Thank you to everyone who came by our table during the Indiana Dunes Birding Festival! We enjoyed talking about birds with every single person who stopped by! Big shout-out to our friends at Indiana Audubon for having us as a sponsor and for hosting another great birding event! Music: Time Musician: jiglr (fb)

This weekend, we’re celebrating Female Bird Day! Female birds are often overlooked and misunderstood in comparison to male birds, but they are nevertheless just as stunning, beautiful, and important to our understanding of birds and the environment as a whole. From their strong parental care and selection of mates during migratory season, to their own unique plumage of feathers and vocalization, observing female birds across Chicagoland and beyond is necessary for birders and ornithologists alike to better research and document our favorite birds. Let’s all do our part to put a stronger focus on female birds. Remember to keep a close eye on them when you go birding this weekend. They deserve your attention just as much as the males do, and they may even surprise you just a bit more! Image description: A female Northern Cardinal, standing on a wooden post with her crest feathers raised, eating sunflower seeds. Photo by Scott McClurg. (fb)