Have you ever heard of Big Year birding competitions? The Cook County Forest Preserve is hosting one this year, so not only are Chicagoans outside counting birds this very minute, they'll be keeping an eye out for new species until the clock strikes midnight on December 31. Intrigued? Check out the following titles to find out more.
Since I'm a big fan of Owen Wilson and Jack Black, I watched The Big Year, which provides an entertaining close-up look at Big Year competitions. The characters in this movie are desperately driven to count the most species of birds and—as to be expected—they take things to extremes that wind up more sad than slapstick.
If you're looking to get into the birdwatching game, take a look at my list of recommended resources from bird identification guides to artist's manuals on illustrating birds, like Drawing Birds With Colored Pencils. Of special note is The Young Birders Network website, which was created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Ohio's Black Swamp Bird Observatory to bring together teens who love birds. If you want to make a difference locally, read or listen to this Curious City/WBEZ story about helping migrating birds in the city—and don't forget to share your opinions, depictions and video of birds in our Teen Chicago Travel Guide, opens a new window.
Not everyone loves birds, of course: if you're afraid of them, then my guess is you might have watched The Birds (which haunts some of my family members to this day when we're at the beach or park and large masses of gulls or pigeons fly overhead). Rest assured, this horror film is all fiction, but a memorable and haunting one indeed.
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