Next Field Trips
Join us on our next bird watching field trip. Unless otherwise noted, there is no charge for participation. Some trips may require prior registration or are prioritized for Lake Cook Audubon members. This will be noted in the field trip description.
Guam kingfishers, or sihek as the birds are known by Guam’s indigenous Chamoru people, went extinct in the wild due to invasive brown tree snakes introduced to the island during World War II. A rescue effort was launched in 1980 to bring 28 sihek in the care of zoos, including Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo, with the goal of one day reintroducing the species back into the wild. Last August, 36 years later, nine sihek were flown to the Palmyra Atoll and placed in pre-release aviaries as a prelude to a trial reintroduction effort. One of those birds originated at Brookfield Zoo. Cody Hickman, the zoo’s associate director of avian care and conservation, will share the story and explain the zoo’s involvement.
Space is limited; registration is required with priority to Lake/Cook members. Email renabird3@gmail.com to register.
Park in the South parking lot and go to the South Gate entrance; zoo personnel will have a list of registrants direct you to the correct building. Free zoo admission.
The arrival of spring waterfowl is the first sign of spring for local birders as loons, pelicans and multiple duck species drop into Lake County lakes on the way north to their breeding grounds. Lake/Cook’s annual multi-stop spring waterfowl trip begins at Diamond Lake in Mundelein, with additional stops and directions provided at Diamond Lake based on leaders’ scouting to find the most productive sites. Dress warm, bring scopes if you have them, and get ready to greet what is usually dozens of Common Loons and American White Pelicans at one of our favorite inland waterways.
Directions: Meet at Gale Street Inn parking lot, 935 N. Diamond Lake Rd., Mundelein.
Leader: Jeff Sanders 847-675-7172 (landline)
Contact day of trip: Rena Cohen 847-971-1107
Registration: To come, please check back.
Next Programs
Our programs are open to the public and free. Most are offered at Heller Nature Center in Highland Park. Some may be presented on Zoom. This will be noted in the program description. Many past-programs can now be viewed on YouTube here.
Our program year 2024-2025 is in development and programs are being published when set up.
Three years ago, headlines delivered shocking news: nearly three billion birds in North America have vanished over the past fifty years. No species has been spared, from the most delicate jeweled hummingbirds to scrappy black crows, from a rainbow of warblers to common birds such as owls and sparrows. Veteran journalists Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal traveled more than 25,000 miles across the Americas to chronicle costly experiments, contentious politics, and new technologies being implemented to save birds at risk of extinction. Their new book, A Wing and a Prayer: The Race to Save Our Vanishing Birds, offers insight into encouraging breakthroughs that indicate there is still time to change course if we act quickly.
Register here.
Guam kingfishers, or sihek as the birds are known by Guam’s indigenous Chamoru people, went extinct in the wild due to invasive brown tree snakes introduced to the island during World War II. A rescue effort was launched in 1980 to bring 28 sihek in the care of zoos, including Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo, with the goal of one day reintroducing the species back into the wild. Last August, 36 years later, nine sihek were flown to the Palmyra Atoll and placed in pre-release aviaries as a prelude to a trial reintroduction effort. One of those birds originated at Brookfield Zoo. Cody Hickman, the zoo’s associate director of avian care and conservation, will share the story and explain the zoo’s involvement.
Space is limited; registration is required with priority to Lake/Cook members. Email renabird3@gmail.com to register.
Park in the South parking lot and go to the South Gate entrance; zoo personnel will have a list of registrants direct you to the correct building. Free zoo admission.
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Who We Are
We are a gathering of people who enjoy bird watching and studying birds and wildlife. We welcome people of all ages and skills to join us on our field trips, programs and other events. Most of our monthly programs are bird-oriented, but we also address environmental and natural history topics.
The Illinois Audubon Society is the state’s oldest conservation organization that functions as a land trust to protect and enhance Illinois’ unique habitats and to educate the public about them. Organized in 1897, Illinois Audubon is not affiliated with the National Audubon Society.