The National Audubon Society’s annual bird count is underway. Now in its 121st year, the tally gives researchers and conservationists a good picture of how North America’s bird populations are changing.
Birds
Dec 15, 2020 |
Dec 9, 2020 |
Great Kiskadees don’t normally roam north of Texas, so the first-ever sighting in Illinois caused quite a commotion, attracting birders from across the state to Will County.
Nov 27, 2020 |
More than 25,000 migrating sandhill cranes are making a pit stop at Indiana’s Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area. The bird’s numbers have rebounded thanks to wetland conservation efforts, but now climate change threatens to undo that progress.
Nov 24, 2020 |
A red-tailed hawk, stoically perched atop a chain-link fence, was spotted Saturday outside a Jewel-Osco in Roscoe Village. Raptors are more common in the city than most people think, said a local hawk expert.
Nov 18, 2020 |
Meet a high school student who’s on a quest to see more bird species in Cook County than anyone, ever.
Oct 16, 2020 |
The all-day event Saturday will take advantage of a sweet spot in the migratory timeline, with organizers expecting to record outgoing and incoming species.
Sep 18, 2020 |
Join a hike Sunday in Will County, where a flock of American white pelicans, one of North America’s largest birds, is hanging out during its annual fall migration.
Sep 3, 2020 |
Chicago’s bright lights lure birds from their migratory path. With hundreds of thousands of birds passing overhead this weekend, the city needs to dim its glow.
Aug 3, 2020 |
North America has lost nearly 3 billion birds in the last 50 years. A new bird banding station at Big Marsh Park is part of a massive effort to figure out ways to help our feathered friends.
Jul 30, 2020 |
The organization Environmentalists of Color is teaming up with the One Earth Film Fest to screen a pair of films focusing on the theme of “Outdoors While Black: Unpacking History, Reframing Safety & Taking Action.”
Jul 13, 2020 |
More than 500 names were submitted for the chicks, which hatched in June, and the selected monikers reflect the history and spirit of Chicago.
Jul 6, 2020 |
The three chicks hatched in mid-June and now local birding organizations have created a contest to give them names. Submissions are open through Wednesday.
Jul 2, 2020 |
The northern saw-whet is a tiny owl with a big personality. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service staff caught this normally secretive owl performing a hilarious stare down.
Jun 22, 2020 |
More than 200 species of birds have been identified at this small forest preserve, along with hundreds of other living things. We meet up with Jeff Skrentny and several dozen volunteers for a morning of pre-pandemic restoration work.
Jun 19, 2020 |
A pair of endangered piping plovers, nicknamed Monty and Rose, nested once again at Montrose Beach, where their new chicks just hatched. Plover monitors are on the scene to make sure excited visitors don't inadvertently harm the birds.
Jun 15, 2020 |
Chicago native Deja Perkins was one of the organizers of the recent #BlackBirdersWeek campaign. Her mission is to get more people who look like her interested in wildlife, natural resources, ecology and conservation.
