General Interest

When the Swallows Return to Picnic Shelters….Design Students Have Ideas!

When the Swallows Return to Picnic Shelters….Design Students Have Ideas!

Every summer brings birds and people together in the Cook County Forest Preserves.

One yearly challenge occurs when nesting barn swallows take up residence in forest preserve picnic shelters. Swallow nests in the upper rafters of the structures provide views of adorable baby birds but also result in swooping parent birds and many bird droppings in areas used by human visitors.

Lights on to pay tribute - Lights off to save lives!

Lights on to pay tribute - Lights off to save lives!

Light reduction for all buildings along Chicago's lakefront is critical to reducing bird strikes. Residents and building owners should be aware that all evening light displays to show appreciation for those on the front lines of COVID-19 need to be turned off after 11 pm for the protection of birds that will migrate through Chicago every night over the next month.

Migration in Motion

Migration in Motion

EBird recently created some fascinating new animations that display animated visualizations of bird migrations across continents, combining observations for 610 species in North America, submitted by nearly 200,000 bird watchers. We used this as an excuse to reach out to some local bird experts for their observations. 

Montrose Action Alert! CPD declines birding organizations’ request for large events policy

 Montrose Action Alert! CPD declines birding organizations’ request for large events policy

Montrose is a special place that deserves protection from the worst abuses. In July, 2019, twelve Chicago bird clubs, nature conservation and community organizations delivered a petition requesting that Chicago Park District work with stakeholders to create a policy defining the limits on large events at Montrose. Recently, the CPD declined our request - we are taking action, and need your help.