Barb Dougan

Costa Rica is a great country to visit either as a first-time tropical birder or a seasoned tropical veteran. Although it may be a small country, it has a lot to offer in terms of both environmental and species diversity. Presenter Denis Kania shares what he has learned in several trips to this birdy destination. Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTWWJf_9ea4

In 1784, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart encountered a caged starling who sang an improvised version of the theme from his Piano Concerto no. 17 in G major. Captivated, Mozart purchased the bird, and for the next three years the starling lived with him, influencing his work and serving as his companion. Mozart’s Starling explores the fascinating and unlikely bond between one of the world’s great composers and this commonest of birds. Writer Lyanda Haupt intertwines her own experience with a rescued baby starling to explore the human-animal bond, the secret world of starlings, the nature of creative inspiration, and our place

On May 7, 21 DuPage Birding Club members trekked to Ohio and the famously birdy Magee Marsh area for what became a grand four-day adventure. They tallied 119 species, not only coveted warblers like Blackburnian, Kirtland’s, and Prothonotary warblers but also Least and American Bittern, Black-necked Stilt, Dunlin, nesting Osprey, and more! Over the four days, the group visited Magee Marsh, Howard Marsh, Metzger Marsh, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, and Oak Openings Preserve. To see photos from this adventure, visit Member Corner/Photo Gallery/.

A DBC tradition returns in 2025 with the DBC Auction to be held Thursday evening, October 9, at Cantigny Park. The last auction was 2019, just before the pandemic arrived and shut down in-person meetings and social gatherings.   The primary goal of the auction is to raise funds that can be put to use for programs like Outreach and to fund our generous Grants and Donations program, which typically funds $2,500-3,500 a year in  scholarships and conservation projects. A secondary goal is to have a boatload of fun bidding on birdy artwork, gift baskets, feeders and gear; to buy chances

Take an armchair birding tour of Ecuador in the first of our new Birding Adventures series, now live on the DBC Education Channel at: https://youtu.be/p6qQPFUaB7U  The series will feature a travelogue of trips that members have taken recently, including photos, details on logistics, guides, lodging and dining, and more to help you plan your own version of the trip. The initial Birding Adventure comes from Mike and Karen Warner, who spent 10 days birding in Ecuador this year. Plate-billed Toucan Photo by Mike Warner

Hold the date and plan to participate in the 2025 Spring Bird Count (SBC) in DuPage County on Saturday, May 10. The SBC is held annually throughout Illinois around the first weekend in May and is intended to provide some information and data on early spring bird migration throughout Illinois. The SBC also is a great opportunity for birders of all skill levels to get out in the field and look for all those great and colorful spring migrants moving through northeastern Illinois. The DuPage Birding Club coordinates the spring count efforts in DuPage County, and last year we recorded

As many of you know, DBC’s own Jeff Reiter authors the popular Words on Birds column in the Daily Herald. Jeff’s fun end-of-year review captures 2024’s important local conservation successes and birding highlights. The latter included about a dozen rare bird sightings within DuPage County, including a very cooperative Sage Thrasher at Hidden Lake who stayed on sight for days, which prompted then President Robert Perez to ask members whether there was anyone in the room who hadn’t seen the Thrasher! For the full story, visit Jeff’s blog at https://wordsonbirds.blogspot.com/

Most everyone recognizes the Bald Eagle as America’s national bird. It first appeared in 1782 on the Great Seal, a symbol of American strength and sovereignty as a nation. But the fact is that it just officially became our national bird on Christmas Eve 2024, when President Biden signed a bipartisan bill designating the Bald Eagle as the official bird of the United States. We can all heartily endorse this acknowledgment, notwithstanding one of our forefather’s objections—Ben Franklin thought the Bald Eagle was “a bird of bad moral character” since it is known to steal food from other birds. Franklin

Avian Flu: Avian Flu incidents are being monitored carefully by the District. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has advised citizens to report any sightings of five or more dead birds to their local IDNR representative and to avoid handling any sick or deceased birds. In DuPage, contact Nicky Strahl at nicky.strahl@illinois.gov. Pratt’s Wayne Woods-Southeast: During closed session the DuPage County Forest Preserve Board discussed the acquisition through negotiation or condemnation of a parcel known as “Pratt’s Wayne Wood-Southeast” by the Forest Preserve District. This parcel is 43 acres with over 200 oak trees, some exceeding 200 years old and

The deadly night in October of 2023 during which almost 1,000 birds crashed into the glass walls of McCormick Place remains one of the most sad and tragic events to befall our city in recent memory. The carnage roused the region’s conservation groups, civic leaders, and ordinary citizens to mobilize. The US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Field Museum, and Chicago Bird Collision Monitors negotiated a solution with McCormick Place to install bird-safe film on the Convention Center windows in a $1.2 million investment—all in time for fall migration. The good news is good indeed: only 18 dead birds were