COS President Edward Warden led several Common Nighthawk watches.

The 2025 COS Annual Meeting, held January 9, was a chance for organization members and other local bird fans to gather on Zoom and take stock of 2024. Together we celebrated fabulous volunteers, tackled some challenging trivia, oohed and aahed over stunning photography, and reflected on the accomplishments of the past year.

President’s Update

COS President Edward Warden served as our emcee for the evening, and he kicked off the meeting with his reflections on a roller coaster of a year. The highs included the long-awaited installation of window film to reduce bird collisions at the infamous McCormick Place, the inaugural and successful Urban Birding Festival, the raucous Chicago Bird Debate to elect the unofficial bird of the city, Tarik Shahzad’s Cook County Big Year, and myriad events to celebrate the Year of the Peregrine.

The common theme through these events and outcomes was the human element. Warden observed that when we show up and act in ways large or small, good things happen. Looking ahead, he encouraged each of us to continue to participate, to come together and to choose to act. Warden expressed appreciation for COS board members, new and outgoing, and our many partner organizations before encouraging us to turn out in 2025 with a spirit of community and compassion.

Man in blue winter coat, hat and gloves, holding bread, on a boat in the water. — Tarik Shahzad chumming for pelagic birds during his record-breaking Cook County Big Year. *Photo by Donald Estep.*

2024 Accomplishments

COS 2024 accomplishments included educational programming, social events, field trips, and data gathering projects. Below is a snapshot by the numbers of just some of what COS was able to achieve because of the enthusiasm, expertise and generosity of hundreds of volunteers:

· 208 birds banded at the MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) Station at Big Marsh Park

· 160 sites monitored and 213 Common Nighthawks recorded as part of the Chicago Nighthawk Project

· 130 field trips, including bilingual trips in Spanish/ English

· 4 editions of the Chicago Birder Magazine

· 2 Christmas Bird Counts at Lisle Arboretum and the lakefront

· 1 fabulous Annual Fundraiser

Ten adults and a child in a stroller, all adults with binoculars, in front of a lagoon. — Em de Blas led several bilingual bird walks.

2024 Douglas C. Anderson Bird Conservation Mini Grant Program

Todd Thomas of Strategic Human Services joined the meeting to share how the Doug Anderson grant funded the purchase of binoculars and a camera lens for a summer program for teens. Kids from the North Lawndale community got an introduction to birding. They used the equipment to explore Columbus Park and capture images of terns, waxwings, herons and more.

The application for the 2025 grant to support youth-driven bird-related projects is open now and will close February 16.

Plans for 2025 – Year of Green Birding

This year will include the second annual Urban Bird Festival, ongoing conservation work at Calumet and LaBagh, expansion of the Chicago Nighthawk monitoring project, field trips and social events. The theme for 2025 will be the Year of Green Birding. Keep your eyes open for programming, trips and events that focus on this slower, hyper-local and lower carbon footprint approach to birding.

LaBagh Accomplishments and Awards

Next up was a review of the great work done by volunteers at COS’s flagship stewardship site LaBagh Woods. Last year marked ten years of projects and funding to support bird habitat restoration. In 2024, more than 66 stewardship events and thousands of volunteer hours were dedicated to removing buckthorn, planting shrubs, gathering data and building a more cohesive, productive habitat. Three volunteers were recognized for their outstanding contributions with the COS Bird Conservation Award. Janet Dawson, Evan Helchen and G Link are the latest inductees to the Order of the Buckthorn.

Slender white-breasted bird with dark wings and a dark cap, and red eyes, looking straight at the camera from a perch on a log over water. — Black-crowned Night Heron. *Photo by Dustin Weidner, River Park, June 15, 2024.*

Photo of the Year

We next celebrated the beauty of birds and the talent of the photographers who capture these arresting creatures on film. The personalities and captivating expressions of the birds and the tenacity and timing of the photographers was on full display.

Congratulations to Dustin Weidner, whose image of a dramatic and stately Black-crowned Night Heron was named photo of the year. Weidner’s work also garnered the “Peep”-le’s Choice Award in a live vote during the meeting.

Bird Trivia

The meeting wrapped with a lively, highly interactive game of trivia. Participants were quizzed on their knowledge of bird behavior, folklore, plumage, wingspan, diets and more. Did you know the American Bittern is also known as a Bog Thumper and that the Yellow-rumped Warbler can digest wax?

Brown and white streaked wading bird with a yellow eye and long, sharp blue bill, and yellow legs, perched on a stick by the water — Bog Thumper, AKA American Bittern. *Photo by Jeff Bilsky, Skokie Lagoons, April 27, 2021.*

Close

Warden closed the meeting with appreciation for volunteers and a final invitation to stay connected and engaged in 2025.

If you’d like to get updates from COS about all of the topics covered in the meeting such as conservation efforts, future programs, hikes, and more, sign up for our email list.

COS Annual Meeting Recap