For the second year in a row, the now 2-year-old Urban Birding Festival was a hit with birders from within and outside the Chicagoland area. It was an incredible opportunity to appreciate urban bird life, make new connections, and spot some lifers!

*CBA board member Jackie Smith stands next to an in-progress checklist of birds seen during the festival*

The event stretched over three days, running Friday, September 12 to Sunday, September 14 and included guided birding trips, workshops, presentations, and social events; participants could choose from a schedule covering 96 options and 47 locations. When not looking for birds, attendees could also visit the vendors’ booth area. New this year was a silent auction, with proceeds supporting Bird Friendly Chicago.

Saturday night featured a dinner showcasing cartoonist and science writer Rosemary Mosco as the keynote speaker, whom we had the pleasure of interviewing prior to the festival. In her entertaining yet edifying presentation, she detailed her love of urban birds, stemming from the three that her father knew about: brown ones (House Sparrows), gray ones (city pigeons), and white ones (gulls).

*Rosemary Mosco at the beginning of her presentation*

Meeting Rosemary after her presentation was a personal highlight of the festival for many participants. Others included seeing a Green Heron trying to consume a fish that was a bit too big at Skokie Lagoons, observing the ducks at Lincoln Park Zoo, seeing a Peregrine Falcon at the Portage National Historic Site, far from Chicago’s skyscrapers, and finding a new birding spot in McCormick Place Bird Sanctuary.

Deep appreciation to Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum for once again hosting the Urban Birding Festival and much gratitude to all the volunteers, trip leaders, and presenters who made this event possible! It also couldn’t have been done without our sponsors, including the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, FeatherSnap, Erva, Forest Preserves of Cook County, Red Hill Birding, Audubon Great Lakes, and Illinois Audubon Society. Additionally, many thanks to Michael Retter, a special guest at the Birds and Brews Social Gathering, and Rosemary, who not only was the keynote speaker at Saturday’s dinner but also the designer of this year’s logo & T-shirt.

The Urban Birding Festival was a collaborative effort among Chicago BIPOC Birders, Chicago Ornithological Society, Feminist Bird Club, Red Hill Birding, Windy City Bird Lab, and Chicago Bird Alliance, and we are so grateful for the positivity and excitement everyone brought to the weekend.

Now time to start planning for Year 3!

Photo Gallery (click image to expand):

Birds