Following is a listing of our upcoming bird and wildlife programs. To receive notice of future programs and field trips, please sign up to receive our email newsletter (click link). You can also join our Facebook page.
To provide the greatest diversity of program options, our programs will be a mix of in-person and Zoom presentations. In-person programs are held at Heller Nature Center at 2821 Ridge Road in Highland Park, Illinois 60035 (directions) unless otherwise noted. All programs are open and free to the public unless noted. Membership is not required to attend these programs. If you like our programming, here are ways to support our organization.
In the calendar below, please click the “+” to expand the view. Once expanded, click “Read More” for more event detail and map.
Every fall, the entire North American population of Broad-winged Hawks fill the sky in what is often called “a river of raptors” as they journey thousands of miles to their wintering grounds in South America. In 2012 and 2013, however, monitoring data suggested a population decline of 10 to 40% in some Eastern states. The next year, to better understand the threats to this forest-nesting raptor, biologists at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania began tagging adult and juvenile birds with transmitters to track them year-round. Dr. Laurie Goodrich, Director of Conservation Science at the sanctuary, will join us to discuss what’s been discovered about the bird’s migration patterns, stopover habits, nesting behavior, and other data that can help set conservation priorities for this species.
Register HERE to join the Zoom program. A Zoom link will be sent to all registrants shortly before the presentation. The program will also be recorded, and registered attendees will receive a link to the recording as soon as it is available.
Many birders shy away from shorebird identification because they think “all shorebirds look the same.” With spring migration just around the corner, award-winning local birder Geoff Williamson will dispel that notion by illustrating the importance of shape, structure and proportion in identifying major types of shorebirds as well as in differentiating between similar-looking species. In fact, plumage features come into play only to decide between two or three species. Geoff’s program will be followed by a short walk outside at dusk to see American Woodcocks display. (Bring binoculars!)
Keep checking back for updates to our program schedule.