So many books – so little time. Kricher's guide should be front and center on any bird watcher's shelf, close by ID guides, where it can be consulted and enjoyed after any bird walk or back yard observation.
Monty & Rose Updates
Monty and Rose have been spotted in their wintering grounds recently. Monty is in Texas, and Rose in Florida.
Read more at Chicago Piping Plovers website.
President's End-of Year Letter
Notes from a Casual Birder: On Jennifer Ackerman’s The Bird Way
Jennifer Ackerman has made a name for herself amongst the general public with her 2016 New York Times bestseller The Genius of Birds where she explored the many ways in which birds of all species use their intelligence to survive and thrive in the natural world. This year, she returned to this same avian world with a new book titled The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think (Penguin Press, 2020).
Bird Classics: The Oven Bird by Robert Frost
The More You Know: Local Names Grow in Meaning
Christmas Bird Count 2020
'Tis the Season to join friends, fellow birders and conservationists in one of the most important citizen science efforts for birds - the 121st annual Christmas bird count. Sponsored and coordinated by National Audubon, the annual effort has grown from 27 people on 25 counts, Dec. 25, 1900, to 81,601 observers in 2,646 counts last season.
The Up & Up: What's Up With Owls?
2020 Gift Guide for the Birds
Notes From a Casual Birder: On Stones, Resilience, and the Piping Plover
Call to Action: Protect lakefront shorebird nesting habitat
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.
Request for Proposals: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Consultation
Be a Voice for Birds
Four planning processes going in in Chicago right now could have big implications for bird habitat. Anyone that uses these places is needed to submit public comment in support of bird habitat. Also, CAS is looking for people to adopt two of these processes, keep us informed, and gather and submit birder feedback.
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.
Action Alert: Clean Energy Jobs Act 2020 Virtual Lobby Day
November 12, is Clean Energy Jobs Act 2020 Virtual Lobby Day. The Sierra Club is organizing communications to all state representatives to support the Clean Energy Jobs Act 2020 Virtual Lobby Day, Thursday, November 12th. Clean energy benefits birds and their habitat.
Join in lobbying efforts - from your home computer or phone.
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.
