River Blitz Chicago! Helps Build the Case for the Importance of Chicago Rivers to Birds and Wildlife.
There are 4 rivers and 2 man-made channels in Chicago - the Chicago River, the North Shore Channel, the Sanitary and Ship Canal, and the Calumet, Little Calumet and Des Plaines Rivers - that make a vital green corridor for wildlife. Loss of habitat - including along river systems like the Des Plaines, Calumet and Chicago - has contributed to a catastrophic drop in bird populations in North America. 2 billion birds have disappeared since the 70s.
In spring and early summer 2020, Chicago Audubon Society joined with Chicago Ornithological Society, Illinois Ornithological Society and the Friends of the Chicago River to promote River Blitz Chicago!, a community science effort to document birds along Chicago’s rivers, and to substantiate the importance of river habitats to area wildlife.
The restrictions of COVID made for a small crew, but 15 people added 445 bird sightings at 15 spots along the river. Thanks and congratulations!
Big gains were made at sights that had small eBird lists when the Blitz started in late February.
Alix Gnoske added 96 species along the Chicago River at or near Eugene Field Park.
Maureen Murphy added 63 species along the North Shore Channel from Devon to Touhy.
Gerry Whitely and Katy Krigbaum added 40 species on the Chicago Rover at Ravenswood Manor.
Among sites that started with medium-sized eBird lists there was a battle for the #1 spot.
The team headed by Kat O’Reilly added 31 bird species at Edgebrook Golf Course (Chicago River)
Alan Anderson followed right behind with 30 species at Robinson Woods Northwest along the Des Plaines River
Rob Andrade added 13 at Canal Origins Park on the Sanitary and Ship Canal
At sites with more than 105 species recorded in Ebird at the start of the contest, it was harder to add species … but many did.
The team at Richard Clark Park headed by Ben Weiss and Mara Flores added 17 species.
At Horner Park on the Chicago River, 10 species were added by Sigrid Schmidt, Peter Quagliana and others.
Of all the sites competing, the one with the highest number of species reported was LaBagh Woods with a whopping 212. It’s hard to add species when so many are already on the list, but Jeff Skrentny’s group managed to add 2.
See Infographic, Why Chicago Rivers Are Critical to Birds
This long-eared owl was the 211th species recorded at LaBagh Woods on the Chicago River. Photo: Jeff Skrentny
All the participants are listed in the chart at the end of this post. Congratulations all!
Tiny ruby-crowned kinglets in spring, red-throated loons in winter, state-threatened black-crowned night-herons in summer, Canada warblers in fall…
All in all, 272 species of birds have been observed using Chicago’s shoreline and river habitat for migration, wintering and nesting. Of these, 81 are species of conservation concern – birds that have been identified as needing our help. More birds of conservation concern use the river than any other kind of vertebrate by far. Steelworkers’ Park, at the mouth of the river, has recorded the highest number of species (220), but some of them were likely in the lake rather than the river. LaBagh Woods with its wide wooded riparian area and many dedicated observers has the highest number of species of any site that does not include Lake Michigan.
Anyone who is familiar with recent park and development projects along the river knows that important bird habitat is being lost. These Blitz results represent valuable community science. They will be used to raise awareness of the importance of river habitat. Stay tuned for some news about that soon!
Great Blue Heron, top banner image by Carol Freeman
The ABCs of Riparian Bird Habitat
A: Plant wooded banks.
Dense native plantings along the riverbanks are doubly important places for migrating birds like warblers and flycatchers to find insects to eat.
some insects feed on the vegetation
other insects hatch out of the water and shelter in the vegetation
B: Retain dead trees and tangles of vegetation
Resident birds like woodpeckers and herons use the rivers for nesting and raising their young. find a cute pic of adult with baby herons?
C: Clean up the pollution
Birds thrive on local fish, crustaceans and other river life that clean rivers provide
Explore the Bird Life of Chicago’s Rivers
The dots show where Chicago’s rivers are. The number in parentheses is the number of birds recorded along that stretch of the river when the Blitz began.