The Cyber Birder

We at COS are taking the threat of Covid-19 very seriously, as evidenced by the cancellation of several of our spring trips. However, we are still a community. The phrase ‘social distancing’ is an unfortunate choice of term, since what the experts really mean is physical distancing. We need to remain engaged, inspired, and social now more than ever, especially with migration upon us. COS’s board of volunteers works hard to bring you the very best in hikes and programming all year. In lieu of those, they are working even harder to now bring that same quality of programming and content to you through cyberspace. We encourage you to join our already very active online communities and to take advantage of these new opportunities to share the love of birds with us.

Follow us!
First things first, you can get regular updates about all of these and other events/initiatives on our social media pages. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram and join the community.

Birds and Bytes
Thursdays at 6pm
The traditional format of Birds and Beers is on hold, so we’re taking everyone’s favorite social event for beer drinkers with a birding problem online. Grab your favorite brew and join us and a special guest on Thursday evenings for our new series, Birds and Bytes.
Visit our events page for individual event details and link to join.

Socially Distant Big Day part 2
April 16th from 12:00am to 11:59pm
Were you able to join us for our first socially distant big day on St. Patrick’s Day? Over 60 people from more than 40 towns and cities across the United States shared their observations from their homes. We notched a respectable 97 species. Here’s our chance to beat it from the comfort of your home!
Visit the COS Facebook group to join the fun.

Live Streamed Walks
Mondays at 12:30pm, additional as scheduled
Just because we can’t walk together, doesn’t mean we can’t go birding together. Virtually join and interact with local birders in real time as they go in search of birds and share what they’re seeing, hearing, and whatever they may be thinking.
Visit our Twitter page for updates on how and when to follow along.

Dan’s Feathursday Feature
Alternating Thursdays at 4:30pm
Dan Lory’s Thursday thoughts on the birds of the Chicago region are a fixture of the COS blog. From funny to insightful, poetic to narrative, these short stories are sure to open your eyes to sides of birds you never considered before.
Visit the COS blog.

River Blitz Chicago
Ongoing, March 18th through June 30th
In partnership with Chicago Audubon Society and Illinois Ornithological Society, we’re encouraging birders everywhere to take to the river. Chicago’s second water front is changing rapidly and under increasing development pressure. At the same time, our understanding of how birds use this corridor is still lacking. Help us fill the gap by adopting your favorite section of river from now until June.
Visit Chicago Audubon’s River Blitz page for more information and to sign up.

Something Else?
What would you like to see from Chicago’s oldest bird conservation group? Is there something not on this list that we can help make happen? Our inboxes are always open so let us know how best to connect with and help you!