The Illinois Spring Bird Count is this Saturday, May 10th!

This is a yearly count covering all 102 counties in Illinois. The data derived from it is vital in helping understand the impact of climate change on birds and population trends statewide.

More details can be found here regarding this important event:

https://spring-bird-count.inhs.illinois.edu/

and

https://chicagobirdalliance.org/new-events/2024/5/4/illinois-spring-bird-count-85cs9

We’d love to have more volunteers for Cook County!

While most of the major preserves/parks/habitat areas for birds in Cook County are covered, it would be fantastic to have more birders who can help in the areas listed below.

Most of the locations have an eBird Hotspot, so you can just enter your sightings there. Alternatively, find a volunteer report form here:

https://spring-bird-count.inhs.illinois.edu/files/2025/03/sbc_SpeciesList_final2025.pdf

Please let Alan Anderson (email address: casresearch@comcast.net) know if you can help, and where your preferred location is. Contact Alan beforehand if you will be able to help, and afterwards where you were able to visit, with your eBird checklist number, or INHS Volunteer results report form.

Additionally, here is the list of other county compilers in the state, if you would prefer to help in a county other than Cook:

https://spring-bird-count.inhs.illinois.edu/county-compilers/

Help is still currently needed counting birds at the following Cook County locations:

Cook County Forest Preserves:

Bluff Spring Fen NP
White Eagle Woods FP
Camp Pine Woods FP
Allison Woods FP
Campground Road Woods FP
Northwestern Woods/Des Plaines Riverwalk
Lions Woods FP
Chippily Woods FP
Dan Ryan Woods FP
Hickory Hill Woods FP
Vollmer Road Grove FP
North Creek Meadow FP
Carl Hansen Woods/Arthur Janura Preserve FP
Willow and Sanders FPD property

Chicago Parks:

McKinley Park
Marquette Park
Palmisano Park
Tom Ping Park
Canal Origins Park
Park No. 571/Bubbly Creek

Other City Parks and Locations:

Calumet area: Heron Pond (south side of 122nd
St., west of Torrence)
Harborside Golf Course overlook on Lake Calumet
Powderhorn Lake
O’Brien Lock and Dam
Stillman Nature Center
Lake Arlington
Olympic Park, Schaumburg
Izaak Walton Park, Prospect Heights
Heritage Park, Wheeling
South Barrington Conservancy

Cemeteries: (which can also be pretty good bird spots during migration).

Thus far we HAVE volunteers willing to count birds in the following cemeteries: Rosehill, Graceland, Mount Olive, Elmwood, and Oak Woods.

If you care to visit any OTHER cemeteries near where you live, and count birds there, let us know which ones.

There were 201 species spotted in Cook County in 2024, including Sanderlings, one Ruddy Turnstone, and one Red-throated Loon, and we can do even better in 2025!

The Spring Bird Count would not be possible without the outstanding work of the compilers and volunteers monitoring birds – a huge thank you to everyone helping out on Saturday!