For a second consecutive year, the Mountain Plover Festival has postponed its annual festivities that traditionally bring hundreds of bird watchers from around the world to Lincoln County.

However, unlike in 2020, the festivities are headed online and will allow the Mountain Plover enthusiasts to observe them nesting in Karval, said Danielle Dascalos, the festival’s public relations manager. 

Organizers announced the postponement on Friday and cited the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and the vaccine distribution.

“This year (we) decided since (locals) are housing (festival-goers) and people are coming from all over, it was just too dangerous,” said Dascalos.

Traditionally, festival-goers will either stay with the local ranchers, camp or reserve a hotel space in Limon. Besides seeing Mountain Plover nest, attendees are treated with newborn calves, more than 80 species of birds and other animals surrounding the local area. 

The Mountain Plover Festival began in 2006, after a scientist from Montana State University was observing the Mountain Plover as they were nearly put on the endangered species list.

A local rancher saw the scientist on his property and questioned her. He showed her the nesting area of the birds, but observed some issues in the natural habitat.

“The scientist taught the farmers to how to change the way they were plowing their land and managing their land to protect the nest, and it never had to go on the endangered species list,” said Dascalos.

“Now, 15 years later, birders come from all over the world to see (the Mountain Plover), and put it on their life list because it’s an unusual bird to find.”

According to the World Wildlife Fund, the Mountain Plover can only be found in the northern Great Plains from the Canadian boarder to northern Mexico.

And although making the decision to postpone for a second straight year was extremely difficult, organizers and bird watchers are already planning to head to Lincoln County the last weekend in April.

“We’re all holding our breath and we’re pretty confident that everything’s going to go again (next year) and we’re really excited,” said Dascalos.

“Birders from all over have been commenting on our social media posts about how they’re excited for next year already. Hopefully with the vaccine everything will get back to normal and events like this can start happening again.”