DUBUQUE AUDUBON
SPECIAL PERFORMANCE TICKETED EVENT
Sponsored By: Dubuque Audubon Society, Dubuque County Conservation Society, & Friends of Dubuque County Conservation Board
Tickets are on sale now for:
A Visit from Will Dilg & Songs from Our Mighty Mississippi
February 28, 2025 at 7 PM at University of Dubuque Babka Theater
READ MORE >>
Roadside Snow Cone Show!
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
1/30/25
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
1/30/25
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
1/30/25
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
1/30/25
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
1/30/25
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
1/30/25
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
1/30/25
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
1/30/25
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
1/30/25
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
1/30/25
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
1/30/25
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
1/30/25
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
1/30/25
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
1/30/25
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
1/30/25
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
1/30/25
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
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© Marty Corfman
Mines of Spain SRA
1/30/25
© Chuck Isenhart
Dubuque, IA
12/18/24
© Marty Corfman
Dubuque, IA
1/27/25
© Marty Corfman
Dubuque County
1/23/25
© Ken Kiss
2/6/17
© Mary Leigh
Peosta, Iowa
2/1/18
© Marty Corfman
Green Island WMA
2/4/24
© Mary Leigh
Dubuque 16th St. Retention Basin
2/21/24
Deere Dike Park
1/17/25
Deere Dike Park
1/17/25
© Mary Leigh
Peosta, IA
1/3/25
© Mary Leigh
Dubuque County
2/1/24
Welcome!
Anyone interested in birdwatching, nature, or the quality of the environment is welcome to become a member of the Dubuque Audubon Society.
Our tri-state region is a great place for birds, and one of the great things about birds is that you can enjoy them at all levels of involvement. You may be surprised how many different species we have in the area at different times of year and how quickly you can begin to identify many of them once you start looking. (Binoculars help!) Any time of year is a great time to be a birder, and we hope you’ll join us!
Our Mission
The mission of the Dubuque Audubon Society is to provide educational opportunities to the people of the tri-state area and to preserve the natural habitat of birds and other wildlife.
© Marty Corfman
Dubuque Audubon Annual Duck Waddle
Saturday, 3/8/25
(Traditionally the 2nd Saturday in March)
Green Island Wildlife Management Area
located in Jackson County, IA
View Map
Join us on our annual trip to Green Island to observe migrating waterfowl! Green Island is one of Iowa’s largest wetland complexes and attracts thousands of ducks, geese, cranes, and other aquatic-based birds each March. Audubon guides will be on hand to help identify the numerous species. Binoculars are recommended. You may come and go as you choose.
To carpool from Dubuque, meet in the parking lot of EB Lyons Interpretive Center at 8991 Bellevue Heights Rd, Dubuque (View Map) at 6:00 AM. Please note that this meeting location is a change from previous years!
Otherwise you can meet the group at Green Island on Fish Lake Road where it intersects Green Island Road (View Map) between 6:45 and 7:00 AM.
Normally the trip lasts most of the morning, and for those that wish, we end by having breakfast/lunch at a restaurant.
Dubuque Audubon March Program
Forest Management for Birds
Thursday, 3/13/25
6:45 PM Social/Sharing Time
7 – 8 PM Program
EB Lyons Interpretive Center
8991 Bellevue Heights Road
Dubuque, IA 52003
View Map
Dr. Adam Janke of Iowa State University will speak about forest management for birds. Forest birds set the soundtrack of summer for many forest landowners and managers. Those summer-time serenades come from a wide variety of places within the forest: ranging from the tops of the canopy to the banks of a stream, and everywhere in between. In this presentation, we’ll explore the biology and ecology of the birds we share our forests with and explore how forest management practices can help ensure the soundtrack of summer keeps playing in your forest for years to come.
Adam Janke is an Associate Professor and extension wildlife specialist in the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management at Iowa State University. His research and education focus on finding opportunity areas for wildlife habitat conservation in working Midwestern landscapes.
If you provide an email address when joining or renewing, you will automatically be placed on our regular email list. As an experiment in 2025, we are going to try creating a separate email list for those who would like more group birding opportunities.
Read more on our “More Birding” Email Sign-up page.
Calendar of Events
We hold monthly meetings from September through May, with programs on a variety of topics related to nature and the environment.
We also hold an annual Christmas bird count, an annual Duck Waddle at Green Island (traditionally the 2nd Saturday in March), and an annual spring species count (traditionally the Saturday before Mother’s Day), and we offer additional field trips throughout the year.
You can tailor your birding to your interest and activity level, and all levels of experience are welcome.
Latest Newsletter
Recent Blog Posts
Articles, Birds
[from spring 2025 newsletter]
Question: Why do birds flock to gravel roads in the wintertime? Answer: Because they have no teeth! Instead, birds have a gizzard, a muscular part of their stomach that helps them grind up food. Small rocks and sand (or grit) are ingested by birds to create “teeth” in the gizzard.
Articles, Bird Counts, Christmas Bird Count
Bird Counts, Events
Jackson County Conservation is hosting a GBBC event on Saturday, February 15, from 10-12 at the Hurstville Interpretive Center. Registration is required...
Articles, News
Answer: No. At this point, the increase is in waterfowl. Since early December, Iowa has seen a sharp jump in affected waterfowl, mostly north of Interstate 80.
Articles, Birds
Dubuque Audubon Society President
I will never stop being awed by this phenomenon, called a murmuration, when birds fly in synchronized patterns. This time of year, these formations can be seen most often toward dusk, when birds are looking for a roosting site, but they can be seen throughout the day as well.
Bird Counts, Christmas Bird Count, Events
Articles, Birds
[from winter 2024 newsletter]
Question: Do American Robins remain in the Midwest all winter?
Answer: Yes! Although American Robins are regarded as a sign of spring in the Midwest, they are here year-round.
Articles
[from winter 2024 newsletter]
I noticed recently that my eBird life list bird count increased by 1 when I hadn’t added any new species. The explanation was the annual taxonomy update! Every year, based on new insights by ornithologists, species are split, lumped, and renamed.
News of Interest
- 1/29/25 Iowa DNR: Osprey are a migratory raptor species that breed in Iowa. The Iowa DNR began the Osprey restoration program in 1997. See the DNR’s Osprey page for a link to the yearly Osprey status in Iowa report.
- 1/28/25 Iowa DNR: Donations and donors to the Chickadee Tax Check-off decline
- 1/22/25 Iowa DNR: Taxes are for the birds…and other vulnerable wildlife
- 1/22/25 Iowa DNR: Iowa DNR, Pheasants Forever: Partners for decades to expand wildlife habitat
eBird
eBird isn’t just a way for you to keep track of the birds you see; it’s a great resource for finding birds you’ve never seen.
Try out the links below to explore Dubuque County in eBird.
Learn about eBird on our Resources page.