DUBUQUE AUDUBON
Peosta, IA
7/20/25
© Mary Leigh
8/10/23
© Marty Corfman
Hickory Hill Park (Johnson County)
8/26/23
© Mary Leigh
8/13/19
© Ken Kiss
Dubuque 16th St. Retention Basin
8/15/23
© Mary Leigh
Union Slough NWR (Kossuth County)
8/20/23
© Mary Leigh
Green Island WMA
8/11/23
© Mary Leigh
Dubuque 16th St. Retention Basin
8/9/23
© Mary Leigh
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.
Sponsors: Dubuque & Jackson County Conservation
Birding Hike @ Pine Valley Nature Area (Monmouth, IA)
Saturday, 8/23/25
Registration is requested but not required.
Dubuque County Conservation Calendar
Jackson County Conservation Events
Dubuque Audubon September Program
Iowa’s Prairies: Remnants, Relics, and Restoration
Thursday, 9/11/25
6:45 PM Social/Sharing Time
7 – 8 PM Program
EB Lyons Interpretive Center
8991 Bellevue Heights Road
Dubuque, IA 52003
View Map
Eastern Iowa once had lush tallgrass prairies, sunny oak savannas, and vibrant oak woodlands. Throughout the last 200 years of land use and practices, the Midwest has lost the majority of these natural areas which defined our region. Join Natural Resources Ecologist Tony Vorwald as we discuss the natural history and restoration of remnant prairies, oak savannas, and oak woodlands in Jackson and Dubuque Counties.
Bio from Tony: I am the Natural Resources Ecologist for Jackson County Conservation and a prairie/savanna obsessive. I have lived all over the world, meaning Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Rooted in Iowa, I strive to better manage the natural areas that I work for and educate folks on Iowa’s natural history and conservation needs. My educational background is that I have a Master’s in integrated Natural Resources from the University of Idaho, a B.S. of Environmental Science from the University of Dubuque, and an associate of applied science in Natural Resources Management from Hawkeye Community College.
Calendar of Events
We hold monthly programs from September through May 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
News of Interest
- 5/7/25: Iowa DNR: Leave wildlife babies where they belong — In the wild
- 5/2/25: Iowa DNR: Black bear sightings on the rise in Northeast Iowa
- 4/14/25: Environment for the Americas: Earth’s Fastest Hunter: Meet the Peregrine Falcoln
- 4/12/25: Iowa Audubon: April 2025 Newsletter
- 4/5/25: National Audubon Society: New Report Shows U.S. Birds Declining Sharply Across a Range of Habitats
- 4/5/25: Dubuque County Conservation Board: Dubuque Conservation Nature Talk (quarterly newsletter with events and more!)
- 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
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.
Recent Blog Posts
Birds, News
Birds, Events
Below are highlights from recent outings:
Big Mill Creek Wildlife Management Area
A group of 7, led by Bob Walton, went to Big Mill Creek Wildlife Management Area on Tuesday morning, 6/3/25. Trumpeter Swan including 6 young were a highlight.
Birds, News
Birds, Events
Below are highlights from recent outings:
Big Mill Creek Wildlife Management Area
A group of 7, led by Bob Walton, went to Big Mill Creek Wildlife Management Area on Tuesday morning, 6/3/25. Trumpeter Swan including 6 young were a highlight.
Articles, Birds
Question: Is it OK to feed bread to birds?
Answer: No! Please help us spread the word that birds should not be fed bread, popcorn, crackers, chips, cereal, and most processed foods.
Bird Counts, Events
On Saturday, May 10th, 28 Dubuque Audubon members and guests participated in the Annual Spring Bird Count. This year’s count coincided with World Migratory Bird day and the Global Big Day.
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
With 2024 being the 125th anniversary of the Christmas Bird Count, Science Friday did an interview in early January titled "What Scientists Have Learned from 125 Years of Bird Counts."
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.
If you missed our 5/8/25 program on Bird Friendly Iowa with speaker Dan Cohen, a recording is available.
Scroll through past events for the program description.
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.