The Wild Wings Festival, a celebration of the annual bird migration, will be March 20 - 22, 2026.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of light geese, swans and other waterfowl migrate through central Montana on their way north to the arctic tundra. A large concentration stop at Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area in Choteau, MT, providing a few weeks of phenomenal birding in March.
2026 Event Schedule
All events are located at the Choteau Pavilion and Free unless otherwise noted. Details on the Schedule page.
*DRAFT 2026 Schedule - will be finalized and updated early 2026
March 20
2:00 - 4:00 PM: Photo Workshop with Talia Azadian at Choteau Pavilion
4:00 - 6:30 PM: Meet and Greet. Food trucks, beverages and educational booths from wildlife conservation organizations
7 PM : ‘Flight of the Swans’ Film at Roxy Theatre (25 Main Ave. N)
March 21
6:30 - 10:30 AM: Free guided tours of Freezout Lake WMA
10:30 AM - 5 PM: Educational booths featuring wildlife conservation organizations
1 - 2 PM: The Golden Eagle Highway: Tracking Eagles Captured Along Montana's Rocky Mountain Front. Presentation by Rob Domenech, Raptor View Research Institute Executive Director
2 - 3 PM: Wewe – The Last to Fly South. An Anishinaabe story concerning the snow goose. Presentation by Chris La Tray, Métis Storyteller and 11th Montana Poet Laureate
3 PM: Raffle
March 22
6:30 - 10:30 AM: Free guided tours of Freezout Lake WMA
11:00 - 1:00 PM: Optics Workshop
“It’s a wildlife viewing spectacle that for a few days rivals any natural wonder in the world. ”