Chicago Bird Alliance

06/23/2026

THREE MONTHS until the next Urban Birding Festival!

Block off the third weekend in September: 9/18 - 9/20!

While fall migrants fly across Chicago, you can make your way around the city to various walks, presentations, workshops, and social gatherings, all centered on our love of birds. If you’ve never been – and if you have, hopefully you agree that – the Urban Birding Festival is a special opportunity for experienced and novice birders to connect and share their passion for birds and nature.

Registration will open in July, so look out for further communication about when to sign up!

Urban Birding Festival logo designed by Joe Feliciano.

Photo of Barn Swallows and Sand Martins at Montrose Bird Sanctuary by Leyla Royale, 4th place winner in the Feathered Flocks category for the 2025 Chicago Bird Photography Contest.

A committee of birding groups organize the Urban Birding Festival, including representatives from .bipoc.birders, Chicago Bird Alliance, , , Red Hill Birding, and .

06/20/2026

Happy !

Today, we’re reflecting on the Bald Eagle, one of the most majestic and iconic birds in North America, and one that’s become more common around Chicagoland in recent decades!

We’ll be taking a look at the history, symbolic representation, and comeback of Bald Eagles in Chicago and beyond in an upcoming article on our website, along with another round of Ask A Bird Nerd regarding the nesting history of these incredible raptors! Stay tuned for more updates! 🦅

06/19/2026

🌊 Happy World Albatross Day!

Today we’re celebrating the Waved Albatross — the world’s only tropical albatross and one of the ocean’s smooooooooothest gliders.
With an 8-foot wingspan, Waved Albatross can soar over the Pacific for hours without flapping their wings. Lifelong mates reunite each breeding season with elaborate dances featuring bill-clacking, bowing, sky-pointing, and loud honking calls. We should all be so lucky!
🎣 Waved Albatrosses face growing threats from fisheries bycatch, plastic pollution, and climate change. With only an estimated 50,000-70,000 birds remaining, the species is now Critically Endangered. ABC’s Marine Program (ABCbirds Marine) works with fishing communities and partners in Ecuador to reduce seabird bycatch and promote bird-safe fishing practices.

Learn more in our bird library:
https://abcbirds.org/birds/waved-albatross/

06/18/2026

As spring migration concludes, it’s apparent that Chicago is a vital stop for many birds. Cities as a whole play a key role during a bird’s journey to favorable climes. Research conducted at Colorado State University emphasizes the importance of urban areas to migrating birds. A study, led by Dr. Mikko Jimenez, has revealed that almost half of stopover hot spots are in metropolitan regions such as Chicago, and income levels may play a role in the resulting biodiversity of a given space. To learn more about a topic that deserves increased attention, check out our latest article, linked in the comment below!

Image descriptions:
(top) Photo of birds flying above city by Tramino
(bottom) Photo of Dr. Mikko Jimenez giving a presentation by Michelle MacPherson

06/13/2026

06/11/2026

06/06/2026

Whether you’re a The Urban Birding Festival veteran or a potential first-time attendee, you need to read “Birds and Community – The Urban Birding Festival” by Michael Kamp. For those who’ve been, you may find yourself reminiscing about past outings and sightings. And for those considering signing up this year for the first time, this provides a preview of what you can expect: a strong community of birders and singular birds.

This article has been reproduced on our site, but the original story appeared in OutdoorIllinois Journal (outdoor.wildlifeillinois.org), a product of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and National Great Rivers Research and Education Center. There is a link to the original article on our website, and in the comments section below. Happy reading and hope to see you in September for the next festival!

Image descriptions:
(top) Graphic of people birdwatching by HL12 studio
(bottom) Photo of Black-throated Blue Warbler by Erin Huggins, USFWS.

06/03/2026

Join Chicago Bird Alliance at an upcoming outing or event! All trips and events are free unless otherwise noted. Link in comments.

06/01/2026

Looking for something fun to do this summer? Make birds with Holly Greenberg!

Bird Collisions in the Anthropocene is hosting four free open drop-in workshops for all ages in Chicago and Evanston during the summer! This crowdsourced environmental art project involves crafting a bird replica for the 300-foot carpet of birds killed in window collisions in Chicago.

Take part in this important and inspiring project by attending any of the upcoming workshops and make a bird for the carpet while learning how to make your windows more bird-friendly!

Learn more details about these upcoming workshops on our website, linked in the comments, and follow Bird Collisions in the Anthropocene to learn more about the project!

05/28/2026

Reminder to showcase how you’ve been helping birds this year!

Check out the comments section for the link to submit an entry. Examples of what you can call out include planting native plants, treating windows, becoming a bird monitoring volunteer, signing a petition benefiting birds or their habitat, birding in a rarely birded area and adding results to eBird, and more!

A leaderboard will be updated monthly throughout 2026 to reflect the top ten participants with the most entries, with the next update on 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟯𝟭𝘀𝘁! Entries will be entered into a raffle at the beginning of 2027, where you can win binoculars and other prizes. More details can be found in the ‘Help a Bird Out’ section on our website!

Image descriptions for Slide 1:
(upper left) Screenshot of entry form
(bottom right) Photo of two green tickets by kstudio
(bottom right) Graphic of binoculars with bird on top by pongsakorn_tantiyakorn