Presented in partnership with the Chicago Ornithological Society and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum this special series features unique speakers with very different backgrounds and experiences in the birding community. From the impact of forest management to birding "big years," this series offers something for everyone.

Laura Erickson, producer of “For the Birds,” the longest-running radio program about birds in the United States (since 1986) and author of twelve books about birds, talks about her new book, "The Love Lives of Birds." Courtship, mating, and parenting differ dramatically among birds--from the lifelong devotion of American crows to the dalliances of eastern bluebirds, from bald eagles’ focus on home improvements to the female ruby-throated hummingbird’s Rosie the Riveter lifestyle. Why the dramatic differences among species? Laura explains as she takes us along on a romance-fueled romp through the love lives of several Illinois species, exploring the diversity of avian approaches to pairing up. Each species spotlight pairs scientific fact with humorous and insightful parallels between human and bird. The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, the Chicago Ornithological Society, and the Chicago Audubon Society are proud to present the Compelling Voices in Birding and Conservation series. This virtual presentation was recorded on July 22, 2021.