Join us at Big Marsh Park on October 11 for this showcase of the winners and runners-up from the 2025 Chicago Bird Photography Contest. Enjoy a short program with snacks and a raffle at the opening reception!

Now on the Chicago Birder Blog: Read the story behind the Urban Birding Festival. Registration for this year's festival closes Sunday. We hope you will join us! www.chicagobirder.org/blog/2025/9/...

I recently noticed an unexpected bird singing in the Lincoln Yards site near the Hideout — a dickcissel. Here's my story about it for @chicagomag.com: www.chicagomag.com/city-life/th...

You still have about two weeks to read "Turning to Birds" by Lily Taylor before joining us for Flock Club Book Club on 7/29 at the Jefferson Park library! We hope to see you all there. Please RSVP so we know how many treats to bring! www.chicagobirder.org/events/2025/...

Piping Plovers move pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss them. Blue Star will now be known as Ferris. 1/4

Hiya! I'm El. The El (for Elevated) is Chicago's transit system. Just like our Piping Plover family at Montrose, the El connects the city of Chicago, its surrounding suburbs, and the community it serves. 1/2

Hi! I'm Bean. The Bean, a beautiful sculpture by Anish Kapoor in Millenium Park, is beloved by locals and visitors alike. Its reflective surface captures and transforms the surrounding city skyline. 1/2

It's our Fledge Day and we have something more to reveal...our names! At 23 days, your Chicago Piping Plover chicks are officially fledged. Throughout the day, we will roll out the chicks' forever names in dedicated posts. 1/3 📸: Tamima Itani (The chick soon fka Red Star)

Join us for a birding and stewardship day at the Dunning-Read Natural Area on 7/19. Give back to the birds and the natural environment, and be a part of the Chicago community. RSVP: www.chicagobirder.org/events/2025/...

Friday! Join us for an afternoon walk to look for grassland birds at Horizon Farms in Barrington, IL. Event is free, but you must RSVP! www.chicagobirder.org/events/2025/...

Three!!! 🐥🐥🐥 Three updates from the Montrose Protected Beach - Saturday, July 5, 2025 🤍Your Chicago Piping Plover family - both parents and all three chicks - is doing well! 1/3 📸: Tamima Itani (Green Star)

This is a black bellied whistling duck. They’re normally in Texas and Mexico, so this guy is quite lost. Lots of birders geeking out in Lincoln Park right now, haha. #chicago #bird

[May 4th, 1980] A Chicago-area bird-watcher's guide lists common and uncommon bird species, their habitats, and expected stay periods, published weekly during migration season in The Tribune. #history #1980s

Eight-legged Imani?! During the first weeks after hatching, chicks are unable to maintain their own body temperature. The chicks spend much time tucked in under their parents' wings to stay warm. This is called "brooding." 📸: Ezra Quintero (Imani brooding his three chicks, Montrose, July 1, 2025)

On June 1 COS took a trip to Marian Byrnes Natural Area for a special Birds & Botany trip. Observations included Virginia Rail, Red-headed Woodpecker, Water Plantain, and Blue Flag Iris. www.chicagobirder.org/blog/2025/6/...

The Chicago Bird Photography Contest closes August 1! Get your best shots in before it's too late! www.chicagobirder.org/chicago-bird...

Join COS for an afternoon bird walk at Horizon Farm. This 400-acre hotspot boasts a strong sprawl of meadows and wetlands. We will walk a roughly 1-mile loop around the site in search of breeding grassland birds. The event is free, but you must RSVP! www.chicagobirder.org/events/2025/...

Join us for Flock Club Book Club on July 29! We'll discuss Turning to Birds by Lili Taylor, reflecting on mindfulness, appreciation of the natural world, and living in the present. A Year of Green Birding event! RSVP at the link! www.chicagobirder.org/events/2025/...

☀️ Imani with 2 of his 3 chicks ☀️ 📸: Chicago Piping Plovers (sunset June 27, 2025)

COS took a field trip to Douglass Park on May 29. 24 birders took an evening stroll where they observed actively feeding warblers and capped the night off with Common Nighthawks! www.chicagobirder.org/blog/2025/6/...

Join COS for an afternoon outing at Humboldt Park. The park is an excellent example of protecting native habitats in urban environments. We will walk roughly 1 mile on paved paths. Loaner binoculars will be available. The event is free, but you must RSVP! www.chicagobirder.org/events/2025/...

Join us on a short bird walk Saturday morning at Garfield Park, followed by a stewardship day. We will be identifying trees for the Garfield Park Tree Guide and doing litter pickup. The event is free, but you must RSVP! www.chicagobirder.org/events/2025/...

Join COS for a family-friendly beginner walk at Douglass Park on Friday evening. We will walk around the park’s lagoons in search of Chicago’s wild wonders as the sun sets. Loaner binoculars are available. This event is free, but you must RSVP! www.chicagobirder.org/events/2025/...

This Thursday! Join us in a social event with real humans! We need 3D community now more than ever! We hope you can make it to The River Kitchen and Bar for drinks, food, and bird talk with your fellow bird nerds.

Perfect Rhythm This video from hatch day shows the perfect rhythm between plover parents Sea Rocket and Imani as they brood and mind two hatched chicks and continue to incubate two eggs. 🎥: Chicago Piping Plovers (taken via digiscope, June 20, 2025)

Now through September 27, visit the Newberry Library for Winging It, an exhibition that explores humanity’s complex relationship with birds, featuring contemporary and historic items from the library’s world-class collection. Sponsored in part by COS.

End the daylight hours with a COS bird walk at Douglass Park on June 25. New birders are welcome and loaner binoculars are available. After the bird walk ends, you can stay for the bat hike starting at 8:30! The event is free, but you must RSVP! www.chicagobirder.org/events/2025/...

🐣🐣🐣🐣 The day we have waited for, worked for has come! All 4 chicks have hatched. Our work carries on as we continue to support Imani and Sea Rocket and their chicks. Thank you, as always, for your support. 📸: Chicago Piping Plovers (Imani removing an eggshell from the nest, June 20, 2025) 1/2

Join us for Flock Club, the social gathering by and for bird enthusiasts. On 6/26 we’re gathering at The River Kitchen and Bar. There is a variety of food and drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) for purchase. Come and chat it up with your fellow birders! www.chicagobirder.org/events/2025/...

On June 1 COS took a field trip to Humboldt Park. The birders survived a Red-winged Blackbird dive bomb and enjoyed an assortment of summer birds, observing a total of 27 species, with the highlight being a close encounter with a flock of Cedar Waxwings. www.chicagobirder.org/blog/2025/6/...

Join us on 6/28 for a short bird walk at Garfield Park. Afterwards we'll join the Garfield Park steward for a workday in which we help improve the natural areas. No experience or equipment is required. Gloves and other needed tools will be provided. RSVP: www.chicagobirder.org/events/2025/...

COS is looking for writers! We need volunteers to create content for The Chicago Birder magazine and blog. Contribute as little or as much as you want! Help us spread our mission of appreciating and conserving birds through community and education. Email [email protected] for more information.

Tomorrow! There are still spots available. Free, but you must RSVP.

Red-winged Blackbird attacking a Great Blue Heron May 11, 2025 @ Garfield Park in Chicago #redwingedblackbird #greatblueheron #bird #birds #action #attack #garfieldpark #blackbird #blueheron #heron #redwinged

[April 20th, 1980] During spring, many bird species return to Chicago. Key dates include April 20 (Yellow-headed Blackbird) through May 18 (Yellow-billed Cuckoo). Birds like warblers, swallows, and herons arrive in stages, signaling the changing seasons. #history #1980s

Join COS for Flock Club Book Club on July 29. We'll be reading Turning to Birds by Lili Taylor, essays on the actress's observations of birds. A Year of Green Birding event! RSVP at chicagobirder.org/events/2025/7/29/flock-club-book-club-turning-to-birds

If you visited LaBagh Woods in May, you probably noticed an abundance of migratory birds stopping for an important refuel. It takes hard work to make this refuel possible! Read about the latest work of the LaBagh restoration project, funded by COS, on our blog. www.chicagobirder.org/blog/2025/5/...

And if you're not into watching big video essays on YouTube (I'm the same way) you can check out a summary with all the references linked on my blog. Learn about why I don't think people should kill cowbirds and why I think they're awesome: www.skwinnicki.com/single-post/...

School's out for summer - let's go birding! Join COS on June 16 for a bird outing at Lincoln Park Zoo. This field trip is tailored for beginner birders as well as young, budding birders. Loaner binoculars will be available. www.chicagobirder.org/events/2025/...

chicago bird sighting!! i can’t get over how much it looks like a penguin.

COS Board member and trip leader Chris Holden recaps the Sunday Social bird walk at Humboldt Park on May 25. The group observed spring migration giving way to breeding season, from goose families to nesting grackles. www.chicagobirder.org/blog/2025/5/...

Join us for an bird walk at Horizon Farm. This 400-acre hotspot boasts a sprawl of meadows and wetlands. We will walk a 1-mile loop around the site in search of breeding grassland birds. Loaner binoculars will be available. This event is free, but you must RSVP! www.chicagobirder.org/events/2025/...

COS field trip leader and board member Vinod Babu recaps this April 12 early spring migration outing to North Pond, which took place right before a presentation at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum on birding by public transit. www.chicagobirder.org/blog/2025/5/...

“You’re so vain, you probably think this photo shoot is about you,…” Egret in Aurora, Illinois. #birds #birdsofbluesky #egret #naturephotography

COS trip leader and board member Vinod Babu recounts the visit to Linne Woods during peak migration where 70 bird species were observed. The highlight was the overwhelming presence of warblers - 21 species observed! www.chicagobirder.org/blog/2025/5/...

Black-crowned Night Heron at Jarvis Bird Sanctuary, Chicago. Endangered species in Illinois but super common in Chicago because Lincoln Park Zoo has a wild colony of 700+ herons roosting above their Red Wolf Compound. #birds #herons

On May 18 COS took a trip to Busse Woods. On this peak migration walk, a whopping 63 bird species were observed by the group, including Bald Eagle, Orchard Oriole, Ring-necked Duck, and a tidy 18 Blackpoll Warblers! www.chicagobirder.org/blog/2025/5/...

It's hard to believe Red-headed Woodpeckers are real but they are! Jarvis Bird Sanctuary, Chicago. #birds #woodpeckers

It's Nighthawk Time!

On May 11 COS had a relaxing morning at Humboldt Park. Highlights of this Sunday Social Walk included Prothonotary Warbler and Osprey! The group observed a total of 46 species. www.chicagobirder.org/blog/2025/5/...