Chicago Ornithological Society
@chicagobirder.bsky.social
All things birds in the Second City!
"The study does more than just document a threatened bird adapting to city life – it highlights the growing role of urban green spaces as unexpected, yet vital, refuges for wildlife conservation." Read about the recent study of Lincoln Park Zoo's BCNH colony: bit.ly/4wBYree 📸 Katharine Spencer
Meet Wilco! Odie! Lucy! Bromley! They are the newest Puppers for Plovers! 🤍🐦🐶 We're thrilled to connect with Montrose's amazing dog community and celebrate the special bond between pups, people, and nature.
To make this year’s Urban Birding Festival a success, we're looking for unique items and experiences for our Silent Auction. Your donations will directly fund festival scholarships and other initiatives that break down barriers to the outdoors. Email Jake Vinsel vinsel.jake@gmail.com for more info.
Public lands are where many of us first fell in love with nature. But millions of acres could be at risk. We've stopped these efforts before, and we can do it again. This #4thofJuly, let's celebrate by telling Congress to keep public lands in public hands. 🌎 https://nature.ly/3SXNwwV
COS VP Christina shares interesting tales of banded birds spotted in Chicago. Learn how to report bird band sightings and what information you can expect in return. Read the full post at chicagobirder.org/blog/2026/6/12/bird-bands-in-the-wild
I’ve been loving spotting black crowned night herons in the city as they’ve been busy raising their fledglings in the trees above Lincoln Park Zoo. Had a go at drawing one! 🖤 🪶
We are wishing everyone a happy and safe holiday weekend! If you visit Montrose, you will see more of your Chicago Piping Plover Monitors 🧡 there supporting Sea Rocket and Imani in protecting their chicks. 📸: Max Kelly (2026 Montrose chicks photographed end of June)
Check out my photo of the young bald eagles on this Chicago Tribune story: Meet Migizi and Marian: Chicago’s first bald eaglets born in a century named (gift link) www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/02/c...
Chicago’s first bald eaglets born in a century named
Chicago’s baby bald eagles finally have names, just in time for America’s 250th anniversary.
chicagotribune.com
Welcome home, Sweet Prince 🤍 – Imani has also returned to Montrose! 🤍⭐️ The boys are back in town. Let's go!!! 📸: Chicago Piping Plovers (Imani and Pippin, Montrose Protected Beach, April 13, 2026)
Welcome home, Pippin! 🤍🟢 Our beloved Pippin has returned. Many will remember he departed last summer with something tangled around his foot. We feared the worst. Pippin has returned to us with his right foot missing and a limp but otherwise appears well. 📸:Liam Francis Shanley
On Wednesday, 3/18, HB3596, the Wetlands Protection Act, will be head in the Illinois Energy and Environment Committee. This act will codify state-level protections for wetlands in the face of the current administration and U.S. Supreme Court's attack on these precious ecosystems.
The U.S. House recently passed HR 4776, the SPEED Act. This act reforms the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires federal agencies to determine the environmental impacts of major projects before they can be funded or approved. 1/x
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/...
Urbs in Horto, Aves in Urbs — Chicago Ornithological Society
Read about how the Urban Birding Festival was born.
chicagobirder.org
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...
The Birdbrain Case for Stopping Lincoln Yards Development
The discovery of grassland-loving dickcissels on the site of Sterling Bay's stalled megadevelopment suggests the value of preserving open land.
chicagomag.com
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/...
Flock Club Book Club: Turning to Birds — Chicago Ornithological Society
Join COS for Flock Club Book Club to discuss Lily Taylor’s Turning to Birds . In the spirit of our yearlong celebration of green birding, we’ll discuss this book’s mindfulness approach to birding.
chicagobirder.org
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/...
Grassland Birds at Horizon Farms — Chicago Ornithological Society
RSVP Required Join COS in search of breeding grassland birds at Horizon Farm.
chicagobirder.org
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)
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/...
Birds & Botany: Marian Byrnes Natural Area — Chicago Ornithological Society
COS member Kris Hansen recaps the bird walk at Marian Byrnes Natural Area on June 1, 2025.
chicagobirder.org
The Chicago Bird Photography Contest closes August 1! Get your best shots in before it's too late! www.chicagobirder.org/chicago-bird...
