European Goldfinches are stunning birds that are obviously native to Europe, but they began showing up in Lake County as early as 2001, presumably because they were released cage birds. By 2024, they were so common in pockets around the U.S. including Illinois and Wisconsin that they were added to the countable Illinois and American Birding Association checklists. Louise Bodt, a PhD candidate in the Committee on Evolutionary Biology at the University of Chicago and a scientific affiliate at the Field Museum, will explain how this happened and its relation to her research into how introduced species can serve as a model for understanding how species change in new environments.

Please register here if you are participating in the potluck dinner so that we can get a headcount for table setup.

The Newberry Library has just opened a temporary exhibit called Winging It: A Brief History of Humanity’s Relationship with Birds that collates illustrations, woodblock prints and other media from the Newberry’s collection to demonstrate how birds in Europe and the Americas have persisted through the centuries – often despite human interference. This private tour by local birder, filmmaker and library communications director Bob Dolgan, who curated the exhibit, is open exclusively to Lake/Cook members with a maximum attendance of 15. Email renabird3@gmail.com to register for a digital lottery that will be held in early July to select attendees. Winners will be selected at random through a digital app. Lake/Cook membership is required to participate in the lottery. Please attend ONLY if you receive an email confirmation.