DUBUQUE AUDUBON
© Marty Corfman
Deere Dike Park
4/15/25
© Mary Leigh
Mines of Spain SRA
5/3/25
© Paul Winer
Green Island WMA
4/12/25
© Marty Corfman
Cedar Rapids, IA
4/16/25
© Mary Leigh
Peosta, IA
4/29/25
© Paul Winer
Lost Mound NWR
4/19/25
© Mary Leigh
Peosta, IA
4/29/25
© Paul Winer
Lost Mound NWR
4/11/25
© Marty Corfman
Green Island WMA
5/15/20
© Paul Winer
Green Island WMA
4/18/25
© Mary Leigh
Peosta, IA
4/29/25
© Paul Winer
Green Island WMA
4/12/25
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 Area Land and Water Legacy & The Dubuque Audubon Society
Public Input Meeting on the City of Dubuque Parks and Recreation Master Plan
Thursday, 5/22/25 @ 6 PM
Carnegie-Stout Public Library
360 W 11th St., Dubuque, IA
What do you want to invest in to preserve and enhance the community’s natural resources, wildlife habitat, and outdoor attractions as part of the Master Plan?
The sponsors are seeking your ideas and suggestions. We will have some initial ideas to share. Your suggestions will help guide our two organizations as we prepare our recommendations to the City of Dubuque.
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.
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
- 5/2/25: 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
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
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.
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.