This is a co-sponsored program in collaboration with the Lake/Cook Chapter of Illinois Audubon Society and the History Center

Chicago is located on the Mississippi Flyway, one of four major bird migration routes in the country. Millions of birds representing 280 species migrate through our area in the spring to their northern breeding grounds and in autumn to the south for the winter seasons. Some species smaller than the palm of your hand travel as much as 6,000 miles from South America just to Chicago, with their final nesting destination in Canada.

This program, featuring guest speaker Rena Cohen, is an introduction to some of the birds that “drop in” to Chicago on their seasonal journeys. Rena will also touch on the threats that face our bird populations—from building collisions to climate change—as well as where you can go to see these remarkable, winged visitors.

Rena Cohen serves as the President of Lake/Cook Audubon, the local and largest chapter of Illinois Audubon Society. Rena was introduced to birding shortly after college graduation when she was able to witness the spectacle of spring migration in Point Pelee on the shore of Lake Erie in Canada, one of the best known migration spots in North America. Her birding travels have taken her as far afield as Cuba, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, Namibia, and Botswana, but she always remains in the Chicago area in May to witness the daily migration waves of songbirds that light up her life with their beauty and songs.

Note that the History Center parking lot is unavailable due to construction for our Outdoor Historical Learning Gardens. See this map for parking information during construction.