Visitors from as far away as Europe will converge on San Diego from March 4 through 7 for the 2010 San Diego Bird Festival. The event, headquartered at the Marina Village Conference Center in Mission Bay, will be held at venues throughout the county. “For the first time this year we have guests arriving from Austria,” said spokeswoman Karen Straus. “They are coming to see ‘life birds’ such as the Heermann’s gull and phainopepla, those with an extremely limited range in Southern California, Baja and Southern Mexico.” Phainopepla is a member of the silky flycatcher family. The male is shiny, coal black with a crest that raises up and down like a cockatoo. The male’s eyes are blood red. The female is gun metal gray, also with the top knot and blood red eye. At least one pair has been spotted at Santee Lakes. Thirty field trips are scheduled for the festival, from the Anza Borrego Desert to Camp Pendleton. Straus has been scouting the Wild Animal Park for a trip she’ll be leading. “Birding is like going on safari in Africa,” she said. “Through we have an idea, we never know what we are going to see. It’ll be a bonus if we see Mr. and Mrs. Phainopepla.” Straus said the goal is to see 100 species in a single day. “Every festival we’ve met our goal,” she said. “You’re surprised not only to see new species, but life birds or a new behavior.” Last year the festival also set a new record in attendance, attracting birders from Great Britain and Canada. San Diego is a popular destination for birders because it lies beneath the Pacific Flyway, boasting 300 known species. “Birding is for people who like the outdoors and who are environmentally aware,” Straus said. “Birders tend to be no-frills. We offer a quality experience for a reasonable price. Visitors can also visit a Birding and Optics Expo at the festival headquarters at Marina Village from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, which is free to the public. For up-to-the-minute scheduling information on workshops and field trips visit www.sandiegoaudubon.org/birdfest.htm. Fees vary. Applicants should fill out a registration form and mail or drop it off at the San Diego Audubon Society offices at 4010 Morena Blvd., Suite 100, 92117. For information call (858) 273-7800.