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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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
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
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.
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!
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