Chicago Ornithological Society
Celebrating 100 years
Founded by professional ornithologists in 1912 as the Chicago Ornithological Society, COS has grown into a casual, friendly club composed of birders from all over the Chicago area. Members range from serious to beginner birders; our programs, field trips and workshops are meant for everyone who wants to learn and enjoy birds with the company of birders from novices to experts. Everyone loves to share – share their knowledge, identification tips, spotting scope, lens cleaner, even a granola bar!
Misson — Our mission is to provide friendly and fun opportunities for birders to enjoy while enhancing and expanding their knowledge of birds.
Club Programs — Our programs are informal and free events; topics vary, covering nesting and migratory bird projects, species identification, birding travelogues and more. Most meetings are held at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago’s Lincoln Park.
Local Field Trips —We hold many field trips a year throughout the Chicago Metro area. Our trip leaders typically are experienced birders and attendance is always free.
Regional & Foreign Trips — We often organize a long distance birding trip somewhere in the US or even abroad. We’ve been to Horicon Marsh, Wisconsin; The Shawnee National Forest, Illinois; Veracruz, Mexico, the Platte River Valley, Maine and Colorado.
IYB — “Illinois Young Birders” is the birding club for Illinois Young Birders. Each year, COS sponsors a young birder member financially and by providing a field trip led by one of our member expert birders. Join at: illinoisyoungbirders.org/
Classes & Education — Our educational workshops are aimed at making all of us –beginners and experts alike — better birders. We also offer classes focusing on an area of specialization such as warblers, shorebirds, hawks or bird songs. Our classes are taught by birding experts.
e-News —All members receive our monthly email newsletter, featuring birding events relevant to area birders.
Conservation — COS is dedicated to efforts to protect and restore the habitat necessary for the survival of breeding and migratory birds. COS is a founding member of Bird Conservation Network. We also participate in the annual spring and Christmas bird counts.
