Wild Indigo News Today

Piping plover Imani returned home to Montrose Beach on Thursday.

The Great Lakes piping plover population, which reached an all-time low of 13 pairs in the 1980s, has rebounded to around 70 breeding pairs thanks to recent conservation efforts.

Birders hope Imani, son of beloved couple Monty and Rose, will find a mate this year.

Chicago’s lovebird has returned. Imani, son of the city’s cherished piping plovers Monty and Rose, returned to the sands of Lake Michigan on Thursday. Around 5:30 a.m., a birder spotted him at the Montrose Beach Dunes, a 15.9-acre protected natural area at the southernmost point of the beach. Last summer, Imani also returned to the beach on April 25. Tamima Itani, lead volunteer coordinator ...

Winter is over.  Spring is here.  And we are certainly looking forward to opening the cottage for the 2024 season.  In addition to soaking in the spring scents and the colours, we are looking forward to seeing the spring migrant birds wend their way north, as well as the early butterflies that are n

Local birders now must wait to see if Imani, Searocket, Prickly Pear or Wild Indigo return next year. They’re especially concerned about Searocket, who left before they could remove some fishing line caught on the bird’s leg.

These low-maintenance perennial plants are perfect for busy gardeners. All of the varieties on this list, ranging from black-eyed Susans to sage, are easy to care for. They'll grow all on their own, so long as their simple base requirements are met, say expert gardeners.

One of the federally endangered piping plover chicks that’s been roaming a North Side beach in recent weeks has ties to a prominent local family. When the chick, who was rescued in New York state, was brought to Chicago for release at Montrose Beach, members of the relocation team noticed that the chick’s father was born at the same Michigan park as Chicago’s beloved piping plover Monty. Could ...

Three endangered piping plovers — all barely a month old — were released Wednesday afternoon in a protected site at Montrose Beach, marking what volunteers say is the first time captive-reared chicks have been released in Chicago. A Chicago Park District video shows a volunteer opening a pet carrier as the small birds flutter out, wasting no time in exploring their new home. Photos from lead ...

The three chicks, named Searocket, Prickley Pear and Wild Indigo, are just over 30 days old and join Imani, the senior plover at that stretch of beach.