Tarik Shahzad’s newfound ardour led him to a rare achievement. Simply two years after selecting up birdwatching as a passion, he set a Prepare dinner County file by recognizing 294 species in a single 12 months.
Shahzad’s ardour for birdwatching started in 2022 when he joined a area journey with the Chicago Ornithological Society to watch the autumn migration.
“It was completely spectacular. From that second, I used to be hooked,” mentioned Shahzad, 27, who lives in Evanston. “Right here in Chicago, we’re fortunate to have such numerous chicken species migrating alongside an historical flyway that has existed for 1000’s of years.”
By 2024, he got down to full a “Prepare dinner County Huge Yr,” a problem to establish as many chicken species as potential within the county in a calendar 12 months.
Contributors within the Huge Yr problem submit an inventory of birds they see, together with photographic proof if potential, based on the American Birding Affiliation. Most birders, like Shahzad, use logs similar to eBird to trace their progress.
Whereas there isn’t a proper algorithm, there’s a cultural understanding and etiquette within the birding neighborhood, based on Shahzad. He described it extra as a private problem to log as many distinctive chicken species as potential inside a selected space and time-frame, all whereas respecting native pointers and fellow birders.
Illinois has recorded 457 chicken species as of July 2024, based on the Illinois Ornithological Society. Attaining a record-breaking 12 months required Shahzad to depend on talent, technique and a little bit of luck.
“You possibly can’t simply see the frequent species — you additionally want to seek out uncommon birds. A few of these are annual guests in small numbers, whereas others are vagrants, which means they’ve wandered removed from their regular ranges. Birds are fleeting; they’ll fly away at any second, which provides to the problem,” Shahzad mentioned.
Working full-time as a coverage analyst for The Nature Conservancy, Shahzad made probably the most of his free time — birding each weekend, day without work and even after work. His success got here all the way down to a mixture of cautious planning, climate monitoring and assist from the birding neighborhood.
“Folks would discover uncommon birds, let me know, and even assist me find them,” Shahzad mentioned. “Climate patterns and the time of 12 months additionally play a giant function. Totally different birds seem in several seasons, and Lake Michigan is essential to a profitable Prepare dinner County Huge Yr. The lake and close by skies act as scorching spots for uncommon birds.”
The earlier Prepare dinner County Huge Yr file was 293 species. Shahzad was fortunate to surpass it by one when, on Dec. 8, he noticed a Brief-tailed Shearwater at Montrose Pier.
This seabird, sometimes discovered within the Pacific Ocean, migrates between Australia, Tasmania, and the Bering Sea. Its look on Lake Michigan was extraordinary and highlighted the consequences of local weather change on chicken migration patterns, Shahzad mentioned.
“Seeing this chicken on Lake Michigan is nearly unimaginable. Shrinking Arctic sea ice might have pushed it into Arctic waters and finally the Nice Lakes,” he mentioned. “It’s a exceptional instance of how local weather change alters chicken migration. This chicken, which spends most of its life on the open ocean, ended removed from the place it must be. It’s each thrilling and regarding.”
Specialists say these shifting migration patterns are a part of a extra important pattern pushed by local weather change.
“We’re seeing a broader pattern of migration paths and ranges shifting northward to greater elevations in response to warming climates. This isn’t restricted to birds — it’s taking place throughout many species worldwide,” mentioned Lindsey Keeney, Conservation Director on the Illinois Environmental Council.
Scientists proceed to observe these adjustments to higher perceive their long-term results on biodiversity, mentioned John Bates, a researcher and the Area Museum’s chicken curator.
“Birds are on the market responding to environmental adjustments, although the small print range by species,” he mentioned. “Chicago is on a serious migratory pathway, so we see birds that breed in northern North America and winter in Central and South America. Meaning local weather adjustments throughout these areas are all interconnected for migratory birds.”
Out of Shahzad’s 294 recorded chicken species, dozens have been uncommon birds with few sightings in Illinois and Prepare dinner County.
“These adjustments — migration shifts, habitat fragmentation — are solely anticipated to extend as local weather change intensifies,” mentioned Keeney.
