News
The Chicago Department of Planning and Development (DPD) failed to make bird protection mandatory in its recent draft of its 2024 Sustainable Development Policy (SDP). Bird Friendly Chicago, its partners, and its supporters asked the city of Chicago to make bird protection mandatory in this update, a measure that would be critical in preventing bird mortality. Unfortunately the DPD failed to do so, even in the face of overwhelming public support for this measure.
Some of the city’s prime bird habitat is along the lakefront. Chicago Bird Alliance is collecting ideas about how to improve the area for birds and how to minimize disruptions to bird habitat. We will deliver these ideas to the US Fish and Wildlife Service. We’d like your feedback.
As an inclusive birding community that supports social and environmental justice, the Chicago chapter of the Feminist Bird Club organizes several different types of events with the hope of creating birding opportunities for individuals who may have not felt comfortable with other groups or in other settings.
Every year, hundreds of bird species visit Chicago during Spring Migration, bringing new colorful life to the city after months of gray and snow. It is for that reason we want you to give us your best depiction of your favorite bird coming back for Spring Migration. Whether you rely on watercolor and crayons or digital rendering software, we want you to show us the beauty of these birds through your eyes. All artistic levels are welcomed!
Learn about the difficulties associated with telling apart Rusty and Brewer’s Blackbirds and gain a new appreciation for these birds. Coming to a lawn near you this spring!
Happy April Fool’s Day! Humans are not the only species that plays tricks – here are five birds you can see around Chicago that have honed their ability to fool their intended audience, or even you if you’re not paying close enough attention!
Brown Thrasher, Audubon Photography Awards/Peter Waksmundzki
What makes good migratory bird habitat? At the LaBagh Woods restoration, planners thought that structure is the key. A group of local birders studied the results, 8 years later.
We celebrate 50 years of bird walks at Wooded Island, and remember Paul Douglas and Doug Anderson
Many of us know eBird as the app from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that makes listing and sharing our bird observations easy. The eBird website also features useful information and ways to explore data: interactive maps, species profiles, and tools for analyzing sightings across years and geographic regions. But you may not know there are even more tools available to help you learn about birds.
The Confined Disposal Facility is a dump that juts out into Lake Michigan between two well-used birding locations, Steelworkers’ and Calumet Parks in Chicago. Our partners Environmental Law and Policy Center are suing on behalf of Friends of the Parks and Alliance of the Southeast to ensure that the Army Corps does not build a 25-foot tall dump at the site, which is slated to be turned over the the Chicago Park District. We held a rally to support them. Here’s a recap of the day.
Lights Out! Chicago asks buildings to turn off or dim bright antenna, rooftop and display lights from 11 pm to sunrise every spring and fall migration season. This act saves the lives of thousands of birds who would otherwise be attracted from their nightly travels towards the confusing city lights.
It may be feeling like spring some days but it’s still winter! Sightings of typical spring migrants have already been reported in February. Should this be cause for concern? Perhaps not in some specific cases, but mild winters are affecting migratory patterns for numerous birds, such as the Swainson’s Thrush and Black-throated Blue Warbler. Check out this article for some good news, some not so good news… and what we can do to help birds during migration time!
Photo Credit: Gregory Ball/Audubon Photography Awards
It all started in the early ’90s when Rodney Stotts was cleaning the Anacostia River. He and his fellow volunteers were touring the U.S. to help with environmental initiatives…
Chicago Audubon Society Online Native Plant Sale is held every spring, offering a wide variety of perennials. Order form is posted here - order before April 26. Pick up will be at North Park Village Nature Center on the afternoon of May 26, 2024.
On Valentine’s Day, the board of the Chicago Park District voted to approve the petition submitted by Chicago Piping Plovers on behalf of our organizations, requesting that the 2021 expansion of 3.1 acres to the Montrose Dunes Natural Area be named The Monty and Rose Wildlife Habitat, honoring one of Chicago’s most famous couples, Monty and Rose, the Great Lakes Piping Plovers.
Many Presidents and First Ladies have had pet birds in the White House. Read more in this special President’s day post
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.
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!
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.
This year we are a sponsor of the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival, and as a sponsor this year we are going to be raffling off two basic registrations to the festival!
Fishing line is a serious problem for birds. Read about our efforts to find better solutions. Photo of entangled owl taken at Wampum Lake by Alex Haza.
The importance of Black Americans in conservation and environmentalism is GREATLY underrepresented and it requires some digging to learn about the significant past and current Black contributors and advocates of birding, conservation, and environmental justice.
Please take this survey to implement bird-friendly regulations and pass this along to those in the Chicago metro area including (especially) other Chicago residents.
Be a part of our organization’s transformation! We are a grassroots group that is fueled by the energy of people who love and care about birds. Whether you have a little time to spare or more, you can find an opportunity here to make friends and help birds.
This time of year, owls become the focus of many nature lovers. The presence of humans can be stressful for owls, so it’s important to understand more about owls and follow simple guidelines to ensure their safety.
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.
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.