Chicago Ornithological Society

Chicago Ornithological Society All things birds in the Second City. The hub of advocacy, conservation action and bird nerds since 19

Chicago Ornithological Society is an all volunteer run organization at the forefront of all things birds in the Chicago region. From expert guided trips to cutting edge science to avenues for action, we bring together bird enthusiasts of all ages, experience levels, and backgrounds to share our love of birds and further their conservation.

Join COS for an extra special edition of Black Feather, our goth bird walk series, as we visit beautiful and historic Gr...
08/26/2026

Join COS for an extra special edition of Black Feather, our goth bird walk series, as we visit beautiful and historic Graceland Cemetery! We’ll take in the incredible sights and be on the look-out for blackbirds and other similarly vibed birds.

RSVP at chicagobirder.org/events/2026/9/12/graceland-cemetery or thru the link in our bio.

Birds are beginning their long journey south for the winter, but some of them will not make it through Chicago. Bird-fri...
08/25/2026

Birds are beginning their long journey south for the winter, but some of them will not make it through Chicago. Bird-friendly desigtn would help protect these birds from the dangers of a cityscape. The ordinance intended to do just this has been introduced, but needs support from our alders

As a constituent of Ward 22, you can play a major role in helping our great city pass a bird-friendly design ordinance that will protect the lives of countless birds in the decades to come. We have but one simple ask: fill out the Bird Friendly Chicago supporters form. You can find the form here: http://bit.ly/4yKFtUM

After filling out the form, a Bird Friendly Chicago volunteer will contact you about reaching out to Alderperson Rodriguez to find out how she will vote on the bird-friendly design ordinance. Our volunteers will help make the process as easy as possible for you. Through a simple phone call or email, you can help Chicago become a safer place for migrating birds.

For more information on the tragic loss of Chicago’s birds by preventable window collisions, visit https://birdfriendlychicago.org/.

As fall migration starts, Chicago residents are wondering if the City Council can pass a bird-friendly design ordinance....
08/21/2026

As fall migration starts, Chicago residents are wondering if the City Council can pass a bird-friendly design ordinance. We need to reach all 50 alders to learn where they stand on this issue. The next step for this ordinance is to appear before the Zoning Committee. We have yet to hear whether Alderperson Hall will support the ordinance.

As a constituent of Ward #6, you can play a major role in helping our great city pass a bird-friendly design ordinance that will protect the lives of countless birds in the decades to come. We have but one simple ask: fill out the Bird Friendly Chicago supporters form. You can find the form here: http://bit.ly/4yKFtUM

After filling out the form, a Bird Friendly Chicago volunteer will contact you about reaching out to Alderperson Hall to find out how she will vote on the bird-friendly design ordinance. Our volunteers will help make the process as easy as possible for you. Through a simple phone call or email, you can help Chicago become a safer place for migrating birds.

For more information on the tragic loss of Chicago’s birds by preventable window collisions, visit birdfriendlychicago.org/.

As fall migration starts, Chicago residents are wondering if the City Council can pass a bird-friendly design ordinance....
08/19/2026

As fall migration starts, Chicago residents are wondering if the City Council can pass a bird-friendly design ordinance. We need to reach all 50 alders to learn where they stand on this issue. The next step for this ordinance is to appear before the Zoning Committee. We have yet to hear whether Alderperson Harris will support the ordinance.

As a constituent of Ward #8, you can play a major role in helping our great city pass a bird-friendly design ordinance that will protect the lives of countless birds in the decades to come. We have but one simple ask: fill out the Bird Friendly Chicago supporters form. You can find the form here: http://bit.ly/4yKFtUM

After filling out the form, a Bird Friendly Chicago volunteer will contact you about reaching out to Alderperson Harris to find out how she will vote on the bird-friendly design ordinance. Our volunteers will help make the process as easy as possible for you. Through a simple phone call or email, you can help Chicago become a safer place for migrating birds.

For more information on the tragic loss of Chicago’s birds by preventable window collisions, visit birdfriendlychicago.org .

Join COS for the next Humboldt Park Sunday Social Bird Walk. These walks will have no capacity limit so expect a large g...
08/14/2026

Join COS for the next Humboldt Park Sunday Social Bird Walk. These walks will have no capacity limit so expect a large group size. While there are official leaders for the trip, this will be a community birding experience where all participants can help each other locate birds. Become a regular, meet new birding pals, or just drop by when you can. People of all experience levels are welcome, including folks who have never birded before.

Registration before the event is not required. However, if you do not pre-register, you will be asked to complete the waiver form in-person. RSVP at chicagobirder.org/events/2026/8/23/humboldt-park or thru the link in our bio.

Join us for this latest edition of Flock Club!, the social gathering by and for bird enthusiasts. This month’s gathering...
08/11/2026

Join us for this latest edition of Flock Club!, the social gathering by and for bird enthusiasts. This month’s gathering will be taking place at Horner Park on Thursday, August 20th for a field day! This will be a casual hangout where you can meet other birders and play outdoor games. Maybe we’ll keep an eBird list going for incidental observations.

Bring a snack and/or drinks and a field game if you’d like. Stop by at any time.

The event is free to attend. RSVP at chicagobirder.org/events/2026/8/20/flock-club-field-day or thru the link in our bio.

COS Board member Brighten Jelke recaps the June 10 and June 17 heron watches at River Park. Participants were fortunate ...
08/11/2026

COS Board member Brighten Jelke recaps the June 10 and June 17 heron watches at River Park. Participants were fortunate enough to find many Black-crowned Night Herons, as well as a few Great Blue Herons and Green Herons. Herons can be spotted in River Park year round and is known to be a heron hot spot in the summer.

To read the full report, visit chicagobirder.org/blog/2026/7/27/field-trip-report-river-park-heron-watch or the link in our bio.

Join COS for our fifth annual Nighthawk Watch! In late August, when the winds are right, Common Nighthawks move in might...
08/11/2026

Join COS for our fifth annual Nighthawk Watch! In late August, when the winds are right, Common Nighthawks move in mighty flocks across the twilight sky. This dramatic display can be difficult to anticipate and is too often overlooked. Bring your lawn chair, picnic blanket, and snacks as we try to observe a spectacle marking the beginning of fall migration.

Your RSVP is VERY important! Because nighthawk migration is so dependent on weather conditions, we are selecting five dates to hold. As the dates approach, we’ll monitor the weather patterns and attempt to select the best date for migration. If you have RSVP-ed, you will receive an email approximately 24 hrs in advance informing you of our selected date.

RSVP at chicagobirder.org/events/2026/8/24/nighthawk-watch or thru the link in our bio.

Chicago's birds desperately need our help to protect them from window collisions. An ordinance has been introduced to ma...
08/10/2026

Chicago's birds desperately need our help to protect them from window collisions. An ordinance has been introduced to mandate bird-friendly design on new construction.

To ensure this ordinance passes, it first needs to be approved by the Zoning Committee. We are still waiting to hear whether Alderperson David Moore will support this ordinance.

As a constituent of Ward 17, you can play a major role in helping our great city pass a bird-friendly design ordinance that will protect the lives of countless birds in the decades to come. We have but one simple ask: fill out the Bird Friendly Chicago supporters form. You can find the form link in our bio, as well as here: http://bit.ly/4yKFtUM

After filling out the form, a Bird Friendly Chicago volunteer will contact you about reaching out to Alderperson Villegas to find out how he will vote on the bird-friendly design ordinance. Our volunteers will help make the process as easy as possible for you. Through a simple phone call or email, you can help Chicago become a safer place for migrating birds.

For more information on the tragic loss of Chicago’s birds by preventable window collisions, visit https://birdfriendlychicago.org/.

Join COS for an unofficial heron hangout in River Park! This is a great place to spot Black-crowned Night Herons as they...
08/09/2026

Join COS for an unofficial heron hangout in River Park! This is a great place to spot Black-crowned Night Herons as they fly in to fish in the evening. This will be a slow-paced, social event.

RSVP at chicagobirder.org/events/2026/8/12/river-park or thru the link in our bio.

Photo by Angelica Guerrero

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Barrington, IL
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