Shelby County, Indiana BirdTown

06/21/2026

Northern Cardinals are renowned as exceptional fathers in the bird world. The male provides unwavering support to his mate during nesting, feeds the fledglings, and even takes over all childcare duties when the mother leaves to build the next nest.

This nest of Cardinals is only a week old - but you can already see their signature beaks developing 😊

Happiest of Father's Days to all!

Indiana Audubon

06/19/2026

The birds are out at Shelby County Fair - Shelbyville, Indiana! A newly spotted bald eagle was on-site last night 😊

Indiana Audubon

06/19/2026

Our storms on Wednesday night brought an opportunity for bird education to a very wide audience. Ryan Hall kept showing the owl cam from Goose Pond .... and how birds respond to inclement weather. I appreciate Ryan's weather reporting in keeping us all safe - but the addition of the owl cam brought another dimension to the night. Thanks Ryan Hall, Y'all for including this unique perspective that night - we were all praying and cheering for this owl momma - and we appreciate your willingness to share with your audience.

Indiana Audubon Indiana DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife

06/18/2026

Bird conservation also includes foraging conservation for we human types ;) Sign up below for the July 16th Golden Hour and learn how to forage the right way.


Indiana Audubon Central Indiana Land Trust

06/12/2026

Our county seat - and the downtown Joseph Fountain- welcomed a few feathered visitors this morning 🦆


Indiana Audubon

06/10/2026

Great information on grassland birds .... and how to help with their conservation 🐦‍⬛🐦

Help protect grassland birds this summer!

Grassland bird populations are facing the steepest decline of any bird group in North America. It’s been shown that agricultural and lawn care practices directly affect the success of ground-nesting species like bobwhites, ring-necked pheasants, Eastern meadowlarks, and loggerhead shrikes. Luckily, the following small changes can be made to help protect those nests in the summer months:

• Raise mower blades to 8 inches or higher
• Delay haying until mid‑July (peak nesting is Apr 1–Aug 1)
• Leave unmowed strips, blocks, and/or corridors of high vegetation for their safe travel. Mow from the inside out so wildlife can escape.
• Add a flushing bar. This is a simple device added to a tractor that pushes birds (and fawns) out of an area being mowed.

These beloved bird species depend on grasslands to nest and rear their young. This is why Indiana DNR strives to protect grassland habitats through the Grassland for Gamebirds and Songbirds initiative. We hope you’ll join the efforts! Learn more here: https://ow.ly/MtiP50Z7ool

Photo by Justin Hill

05/27/2026

Most people hear an owl long before they see one. A single deep hoot from somewhere in the dark, and imagination fills in the rest — big, fierce, always one shape.

Then a saw-whet drops onto a low branch at eye level. It is smaller than a robin. The head looks too big for the body. The yellow eyes don't blink.

Across North America, owls run from seven inches to almost three feet. Same family, nearly five times the size range. A Great Gray's wingspan is wider than a couch. A saw-whet weighs less than a hamster.

What unites them isn't size. It's the engineering. The flat face is a parabolic dish that funnels sound toward the ears. The leading edge of each flight feather carries a fine comb that breaks up turbulence before it can make noise. And the smaller ones don't excavate their own homes — they move into the cavities a pileated leaves behind. The same dead-tree address from last winter, now under new ownership.

You've stood under a hunting owl. You just didn't hear it 🪶

05/26/2026

The Chimney Swift is one of the most extraordinary birds in North America — and most people have only ever seen it as a tiny silhouette chittering overhead on a summer evening. It cannot take off from the ground at all. Every single thing it does, it does flying. Look up tonight. 🌙

05/24/2026

It's Female Bird Day all weekend long, a three-day event dedicated to the appreciation of often overlooked female birds!

Celebrate with us by sharing your best female bird encounters and photographs, we'd love to see and hear them 🦉

Indiana Audubon Amos Butler Audubon Society