John Scharff Migratory Bird Festival

The John Scharff Migratory Bird Festival, centered in Burns in the Harney Basin of southeast Oregon, has been running for over 30 years each April.  It features the spectacular spring migration of thousands of migratory birds as they rest and feed in the wide open spaces of Oregon’s high desert.  The festival offers birding activities as well as historical and cultural exhibits and talks.

Over 340 species of birds use Malheur National Wildlife Refuge  and other areas in and around Burns throughout each year, making Harney Basin a bird watcher’s paradise.

John Scharff managed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Malheur National Wildlife Refuge for 34 years.