The Up and Up: Sandhill Cranes

The Up and Up: Sandhill Cranes

The weather is getting chillier, the leaves are falling from the trees – but don’t despair, there’s still a whole lot happening with some truly remarkable local birds. of our special avian friendst! While it’s certainly later in the bird migration season, the Chicago area still has a great treat for us – the magnificent Sandhill Crane, on its way to its wintering grounds in Florida and the southeastern US.

Notes From A Casual Birder: The Magic of Crows

Notes From A Casual Birder: The Magic of Crows

We are happy to introduce Miyako Pleines as a new author for Chicago Audubon. Miya will write monthly Notes From A Casual Birder essays on her personal experiences with birds, along with occasional book reviews. And, we are doubly fortunate to have Miya’s mother, L. Hisako Nakashima, contribute her beautiful bird artwork. Enjoy this essay on crows - once common in the Chicago area, and now making a slow comeback.

Indigenous People's Day - A Local Celebration of Restoration to Carry On Traditions

Indigenous People's Day - A Local Celebration of Restoration to Carry On Traditions

This past week, National Audubon featured a local Indigenous Chicagoan, Bradford Kasberg, who is working to restore bird habitat in the Chicago area. It’s a fascinating story that delves into the significant role of birds in the knowledge of Indigenous people, the role of colonialism in traditional birding, and how restoration of bird habitat helps carry on the traditional stewardship of the land that was nearly erased by colonialism.

Chicago’s Rivers: A Lifeline for Birds

Chicago’s Rivers: A Lifeline for Birds

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.