AltaCal's Annual Snow Goose Festival
Of the Pacific Flyway
Annual Snow Goose Festival
The Pacific Flyway ranks as one of the greatest migratory pathways in the entire world, stretching from the Bering Strait off the coast of Alaska to the steep slopes of Patagonia in South America. Millions of birds representing hundreds of species use this great avian highway each year, and nowhere is this abundance of wildlife more accessible than right here in the Northern Sacramento Valley.
With an ideal combination of mild winter weather, abundant food, and rich quantities of water, the area attracts a huge wintering population of waterfowl and raptors. A local favorite among these is the majestic Snow Goose. With the estimated overall population of Snow Geese exceeding 5 million, as many as 1.5 million use the Pacific Flyway. Tens of thousands of these geese will winter right here in our own backyard.
Some highlights of the 2025 Snow Goose Festival
- Snow Goose Festival Headquarters, Patrick Ranch Museum: a delightful and birdy venue. And a newly added venue for workshops, the Vintage Iron Museum
- Birds of Prey were a big force during West Coast Falconry Assembly on Sunday. Families and adults had an unforgettable experience seeing raptors in flight right over their heads!
- 155 bird species sighted or heard
- Thursday’s Raptor Run Cottonwood/Nelson Rd, record number of raptor species sightings: 11
- “Gathering of Wings” banquet, silent auction and keynote speaker Benny Isaac Jacobs-Schwartz, Keynote Address: “Feathers and Flight: A Journey to the New World Tropics”. 285 banquet attendees, 43 silent auction donors
- 19 Outstanding, Dedicated, and Generous Sponsors
- 685 total registrants
- Over 400 people attend the free Museum of Northern California Art “Birds, Birds, & More Birds, Snow Goose Festival Art Reception, Friday night.
- 79 California cities represented, and people came from 4 other states, Nevada, Hawaii, Arizona, Pennsylvania and British Columbia, Canada.
- 52 field trips, and 12 workshops, most field trips sold out.
- 82 excellent and experienced field trips leaders and workshop presenters, who volunteered their time and energy.
- We had awesome “Super Snow Goose” Volunteers
- Field Trip Coordination - Trish & Tom
- Exhibitor Coordinator - Karen
- Silent Auction - Celeste, Dave, Lollie, Sandy, Tammie, Bill, Craig, Annette, Shelby
- Art Reception - Cathy
- Publicity & Numerous SGF jobs - Carla
- Facebook - Claire
- Patrick Ranch volunteers - Hilary, Melainie, Patricia, Chelsea, Devin, Rebecca, Ilani, Marcia, Sam, Lydia, Gayle, Steven, Rachel, Adin, Stephen, Diana, Liz, Calvin, Cyndi, Claire, Steve, Carolyn, Bryce Cathy, Maggie, David, Paula, Russ, and * National Charity League-Mother/Daughter volunteer teams Youth Activities
- The staff were outstanding - Jennifer, Cathy, Jared, Ryan
See you next year at the
26th Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway,
January 22 - 25, 2026
Sylvia Wright's Photo Album from SGF 2024
