Every year on a wintery day in late December or early January, birders across the country sally forth to count birds and contribute their sightings to the oldest continuously running citizen science project in the world. Now in its 124th year, the Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is a time honored tradition coordinated by National Audubon Society. No matter the weather, our collective search for avian life contributes critical long-term data to bird conservation and generates memories and camaraderie that lasts for years. To learn more about the Christmas Bird Count, its history, and how our data is used to conserve birds, check out the recording of our Birds & Bytes episode on the topic and visit www.ChristmasBirdCount.org.

The CBC is well represented by about a dozen such counts in the greater Chicagoland area. While most birders have one count that becomes their annual tradition, many will participate in more than one, or even all! But with so many options to choose from, where does one start? We’ve got you covered! We reached out to the compilers of the 11 Chicagoland CBCs to get the important details and listed them below.

All CBCs require advance registration so be sure to plan ahead and reach out to the respective compilers soon! Please also note that some counts are not seeking additional volunteers for a variety of factors such as already full ranks or public health considerations. We’ve included those counts as well for informational purposes.

View the Count Circles Here

Lisle - Arboretum
Sunday, December 17
Accepting volunteers: YES
RSVP Deadline: December 4
Contact to RSVP: Carl Giometti - cbc@chicagobirder.org
We might be a little biased, but the COS sponsored Lisle CBC is one of a kind! Join us for one of the most active counts in Chicagoland followed by our in person countdown dinner at Imperial Oak Brewing where we tally up and celebrate our endeavors.

More about the Lisle CBC

Thorn Creek - Park Forest
Saturday, December 16
Accepting volunteers: YES
RSVP Deadline: November 24
Contact to RSVP: Al Thomas - thorncreekaudubon@gmail.com

Joliet
Saturday, December 16
Accepting volunteers: YES
RSVP Deadline: December 4
Contact to RSVP: Kara Morales - biznochy82@yahoo.com

Gary - IN Dunes West
Saturday, December 23
Accepting volunteers: YES
RSVP Deadline: December 11
Contact to RSVP: Christine Gerlach - christine_gerlach@nps.gov

Chicago Lakeshore
Monday, December 25
Accepting volunteers: YES
RSVP Deadline: December 11
Contact to RSVP: Aaron Gyllenhaal - aarongyllenhaal@gmail.com

Evanston - Northshore
Saturday, December 30
Accepting volunteers: YES
RSVP Deadline: December 18
Contact to RSVP: John Leonard - jleonard5440@gmail.com

Calumet - Sand Ridge
Sunday, December 31
Accepting volunteers: YES
RSVP Deadline: December 18
Contact to RSVP: John Elliot - johnelliott4@gmail.com

Waukegan
Monday, January 1
Accepting volunteers: YES
RSVP Deadline: December 18
Contact to RSVP: Beau Shaefer - beauschaefer@yahoo.com

Chicago Urban
Sunday, December 17
Accepting volunteers: NO

Barrington
Monday, December 18
Accepting volunteers: NO

Fermilab - Batavia
Saturday, December 17
Accepting volunteers: NO

2023 Chicagoland CBC Guide