Sandhill Cranes: Diane Taylor, Audubon Photography Awards
Chicago Bird Alliance connects people with birds and nature through educational programming, field trips, advocacy, stewardship and research.
We are a membership organization - a chapter of the National Audubon Society that covers Chicago, and Cook County suburbs except for northwest and far south. Formerly called the Chicago Audubon Society, we adopted a new name in 2023. We support organizations that share our vision: Chicago Piping Plovers and Bird Friendly Chicago. We work with partners that share our vision: Chicago Bird Collision Monitors, Chicago Ornithological Society, Openlands’ Birds in My Neighborhood, Chicago Park District, Cook County Forest Preserves, Friends of the Chicago River, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and others.
Our members enjoy observing, studying, conserving and advocating for local native birds and other wildlife. All are welcome to join.
From Our Blog
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.
Learn about the most consistent field marks for identifying dowitchers during spring migration. For this often misunderstood identification problem, the photo-oriented blog demonstrates what is most obvious and what can be confusing.
The Spring Bird Count (SBC) is Saturday, May 4th! This upcoming count is a census for Illinois birds and has been running for 50+ years. By keeping a tally of birds seen, we can better understand population trends and work towards more effective methods of conservation.
Voting is open for our Spring 2024 Bird Art Contest and we want YOU to help us select a winner. Winners will be featured on products in our CBA store. Look through the submissions below and then vote for your favorite at the bottom.
We tend to view the increasing urbanization of the environment as detrimental to birds, and indeed, habitat loss is the principal reason for the decrease in bird numbers and species. However, in very specific instances, some birds can coexist with the urban environment in beneficial ways – beneficial to them, and to the humans who enjoy them.
Upcoming Events
Join fellow birders during the peak of spring migration for a morning walk at Salt Creek Woods. The preserve hosts diverse habitat types — including many acres of mature woodlands, the Salt Creek riparian corridor and a small prairie — which attract many resident and migrating birds. It is also one of just a few sites in Cook County where we may encounter all woodpecker species including both red-headed and pileated.
Join CBA for a bird walk at the height of spring migration with an expert birder and conservationist!
On this outing we will take a leisurely journey through a great birding hotspot. We’ll search for year-round residents and beautiful spring migrants. Trails can be muddy, so boots are a good idea. Registration is required and capped at 12 individuals.
Birders Needed! Help the FPCC and CBA catalogue spring migration at the Kings Grove/Sauk Trail/ Schubert’s Woods complex near Steger. The data will inform a restoration project there. This is a great opportunity to help save birds and improve habitat. PC: Ian Sarmiento