsors
In 2024 we are proud to thank Inala Nature Tours, Bruny Island Environment Network, Birdlife Tasmania, and Bruny Island Community Association for their support.
Additionally, we would like to thank all the business and individuals that have generously contributed their products and time.
The Bruny Island Bird Festival is run by an amazing gang of volunteers who are the lifeblood of the festival. Bruny Islanders, Tasmanians, Mainlanders – all coming together in a community to celebrating, learn about and conserve the natural world.
We always need more volunteers, so you can head over to our website to sign up!
Locations for The Bruny Island Bird Festival
The festival is held all over Bruny Island, with most of the tours and events based in the Adventure Bay Hall.
You can find us at the Lunawanna Hall on Saturday 16th for the Nature Market, and Sunday 17th, in the evening at the Bruny Island Bowls Club for the Trivia evening.
Creative Workshops at the Bruny Island Bird Festival
The popular feather print making workshop is also returning to the Bruny Island Bird Festival this year.
Rhyll Plant runs entertaining workshops to share her ideas and all you need to bring is enthusiasm. What better souvenir from Bruny Island, than printing a bird’s nest, eggs and all!
Along side a new workshop, called the Council of Birds that is all about deepening your connection with birds.
Be Part of the Bruny Island Bird Festival Art Exhibition
15th-24th March 2024 we are showcasing the communities art entries in our incredible Art Exhibition!
Held at Dennes Point Hall, this exhibition is free to both view and exhibit your own art!
We encourage all mediums and styles, with the only guidelines being the reflection of Tasmanian birds.
Gatepost Sculpture Competition
Gatepost Sculpture Competition, a collection of creativity from island residents.
There will be a map that displays all the entries to the Gatepost Sculpture Trail, so that you can be delighted to find birds reflected all throughout your drive around Bruny Island.
The winner will be decided by a people’s choice vote!
Inspiring Expert Speaker Series
Throughout the weekend drop into the Adventure Bay hall to listen to our Expert Speaker series, two carefully curated afternoons of presentations aimed to educate and inspire.
Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th, Adventure Bay Hall, Free event.
Silent Auction
Whilst you’re there, peruse the silent auction, and place some bids to win some one of a kind items that have been generously donated from some incredible artists and local businesses.
The silent auction will be taking bids all weekend, and the winners will be announced on Sunday evening.
About the Festival
The 7th Bruny Island Bird Festival
15th-17th March 2024
The Bruny Island Bird Festival: Bringing together Science, Conservation, Community and Creativity to create three days of enjoyment and education about the birdlife of this wonderful island.
Packed with new features as well as old favourites, there will be Expert Speakers, Birdwatching Tours & Walks, a Market Day, Art Exhibition and evening events to celebrate birds.
Everyone is most welcome, birders and non-birders alike.
Discover the full festival program, book your tickets, the Speakers Series, enter the Art Exhibition, be part of the Nature Market at the Lunawanna Hall, stay up to date with all the latest news with the newsletter, and enjoy volunteering at this heart warming festival.
Be sure to follow the Bruny Island Bird festival on Facebook and Instagram.
Haven’t been to Bruny Island before? Then you’re in for a wonderful new experience! Simply catch the vehicle ferry from Kettering, just south of Hobart.
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