News

DBC members are invited to spend Saturday afternoon, April 11, playing Wingspan with fellow members in a congenial environment. Wingspan is a beautifully crafted game where each player has several wildlife habitats in which to attract a variety of birds with unique characteristics and abilities. Players learn about bird habitats, nest types, and wingspan as they balance limited food tokens (gained via a bird feeder dice tower) and eggs to play, feed, and breed birds. The game blends education with strategy, in an enjoyable atmosphere. Event managers Lenny Edgin, Elena Nelson, Stephanie Cullerton, and Sherry Courtney will teach you all […]

A wonderful time was had by all as DBC members Mike Warner, Robert Perez, Denis Kania, John Baker and Bonnie Graham gave their short presentations highlighting their stories and photos from adventures around the world. It was enlightening to be able to see birds from such far-away places as South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Australia as well as the Florida Keys and the American west. Members shared their sightings of such interesting birds as a Long-Tailed Widowbird, Roseate Spoonbill, the Cuban Pygmy Owl, a Junglefowl, Hyacinth Macaw, Berylline Hummer, Lazuli Bunting and even some tense encounters with lions

Did you know DBC members can celebrate and show off their DBC pride with apparel and accessories delivered right to their door? Our club’s online store has just added new shirt designs and eco-friendly water bottles to its selection of items, all featuring our venerable, adorable Downy Woodpecker logo. The free shipping code is DBC-FREESHIP. It is not case sensitive and is valid until 6/30/26. Our shirts, outerwear, bags, and bottles make great holiday gifts for your bird-loving friends too. Get started with your shopping here: https://hyperstitch.com/category/clubs/dupage-birding-club/

A dozen members of the DuPage Birding Club had the unique opportunity to tour the Urban Stream Research Center on Friday, March 13th. The USRC was opened in 2012 by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County and is its cornerstone in preserving aquatic habitats. To this date, nearly 38,000 subadult mussels have been propagated, reared, and released into area waterways to boost declining populations. DBC members saw all stages of the mussel rearing process, as well as turtles, fish, and dragonflies also reared at the facility. A special shoutout to Andres Ortega, the Aquatic Resources Supervisor at USRC, for

The DBC Book Club met last month to discuss The Feather Detective by Chris Sweeney. It was a biography of Roxie Laybourne, an expert in bird feather identification, who investigated feathers found at murder scenes and airplane-bird collision sites. The group found it to be interesting reading and would recommend it to birders and non-birders alike. The group then selected Among Penguins: A Bird Man in Antarctica by Noah Strycker as their next read. From the publisher: “The year he graduated from college, 22-year-old Noah Strycker was dropped by helicopter in a remote Antarctic field camp with two bird scientists

In case you missed it, this “lightning round” webinar on February 11 reported on various bird conservation advocacy issues, both here in the Chicago area and across Illinois. It also provided information about volunteering for a number of local, ongoing bird conservation projects. The Chicago Bird Alliance organized this important event.  Watch the recording here.

The Bird Conservation Network (BCN) is recruiting new monitors for the annual BCN Survey. Here’s a chance to make a difference for birds by joining the dozens of other birders who spend a few mornings each summer monitoring our breeding birds. DBC is a member of the BCN coalition of 20+ conservation organizations in the Chicago region. BCN monitor Ann Haverstock monitors for birds at a Chicagoland grassland. Photo courtesy of Bird Conservation Network. Now in its 27th year, this important community science project provides land managers and researchers data on bird presence and abundance trends to inform restoration and

Warm, sunny weather on February 15 guaranteed a good turnout for the annual Gull Frolic hosted by Illinois Audubon Society. DBC once again sponsored this event, held at the Winthrop Harbor Yacht Club. Most people spent time outside to enjoy looks at Glaucous, Lesser and Great Black-backed Gulls, and an Iceland/Thayer’s among other gulls and waterfowl. Inside, the food was tasty and the camaraderie was strong. The guest speaker was Dexter Patterson, founder of BIPOC Birding (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), who is well-known for his mission to make birding known and enjoyed by all (well beyond those named by

This is our last call for annual dues renewal as we will be publishing the 2026 Member Directory soon. Dues remain $20 for individuals, $30 for families and $10 for students. Your dues fund our annual operations and support a broad range of activities, including field trips, interesting speakers, research grants, and proactive community outreach. Help us stay strong! Renew here: https://dupagebirding.org/join-renew/