IDBF 2026 Original Fine Art

Original 20x24 framed fine art piece by Kristina Knowski, featuring the 2026 festival bird, the Cerulean Warbler.

2027 Indiana Dunes Birding Festival Premier Registration (for 2)

Be among the first to secure your perfect festival experience with this exclusive early-access registration package for IDBF 2027! This package guarantees:

🕒 Registration 48 hours before anyone else, ensuring first pick of ALL field trips and sessions-including high-demand van tours and specialty outings (including pre-fest!)
🎟️ Basic 4-Day Festival Registration for 2 people
2 tickets to the Keynote Dinner
2 passes to Birds & Brews

Whether you're chasing spring migrants or savoring craft brews with fellow birders, this VIP-level package gives you front-row access to one of the Midwest's premier birding festival.

Best of the Flyway Festivals: Two Premier Birding Festivals

Experience two of the Midwest standout birding festivals with this paired package that spans fall migration in Chicago and spring migration along Lake Michigan.

Start in September 2026 at the Chicago Urban Birding Festival, where you'll enjoy:

• 2 Basic Registration Tickets
• 2 Birds and Brews Registrations
• 2 Keynote Dinner Registrations
• Festival Swag

Then Continue the adventure in May 2027 Indiana Dunes Birding Festival, one of the largest in the country, including:

• 2 Basic Registration Tickets
• 2 Birds and Brews Registrations
• 2 Keynote Dinner Registrations
• Festival Swag

This package offers a full spectrum birding experience the best of both migrations.

Set of Four Indiana Dunes Birding Festival Commemorative Pint Glasses

Celebrate a piece of festival history every time you drink your favorite beverage from your favorite IDBF pint glass. Set of four glasses; two with Piping plovers along the shores of Lake Michigan and two featuring a Woodcock in flight.

Fall Birding in the Dunes with Cookie Ferguson & Kim Ehn

Spend a half-day (4-hour) fall migration adventure through the Indiana Dunes region with not one, but two exceptional expert guides - Cookie Ferguson, Indiana Audubon Board Director and National Park Service Ranger, and Kim Ehn, President of the Dunes-Calumet Audubon Society. Together, they will lead 2-4 birders through the premier hotspots of Lake, Porter, or LaPorte Counties in search of everything winging its way south.

With Cookie's unmatched knowledge of the landscape as an NPS Ranger and Kim's lifelong passion for connecting people with the birds of Northwest Indiana, you'll experience fall migration through the dunes like never before.

Have a favorite patch you'd love to include? Cookie and Kim are happy to customize the route to match your birding dreams.

The outing will begin bright and early at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center on a mutually agreed upon morning in September or October 2026.

Dunes Project Owlnet: Behind the Scenes for 4 People

Step into the world of nocturnal migration with a private, behind-the-scenes owl banding experience at Indiana Dunes.

This exclusive opportunity gives up to four people a rare look at Project Owlnet research in action. You'll join our team in the field during Northern Saw-whet Owl banding season, getting an up-close look at the science, the process, and the magic of these tiny nighttime migrants.

What's included:

• Private owl banding experience for up to four people
• Behind-the-scenes access to a working banding station
• One oversized blanket
• Four Project Owlnet t-shirts
• Project stickers

This experience is valid during the 2025 fall owl banding season, typically mid-October through mid-November. Weekday visits will be scheduled directly with Indiana Audubon based on weather conditions and owl activity. Select Friday and Saturday nights may also be available, where your group will participate as featured guests during scheduled public banding evenings. All dates are weather dependent and will be coordinated in advance. Witness Northern Saw-whet Owls up close and experience a side of conservation most people never see.

Woodcock Trilogy 1: Felted Woodcock On Nest

Three artist friends. One wonderfully odd bird.

For the past several years, Robin Janson, Shari McCollough, and Rhiannon Thunnel have challenged each other to interpret the same bird species through their own artistic medium. This year's muse is the unforgettable American Woodcock, a bird famous for its oversized eyes, long bill, awkward charm, and cult following among birders everywhere.

Robin Janson brings the woodcock to life through detailed needle felting, capturing the bird nestled among leaves and eggs with remarkable warmth and texture. The piece feels both playful and deeply natural, like stumbling upon a secret woodland moment hidden beneath the forest floor.

The American Woodcock holds a special place in Indiana Dunes Birding Festival history, appearing in past festival artwork and even serving as a festival logo. It is a bird that inspires affection almost instantly. Equal parts elegant and absurd, which honestly makes it perfect.

This item is part of the Woodcock Art Trilogy, with companion pieces created in watercolor and blown glass by fellow artists in this collaborative challenge series.

Woodcock Watercolor by Shari McCollough

Three artists. Three mediums. One beloved little forest oddball.

For the past few years, artist friends Robin Janson, Shari McCollough, and Rhiannon Thunnel have shared a creative tradition, each selecting the same bird species and interpreting it through their own artistic style. This year, they chose the American Woodcock, one of the most recognizable and delightfully strange birds of the Indiana dunes and beyond.

In this original watercolor, Shari McCollough captures the soft texture, earthy tones, and gentle personality of the woodcock with beautiful detail and warmth. The painting highlights the bird's iconic oversized eye and long bill while giving it an almost storybook presence.

The American Woodcock has become something of a mascot among Indiana birders and has even appeared in past Indiana Dunes Birding Festival artwork and branding. It is a bird that inspires smiles, double takes, and probably more "what exactly am I looking at?" reactions than almost any other species in the woods.

This watercolor is part of the Woodcock Art Trilogy, alongside companion felted and blown glass interpretations created by the two collaborating artists.

Woodcock Block Glass by Rhianmon Thunnel

A bird this strange deserves more than one interpretation.

For several years, artist friends Robin Janson, Shari McCollough, and Rhiannon Thunnel have challenged each other to create artwork inspired by the same bird species, each using their own artistic medium. Their 2026 subject is the iconic American Woodcock, a bird that has earned legendary status among birders for its unusual shape, curious behavior, and undeniable personality.

Rhiannon Thunnel's blown glass interpretation transforms the woodcock into a delicate and striking sculptural piece. The flowing lines, layered coloration, and careful craftsmanship capture the bird's unmistakable silhouette while showcasing the beauty and precision of glass artistry.

The American Woodcock has long been celebrated at the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival, appearing in past festival art and branding and winning over bird lovers with its wonderfully awkward appearance and famous "sky dance" courtship displays.

This piece is part of the Woodcock Art Trilogy, accompanied by original watercolor and felted woodcock creations from the other participating artists.

Laser Cut Indiana Dunes Birding Festival Magnets (2) and Great Lakes Pin by The Laser Leaf

A little piece of festival history to take home. These laser-cut magnets feature the artwork from both the 2025 and 2026 Indiana Dunes Birding Festival, and the collection is rounded out with a Great Lakes pin, all handcrafted from hand-selected pieces of native wood by retired National Park Service superintendent Paul Labovitz. This set is as meaningful as it is charming.

2018 Indiana Dunes Birding Festival Poster - American Avocet

A piece of festival history, ready to hang. This custom framed 2018 Indiana Dunes Birding Festival poster features stunning American avocet artwork - a beautiful snapshot of a beloved annual tradition. A meaningful keepsake for anyone with a soft spot for the dunes, the festival, or simply a gorgeous bird.

The artwork featured on this poster was created by Kristina Knowski, a talented local artist who has been the festival artist since its very first year in 2015. Her evocative wildlife illustrations have become a beloved and recognizable hallmark of the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival.

Donated by the estate of the late Judy Valente who loved coming to the bird festival every year.

The Indiana Dunes showcases breathtaking sand dunes, diverse ecosystems, and a rich history. As a nationally protected treasure, the dunes highlights the balance between nature and industry. Take home this Sand + Steel swag pack to remind you of the incredible story of the Indiana Dunes. Includes a soft and cozy hoodie in size L, a cap, mug, bottle opener, pen and notepad, and sticker pack.