Indiana Audubon

06/01/2026

NEW CHALLENGE UNLOCKED 🔓

Throughout the month of June, bring a friend birding on the Indiana Birding Trail and share a photo with us to earn a one-time reward of 10 bonus points.

How does it work?

1️⃣ Snap a picture with your friend at a Site and share on Facebook or Instagram.

2️⃣ Caption with your username and the name of the Site you’re visiting, and tag so we can see it.

3️⃣ Receive your bonus points!

If you don’t have social media, you can email your picture and caption to [email protected].

Learn more about the 2026 Challenge at bit.ly/ibtchallenge2026.

05/29/2026

You don’t have to be an expert to lead a bird walk. You just have to love birds and want to share that enthusiasm with others.

Our Bird Guide Ambassador program meets you where you are. Bring the passion for birds; we'll help you build the skills and confidence to lead walks in your community.

Two free training workshops are coming up:
📍 June 27 at Fort Harrison State Park
📍 Sept. 26 at Spicer Lake Nature Preserve

Learn more and apply at indianaaudubon.org/bird-guide-ambassadors. Click the "Apply to become a Bird Guide Ambassador" button at the bottom of the page to get started.

Complete the program requirements and you'll earn official Indiana Audubon Society Bird Guide Ambassador recognition, an ambassador hat, and opportunities to guide IAS field trips and private guided experiences requested through Indiana Audubon.

📸: Indiana Dunes Birding Festival participants with trip leader Matt Igleski (far left). Courtesy of Matt Igleski.

05/28/2026

🌼 🌊 How many Indiana Birding Trail (IBT) locations have you visited this spring?

Remember to report all of your spring migration birding adventures on the IBT Challenge form to earn points and unlock new badge stickers for your checklist. Submit your updates before 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, May 31.

🎁 All participants who earn 50 new points before the end of June (that’s one more month!) will be entered into the Spring prize drawing for a Wild Birds Unlimited gift card and a Brome - Squirrel Buster bird feeder.

See the seasonal and year-end prizes up for grabs, check out the leaderboard, and submit your latest update at bit.ly/ibtchallengeprogress.

05/27/2026

Every spring, thousands of migrating birds follow the Lake Michigan shoreline through Indiana Dunes State Park. On good migration days, the Longshore Flight Tower offers a front-row view as hawks, songbirds, pelicans, and more pass overhead.

A news story from The Tribune (Jackson County, Indiana) captures what makes the tower such a special place during migration season. Read the full article: https://bit.ly/49VGRZO

Learn more about our Spring Longshore Flight Project at indianaaudubon.org/lakemichigansurveys.

📸: The ramp up to the Longshore Flight Tower, photographed by Brad Bumgardner.

05/22/2026

💙 Thanks to everyone who birded, counted, and chased migrants with us this spring during the 2026 Indiana Dunes Birding Festival! See you again next year: May 13-16, 2027.

🐦 What was your favorite bird moment from ?

With over 200 species recorded over five incredible days at Indiana Dunes, you've got plenty to choose from! Was it the wave of Connecticut Warblers on Sunday? A Cedar Waxwing flock in the thousands? Or maybe that lone Red Knot at Michigan City Harbor closing out the festival? Drop your best memory below! 👇

Read more: https://bit.ly/4dmfAly

05/21/2026

Indiana birder John Velasquez started with a single pair of Purple Martins and a handful of gourds. Five years later, his east-central Indiana yard now supports nearly 40 nesting pairs.

On June 16, he’s opening his property for a free Purple Martin Watch Party where visitors can watch the flocks return to roost at dusk and learn more about maintaining a thriving colony.

Learn more and RSVP: https://bit.ly/4dCyFyy

05/20/2026

It’s time for some tricky species IDs!

Ever find a single woodpecker in your yard and wonder if it is a Downy or Hairy? 🤔 Many bird species look similar to another larger or smaller species. But when you see one bird without another for scale, these species can look nearly identical!

By learning a few simple field marks, you’ll be identifying these species twins in no time:

🍓 Purple Finch vs House Finch: Look for a pink tint versus a red tint to the head and upper body. Purple finches have less but bolder brown striping.

🧑‍🦰 Redhead vs Canvasback: Each duck has a different color on the side. Canvasbacks have white sides and their beak is in line with their head.

🪵 Downy Woodpecker vs. Hairy Woodpecker: Smaller Downy Woodpeckers have smaller beaks, and a dainty profile, with black stripes on their white tail feathers.

💪 Sharp-shinned Hawk vs Cooper’s Hawk: “Coops” are more common, and have a bulky build from head to tail. Their tail rounds at the edges where “Sharpies’” are flat.

🌳 Eastern Phoebe vs Eastern Wood-Pewee: Both woodland flycatchers, Eastern Phoebe is more plain, lacking wingbars or the gray vest on its breast. It also flicks its tail, unlike Eastern Wood-Pewee.

🐦‍⬛ Bonus: When ID-ing black birds, focus on their beak and eye colors, and note the sheen color of the black feathers.

Come learn birds in the field with us! Upcoming trips are on our website at indianaaudubon.org/events.

05/18/2026

The 12th annual Indiana Dunes Birding Festival has wrapped up!

Somewhere across somewhere across Indiana, the Midwest, the country, and beyond, guides, staff, volunteers, and participants are finally 💤 sleeping past 5 a.m. and birding their home patches again.

After a week of warblers, muddy (and buggy) trails, shared scopes, and unforgettable sightings, we’re settling back into normal life... sort of.

We’d love to hear: What was your favorite bird, moment, or memory from this year’s festival?

📸: Photos of birders enjoying their field trips during the 2026 IDBF field trips, taken by Whitney Yoerger, Edward Oehlman, Matt Igleski, and Sam Urquidez.

05/16/2026

Some of the projects and opportunities funded through Indiana Audubon’s Mumford & Keller Grants and Scholarships later this year will happen because someone decided to place a bid today.

Our “Wings of Tomorrow” Silent Auction, happening in conjunction with the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival, closes at 9 p.m. Central. Place a bid before it closes by visiting https://idbf26.givesmart.com.

🙏 Thank you to everyone who has bid, shared the auction, donated items, or helped support the next generation of conservation, research, education, and birding opportunities!

05/15/2026

🌺 Welcome to Chesterton Feed & Garden Center as an Indiana Audubon Corporate Partner!

Their support helps power our bird conservation work in Northwest Indiana, and we’re grateful for their commitment to creating healthier habitats for birds and the people who enjoy them.

Chesterton Feed & Garden Center is a local resource for gardeners and bird lovers alike, with nursery plants, garden supplies, and an entire bird-focused section of the store featuring feeders, seed, houses, books, and backyard birding supplies.

Thank you to Chesterton Feed & Garden Center for supporting Indiana Audubon and bird conservation across the state.

Learn more about our Corporate Partners program at indianaaudubon.org/corporate-partners.