Sign Up for 2023 Illinois Spring Bird Count
Thorn Creek Audubon invites you to participate in the annual Illinois Spring Bird Count (SBC) on Saturday, May 6. This statewide event is organized by county. Thorn Creek Audubon is responsible for surveying birds throughout the eastern portion of Will County, from approx. Highway 45 to the Indiana border.
We divide our territory into 10 areas, with each area covered by a team. Each team meets up at a specified location early in the morning and then birds together to count all the birds they see. Depending on the area, this can include birding at preserves, golf courses, etc., as well as caravanning to check agricultural fields and other habitats from the roadside
If you would like to participate - we hope you will - simply submit the sign-up form. The count is Saturday, May 6. Please RSVP by April 15. If your plans change, and you’re unable to attend, no problem! Just let us know by email.
Our SBC coordinator Al Thomas will then organize the teams. Participants will receive details about where & when to meet up, who their team leader is, and other count info.
ALL BIRDERS ARE WELCOME: experts, beginners, and everyone in between are encouraged to join a team. You only need binoculars and an interest in having fun birding while contributing to this scientific effort.
About the Illinois Spring Bird Count
The first count was organized in 1972 by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to systematically survey bird populations during peak migration in each county. Today, the annual survey is under the auspices of University of Illinois’s Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS)organization.
INHS has been the guardian and recorder of the biological resources of Illinois since 1858. Each year, SBC volunteers add to the data that helps researchers and conservationists understand and protect the state’s biodiversity.
Thorn Creek Audubon has been participating since 1973. Our first survey was conducted by 12 volunteers who recorded 98 species and 4,352 individuals. Each year, our teams enthusiastically scour our territory to help document what species might be increasing and what might be declining.
March 31, 2023