Science & Nature

Chicago’s Urban Birding Festival Is Right Around the Corner, Here’s How to Take Part

After a wildly successful debut last year, Chicago’s Urban Birding Festival is back in 2025 with dozens of field trips designed to spotlight the city’s avian diversity — some 400 resident and migratory species.

“It is a phenomenal way for beginners to jump in and drink from the fire hose that is the wide world of birding,” said Edward Warden, president of the Chicago Ornithological Society, one of the fest’s organizers.

The festival is set for Sept. 12-14, with the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum once again serving as the hub for presentations and a vendor marketplace.

Field trips will fan out across the city and a number of suburban Cook County locations, hitting up popular hot spots such as Montrose Point, along with lesser-known havens, including the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant.

But the window to register closes this Sunday.

The $30 fee includes access to all educational programs and the marketplace. Some field trips require additional registration; many are free with festival admission but others have nominal fees.

Organizing partners of the Urban Birding Festival are Chicago Ornithological Society, Chicago Bird Alliance, Feminist Bird Club Chicago, Chicago BIPOC Birders, Red Hill Birding and Windy City Bird Lab.

Contact Patty Wetli: [email protected]

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