Many Presidents and First Ladies have had pet birds in the White House. Read more in this special President’s day post
Update - Bird-Friendly Buildings Progress Stalled
Despite developing an ordinance and guide that two other municipalities have already implemented - despite promising that regulations would be enacted a year ago - despite the international attention that the October debacle at McCormick Place where over 1000 birds died at one Chicago building in one morning - the Chicago Department of Planning and Development is dragging its feet. Your help is needed to end unnecessary bird deaths in Chicago.
2024 Chicago Bird Photography Contest
Calling all shutterbugs and bird enthusiasts! We want you to capture the vibrant avian life of Chicago through your lens and participate in the inaugural "Chicago Birds Photography Contest." Photographers of all experience levels are invited to compete with winning submissions eligible for eternal bragging rights and cash prizes!
Connecting with Local Indigenous Tribes
About a year and a half ago, Chicago Bird Alliance formed a committee to develop a land acknowledgment, an important part of our DEIJ plan. We didn’t want to do a performative document of words only, which meant we needed to make some relationships with local indigenous groups.
Luckily, we had a calling card. An anonymous donor gave us three painted lithographs from the book, History of the Indian Tribes of North America by Thomas Hall and James McKenney, James. Read about what we learned and join us on some interesting programs.
Chicago Bird Alliance Membership Drive Raffle!
Fishing Line: A Continuing Danger to Birds in Our Forests and Parks
Your Help Needed to Prevent Bird Collisions in Chicago
Volunteers Needed
Looking Back and Ahead
Respecting Owls: Ethical Owl Viewing and Photography
Your Petitions Delivered to McCormick Place. They are Researching Options.
Bird Friendly Chicago leaders including CBA President Judy Pollock spoke at the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority Board on October 30, which oversees McCormick Place. Board members and CEO Larita Clark thanked us and expressed a desire to address the issue of treating the windows in some way in order to greatly reduce collisions.
Report on Meeting with McCormick Place and Next Steps
On October 18, the Bird Friendly Chicago coalition met with leadership from Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) and McCormick Place. These leaders expressed a commitment to solve the problem of bird collisions at their facility and indicated that this directive is coming from the highest levels of their organization. Read more about how to get involved.
Join: Birders Protest Chicago Lakefront Dump
Hello Chicago Bird Alliance!
Bird Friendly Chicago Identifies Steps to Reduce Bird Mortality in Our City
We are calling for:
- participation of McCormick Place Lakeside Center and all downtown and lakefront buildings in the established and proven successful Lights Out program: light reduction from 11 pm through sunrise every night during migration seasons
- full implementation of bird-friendly building requirements for new construction before the end of 2023,
- prioritizing retrofitting of existing buildings for bird safety.
Petition McCormick Place to keep its Lights Out During Migration!
North Park Village Birding - A New Bird for the Nature Center
Jorge Garcia shares the bird walk report from the North Park Village Migratory Bird Walk on 10/7/23. These walks occur on Saturdays at 8am through the months of April and May in the Spring, plus September and October in the Fall. This walk featured a bald eagle, rusty blackbirds, and brown creepers.
