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No birds -- or just unbirded?
There are more than 90 designated βnatural areasβ in the Chicago Park District that have been created and maintained within the parks. However, some of these natural areas donβt appear on eBird. Are they too new to be discovered, too small, or just birdless? We thought weβd look at a few of them.
Illinois Spring Bird Count 2025: Volunteer for Cook County!
Designing a Backyard That Welcomes Birds β and Keeps Cats Safely Enclosed
Spring is one of the most critical seasons in a birdβs life cycle. As temperatures rise, millions of birds migrate north to their breeding grounds, seeking food, shelter, and safe nesting sites along the way. For many species, backyards in urban and suburban neighborhoods arenβt just flyover zones β theyβre essential rest stops or even permanent habitats. Thatβs why what homeowners choose to plant, build, and illuminate can make a huge difference. Check out some tips by our friends at Cat Topia to make your backyard more welcoming to birds, and keep your cats safely enclosed.
The Quest to Make a Bird-friendly Planet
Although Earth Day comes once a year, it is important to make every day bird-friendly. There is already a heavy loss of avian life, with a decline of around 2.9 billion birds since 1970, and it would be calamitous if this trend were to continue. The following are five types of pollution to keep in mind and their detrimental effects on class Aves
The EcoWomanist Institute
The 2025 Bird Outing Leader Training program will be kicking off in April, and this initiative wouldnβt be possible without the support of Veronica Kyle and the EcoWomanist Institute (EWI). The mission of this inspiring organization is to focus on societal and environmental issues that affect women of African descent, who are typically the healers of their community, and underserved communities in general.
Exciting Update Regarding Pilot Study for Rodenticide Alternative!
A Review of Trish OβKaneβs π΅ππππππ π‘π πΆβππππ π‘βπ πππππ: π΄ ππππππ
If you like reading a good memoir, or if youβre needing inspiration as Earth Day 2025 comes around, you should pick up Trish OβKaneβs 2024 volume, Birding to Change the World: A Memoir. It is, in her own words, a βbraid of science, personal story, and an activism storyβ that comes as close to riveting as any memoir can.
The Consequences and Responses regarding the Bird Flu
The Perfect Vagrant Fallacy
This article looks at gull identification through the lens of evolutionary biology and genetics. It discusses when it becomes necessary to move beyond rigid taxonomic categories and instead focus on variation in genes and traits. For birdwatchers, who can only deal in observable traits, this approach is crucial to avoid unwarranted assumptions about geneticsβassumptions that can lead to false confidence when assessing vagrancy or hybrid ancestry.
Progress for Bird Friendly Chicago
There is progress! In June experts in avian conservation, urban planners, architects, City of Chicago Departments and other relevant experts will provide policy recommendations on bird-friendly design. Data on which new construction developments have selected bird-mitigation options from the Sustainable Development Policy during the year since the updated policy was released will be considered.
Winter Birding in Chicago
A Birdβs-eye View of Love
When you think of romance between birds, perhaps Monty and Rose, arguably Chicagoβs most famous bird couple, come to mind. This Piping Plover pair captivated Chicago from 2019 to 2021. But every year, numerous birds around the Chicagoland area signal their willingness to pair up, mate, and form a family. Ardor to a bird comes in many varieties. It can beβ¦
Black History Month Conservation Resources
Getting Enough Calories During the Winter
With freezing temperatures, limited daylight and lengthy nights, many birds have eschewed Chicago for warmer climes. But there are still a number of hardy souls here, such as the Downy Woodpecker, Blue Jay, and Northern Cardinal. They have adopted diverse strategies that allow them to endure a Chicagoland winter.
Update on Rodenticide Task Force
Back to Basics β Plumage in Winter
Lately, it hasnβt always been apparent that the Chicago area is knee-deep in winter β for one thing, thereβs been very little snow to be knee-deep in! However, many birds in our area provide a clue to the current astronomical season: their winter plumage. What we see in winter is non-breeding or basic plumage. Here weβll learn about some dramatic and some subtle plumage changes in birds that we may see in Chicago this winter.
Counting the Birds from the Twelve Days of Christmas
December marks the beginning of the Christmas Bird Count, and with the holiday season in full swing, the iconic song βThe Twelve Days of Christmasβ has been playing relentlessly. But did you know that the birds in this classic song can essentially be found in Illinois? Learn which birds you can observe for the Christmas Bird Count that also show up in βThe Twelve Days of Christmas!β
The History of Turkeys in Chicago
Did you know that Wild Turkeys, the symbol of Thanksgiving and November, have been sighted right here in Chicagoland? Learn about the history of turkeys in Chicago, from their reintroduction to save them from the brink of being wiped out to how theyβve rebounded so well that theyβve gained new, potentially uncharted, territory.
Partnering for Birds β Shrublands
The Chicago area, and in particular the Forest Preserves of Cook County (FPCC), are fortunate to have several different types of natural habitats that birds need to thrive, including shrublands. Partnering for Birds, created by the Chicago Bird Alliance in collaboration with FPCC, uses data from the Bird Conservation Network and eBird to describe work-in-progress and birds of concern in the different habitats.