All Events
From guided bird walks to interactive learning sessions and meetings, the Champaign County Audubon Society offers a variety of regular events throughout the year (although we typically take off the summer!).
2026 Spring Bird-a-Thon
Held each year in May, the Bird-a-Thon is an annual birding competition in Champaign County. This event lasts one week.
During the Bird-a-Thon, teams eagerly search for as many bird species they can find. Form your own team, go where you’d like in Champaign County, and track your lists in e-Bird.
For more information or to submit links to your lists, contact aerin tedesco.
2026 Spring Bird Count
Join the Spring Bird Count!
This year’s Champaign County compiler will be CCAS Member-at-Large Beth Chato (ejchato@gmail.com, 217-344-6803).
2025 Spring Bird-a-Thon
The Spring Bird-a-Thon is our annual fundraiser, supporting the CCAS Community-Supported Fund for Research, Education, and Conservation. Visit our Bird-a-Thon webpage to learn more and pledge your support!
2025 Spring Bird Count
Join the Spring Bird Count!
This year’s Champaign County compiler will be CCAS Member-at-Large Beth Chato (ejchato@gmail.com, 217-344-6803).
Great Backyard Bird Count 2025
Calling all citizen-scientists! Let's count birds! Join the Champaign County Audubon Society for a 1-hour guided hike at 10:30 AM to count as many birds as we can! Meet outside the Homer Lake Interpretive Center.
Kid and adult binoculars available to borrow (limited amount) or bring your own!
FREE. All Ages. For more info: (217) 896-2455 or cprahl@ccfpd.org or visit: https://www.facebook.com/share/9EMsa6c45EZECFYR/
What is "The Great Backyard Bird Count"?
Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) was the first online citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real-time. Join forest preserve staff and volunteers to count the birds at Homer Lake and learn more about how you can become involved in this citizen science event!
2024 Christmas Bird Count
CCAS has been participating in the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count (CBC) since 1941!
This year, we will be collecting data for our area on December 14th. Contact us at mail@champaigncountyaudubon.org to get involved! CCAS’s immediate past president, Colin Dobson, is our compiler again this year.
2024 Spring Bird-a-Thon
The Spring Bird-a-Thon is our annual fundraiser, supporting the CCAS Community-Supported Fund for Research, Education, and Conservation. Visit our Bird-a-Thon webpage to learn more and pledge your support!
2024 Spring Bird Count
The Illinois Spring Bird Count was initiated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in 1975. It occurs annually on the Saturday that falls between May 4th and May 10th. Each county has a compiler responsible for recruiting volunteers and assigning them areas to count within their county, to avoid double-counting. This year’s Champaign County compiler will be CCAS Member-at-Large Beth Chato (ejchato@gmail.com, 217-344-6803).
Great Backyard Bird Count 2024
The 27th annual Great Backyard Bird Count starts Feb 16! Whether you’re a budding birdwatcher or a bird-count veteran, you can use your ID skills to help scientists protect birds and the places they need.
For more information, visit: https://www.audubon.org/news/flock-together-great-backyard-bird-count
2023 Christmas Bird Count
CCAS has been participating in the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count (CBC) since 1941!
This year, we will be collecting data for our area on December 16th. Contact our president, Colin Dobson, at mail@champaigncountyaudubon.org to get involved!
2023 Spring Bird-a-Thon
The Spring Bird-a-Thon is our annual fundraiser, supporting the CCAS Kendeigh Memorial Fund. Visit our Bird-a-Thon webpage to learn more and pledge your support!
2023 Spring Bird Count
The Illinois Spring Bird Count was initiated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in 1975. It occurs annually on the Saturday that falls between May 4th and May 10th. Each county has a compiler responsible for recruiting volunteers and assigning them areas to count within their county, to avoid double-counting. This year’s Champaign County compiler will be CCAS Member-at-Large Beth Chato (ejchato@gmail.com, 217-344-6803).
2022 Christmas Bird Count
CCAS has been participating in the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count (CBC) since 1941!
This year, we will be collecting data for our area on December 17th. Contact our president, Colin Dobson, at mail@champaigncountyaudubon.org to get involved!
2022 Spring Bird-a-Thon
The Spring Bird-a-Thon is our annual fundraiser, supporting the CCAS Kendeigh Memorial Fund. Visit our Bird-a-Thon webpage to learn more and pledge your support!
2022 Spring Bird Count
The Illinois Spring Bird Count was initiated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in 1975. It occurs annually on the Saturday that falls between May 4th and May 10th. Each county has a compiler responsible for recruiting volunteers and assigning them areas to count within their county, to avoid double-counting. This year’s Champaign County compiler will be CCAS Member-at-Large Beth Chato (ejchato@gmail.com, 217-344-6803).
Ongoing CCAS Events
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Sunday Morning Bird Walks
Guided bird walks are held on Sunday mornings during the spring and fall migration seasons: March through May and September through October.
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Spring Bird-a-Thon
Held each year in May, the Bird-a-Thon is our annual fundraiser. It starts the Sunday after the Illinois Spring Bird Count and lasts one week.
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Christmas Bird Count
The National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count (CBC) provides a rich dataset that scientists have used to learn about trends in bird populations since 1900!