Nature is full of awe and birds are a prime example of how fascinating the fauna on earth is. Some of this wonder, however, can come with a side of apprehension. Seeing as it’s Halloween, below are seven examples of how birds can be just a bit unsettling, whether it be the way they stare with those red eyes, their means of communication, or, in the case of the Loggerhead Shrike, their predilection for impalement.

Rodenticide kills birds but doesn’t kill many rats. Stop using it, Chicago!

Bird Friendly Chicago and its supporting organizations are looking to assemble a group of volunteers that can help speak up for bird conservation as new building projects work their way through city permitting.

This year’s cicada season has come and gone, and during the spring and summertime, birders across Chicagoland eagerly observed their favorite birds feasting upon two broods of periodical cicadas. You submitted some fantastic photos, and it was great to see how birds were reacting to the abundance of cicadas! However, some fledglings started to lose their eyesight, possibly due to eating too many cicadas.

Illinois Beach State Park (IBSP) now has islands. They’re actually breakwaters built as part of a $73 million project to create shoreline stabilization structures in three different locations in the park.

The first-ever Urban Birding Festival, which ran from September 13th – September 15th, was an immense success! The festival offered a thrilling mixture of expert presentations, guided birding trips, educational workshops, and social gatherings. It was a fantastic opportunity for experienced and novice birders to learn more about avian wildlife and connect with others passionate about birds.

It’s important to stay hydrated in this heat, and birds are no exception to this tenet. By installing a birdbath, you can help those looking to cool off or have a drink.

With the deaths of the great horned owl family of Lincoln Park having been confirmed to be the result of rodenticides, it’s important to understand the devastating impact that rat poison has on birds of prey, and what solutions can be implemented to handle the brown rat population of Chicago properly.

Our recommendations:

1. Landscaping that supports native birds, including at least one new bird sanctuary, all with diverse plant structure (canopy, understory, shrubs and ground cover), many areas of plant density and good plant species diversity

2. Preservation of specific areas, i.e., Montrose Beach, Jarvis Bird Sanctuary, etc.

3. Creation of migratory bird habitat as a buffer between the lakefront and dangerous buildings

4. Creation of shorebird habitat on islands, if possible

The Attorney General of Illinois joins the opposition to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ proposed new 25-foot high dump of toxic dredged wastes to be built on top of the now closed confined disposal facility (CDF).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.

Have you ever wondered what happens to a salvaged bird after it’s been collected by the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors? They are added to the Field Museum’s collection for research and preservation by their Ornithology Department! Learn more about this process and how you can contribute to this ever-growing collection!

Is it diet? Is it staining? This blog goes through evidence for both, and how you can (sometimes) tell them apart.

We are working with artist Holly Greenberg to make replicas of every bird killed from a window collision and collected on the streets of Chicago in 2023. Make a bird with us!

Amy Tan has come out with a new book that she wrote and illustrated called The Backyard Bird Chronicles. This engaging read with beautifully drawn illustrations contains excerpts from Amy’s nine journals that she filled with observations. Only birds that entered her backyard airspace made it onto the pages.

The Blitz was fun - and we saw some good birds!

The Chicago area and in particular the Forest Preserves of Cook County (FPCC) are fortunate to have several different types of natural habitats that birds need to thrive. “Partnering for Birds,” a free publication created by the Chicago Bird Alliance in collaboration with FPCC, uses data from the Bird Conservation Network and eBird. The four different habitats detailed are grasslands (highlighted here), shrublands, woodlands and savannas, and wetlands.

Green-up phenology, or the period when winter ends and new vegetation starts sprouting, is now happening sooner due to climate change. The unfortunate reality is that many birds are not adjusting fast enough, particularly birds that migrate long distances.

It’s springtime. The weather is getting warmer, trees are blooming, and many birds are migrating across the country. But while many people have been keeping an eye on all the migratory birds as of late, everyone is also waiting with bated breath for the rise of the cicadas this spring.

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.

We’ve tallied the votes!

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.

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.