Hot bird news: Unusual sightings, loons coming soon and more

Alert readers of the print edition noticed a puzzling photo caption in my last column. When writing about gull identification it’s a good idea to identify the gulls in the photo properly. And I didn’t! Sorry about that.

If permitted an excuse for my blunder, I’ll go with the birds of Hawaii. They distracted me. For a birder, one of the fun things about traveling to new places is the prep. I spent hours in January studying the avian possibilities in Honolulu and on the island of Kauai, creating a target list of birds to watch for.

I’m back now, and the feathered citizens of our 50th state are still distracting me. Birding Hawaii is full of surprises. I read somewhere that Hawaii is the United Nations of birds, and it’s true. So many alien species mingling with the natives — such an interesting mix.

But today’s column is not about my tropical vacation. Upon returning to our cold, gray winter — just in time for National Bird Feeding Month—I started catching up on the news. Bird news, that is. These items were noteworthy:

• The $1.2 million of bird-safe window treatments installed at McCormick Place last fall is paying off quickly. Bird collisions during fall migration were down an estimated 95% thanks to the dot-patterned film now covering 120,000 square feet of glass. Kudos to McCormick Place owner Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority for doing the right thing. The Field Museum of Natural History, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Bird Friendly Chicago all played key roles in the project.

• Tarik Shahzad, a 27-year-old from Evanston, set the Cook County big year record with 294 species in 2024. His record-setter was an eye-popper: the state’s first Short-tailed Shearwater. The bird flew over Lake Michigan when it should have been over the Pacific Ocean!

• Northern Mockingbird is still a “southern species,” despite its name. We see a few in the Chicago region during the summer as their range continues to expand northward. Spotting one here in the winter is a rare opportunity, however, so a mockingbird at Hidden Lake Forest Preserve in Downers Grove attracted birders throughout January. The hearty mocker is probably still around, and most likely the same bird that shared the preserve last fall with a wayward Sage Thrasher.

• A now-famous Great-tailed Grackle is present for the fourth consecutive winter in Will County. It remains loyal to the Amazon warehouse parking lot and Thornton’s gas station just off I-57 in Monee. For birders who keep year lists, a drive to Exit 335 is now an annual routine.

• Harlequin Duck, a handsome male, continues to show well at North Point Marina and State Line Beach in Lake County.

• If heading north, you might as well keep going. The bird of the winter (so far) is in Door County, Wisconsin, the state’s first White Wagtail. First spotted on Dec. 28 at Portage Park, it was still there in early February. Primarily a European species, I saw my first White Wagtail in Ireland many years ago, where it’s called Pied Wagtail.

• Remember the Anna’s Hummingbird in Princeton, the little town in Bureau County? The thirsty wanderer found a backyard feeder in late October and refused to leave, visiting daily into the new year. Sadly, the courageous hummer perished on Jan. 14. Homeowner Scott Harp was an excellent host — for the bird (nicknamed “Frost”) and for the dozens of thrill-seeking birders he welcomed for nearly 90 days. It was Illinois’ second record of Anna’s Hummingbird, a western U.S. species.

• Common Loon is American Birding Association’s Bird of the Year. Those wishing to see lots of loons without leaving Illinois should check the Chain O’ Lakes area of Lake and McHenry counties in late March and early April. Migrating loons visit the region on their way to northern breeding grounds. Channel Lake in Antioch would be a good first stop, where you’ll probably see American White Pelicans, too. For lunch or dinner, stay on theme at Looney’s Pub just down the road.

• Gull expert Amar Ayyash, featured in my last column, headlines the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival, speaking on May 17. The festival runs May 14-18. Get details and register at indunesbirdingfestival.com. Indiana Audubon founded the thriving event in 2015.

• The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County plans a grand opening celebration at DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center (formerly Willowbrook) on June 5. A major expansion and upgrade project at the Glen Ellyn facility is set for completion this spring.

I saved the most self-serving news for last: I’m working on a book called “The Best of Words on Birds,” coming this summer from Eckhartz Press. I’m excited and having fun getting it ready — a solid retirement project. More details to come.

So, the birds of Hawaii have not been my only distraction. But trust me, I’ll be more careful with the photo captions. As I learned in Birding 101, keep your eye on the bird!

Jeff Reiter’s column appears regularly in Neighbor. You can reach him via his blog, Words on Birds.