Skip to main content
College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences Illinois Extension

Birds

Events

Blog Posts

hummingbird at a zinnia flower
Read article: Welcoming hummingbirds to your yard
Welcoming hummingbirds to your yard
By Jennifer Bass, Extension Master Gardener and Master Naturalist serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria and Tazewell countiesThis past weekend I...
a cedar waxwing bird sitting on a tree branch with a red berry in its mouth
Read article: Berry Succession: Creating a continuous food source for birds
Berry Succession: Creating a continuous food source for birds
One of the most favored hobbies of outdoor enthusiasts, gardeners, and wildlife lovers is feeding the birds. Setting out a bird feeder with seed or...
A dead brown duck washed up on a lakeshore
Read article: How avian flu is affecting wildlife in Illinois
How avian flu is affecting wildlife in Illinois
In early February, dead birds began washing up on the Chicago lakeshore: red-breasted and common mergansers, Canada geese, and others. In a city...
eastern bluebird with caterpillar
Read article: Field notes from the bluebird trail
Field notes from the bluebird trail
By Joe Huether, Illinois Extension Master Naturalist serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria, and Tazewell countiesFor as long as I can remember, I’ve...

News Releases

Hummingbird drinking from a flower
Learn how to attract ruby-throated hummingbirds to your backyard
Have you noticed different birds at your feeders? Although ruby-throated hummingbirds are expected visitors to gardens east of the Rocky Mountains, several species of vagrant hummingbirds have been documented in Illinois. Did you know that there are citizen science projects looking for your...
What to know about avian flu in wild birds, poultry, and pets in Illinois
URBANA, Ill. — The nationwide spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, HPAI, also known as avian or bird flu, has many in Illinois concerned about livestock, pets, wildlife, food safety, and public health.HPAI is an extremely contagious and frequently deadly respiratory disease for...

Videos

Create a Winter Bird Haven

The garden doesn’t stop being a haven in the winter months. Lots of wildlife can use your yard for over-wintering and provide a delightful spectacle on cold days as we look out dreaming of warmer weather. Attracting birds to the winter landscape can be incredibly rewarding for people of all ages...

Talking About Illinois Birds

University of Illinois ornithologist Michael Ward discusses the plight of birds. Are the declining populations dire? Why are Midwestern migrating birds being found in shark stomachs in the Gulf of Mexico? Ward tells what is being done across the borders, in Illinois agricultural lands, and how...

Staff

College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences Illinois Extension

101 Mumford Hall (MC-710)

1301 W. Gregory Dr.

Urbana, IL 61801

Email: extension@illinois.edu

EEO myExtension Login