Cook County birdwatcher spots record number of birds in 2024

Tarik Shahzad's newfound passion led him to an extraordinary achievement. Just two years after picking up birdwatching as a hobby, he set a Cook County record by spotting 294 species in a single year.

Shahzad’s passion for birdwatching began in 2022 when he joined a field trip with the Chicago Ornithological Society to observe the fall migration.

“It was absolutely spectacular. From that moment, I was hooked,” said Shahzad, 27, who lives in Evanston. “Here in Chicago, we’re lucky to have such diverse bird species migrating along an ancient flyway that has existed for thousands of years.”

By 2024, he set out to complete a “Cook County Big Year,” a challenge to identify as many bird species as possible in the county in a calendar year.

Participants in the Big Year challenge submit a list of birds they see, along with photographic evidence if possible, according to the American Birding Association. Most birders, like Shahzad, use logs such as eBird to track their progress.

While there isn’t a formal set of rules, there’s a cultural understanding and etiquette in the birding community, according to Shahzad. He described it more as a personal challenge to log as many unique bird species as possible within a chosen area and time frame, all while respecting local guidelines and fellow birders.

Illinois has recorded 457 bird species as of July 2024, according to the Illinois Ornithological Society. Achieving a record-breaking year required Shahzad to rely on skill, strategy and a bit of luck.

“You can’t just see the common species — you also need to find rare birds. Some of these are annual visitors in small numbers, while others are vagrants, meaning they’ve wandered far from their usual ranges. Birds are fleeting; they can fly away at any moment, which adds to the challenge,” Shahzad said.

Working full-time as a policy analyst for The Nature Conservancy, Shahzad made the most of his free time — birding every weekend, day off and even after work. His success came down to a mix of careful planning, weather tracking and support from the birding community.

“People would find rare birds, let me know, and even help me locate them,” Shahzad said. “Weather patterns and the time of year also play a big role. Different birds appear in different seasons, and Lake Michigan is key to a successful Cook County Big Year. The lake and nearby skies act as hot spots for rare birds.”

The previous Cook County Big Year record was 293 species. Shahzad was lucky to surpass it by one when, on Dec. 8, he spotted a Short-tailed Shearwater at Montrose Pier.

This seabird, typically found in the Pacific Ocean, migrates between Australia, Tasmania, and the Bering Sea. Its appearance on Lake Michigan was extraordinary and highlighted the effects of climate change on bird migration patterns, Shahzad said.

“Seeing this bird on Lake Michigan is almost unimaginable. Shrinking Arctic sea ice may have pushed it into Arctic waters and eventually the Great Lakes,” he said. “It’s a remarkable example of how climate change alters bird migration. This bird, which spends most of its life on the open ocean, ended far from where it should be. It’s both exciting and concerning.”

Experts say these shifting migration patterns are part of a more significant trend driven by climate change.

“We’re seeing a broader trend of migration paths and ranges shifting northward to higher elevations in response to warming climates. This isn’t limited to birds — it’s happening across many species worldwide,” said Lindsey Keeney, Conservation Director at the Illinois Environmental Council.

Scientists continue to monitor these changes to better understand their long-term effects on biodiversity, said John Bates, a researcher and the Field Museum’s bird curator.

“Birds are out there responding to environmental changes, though the details vary by species,” he said. “Chicago is on a major migratory pathway, so we see birds that breed in northern North America and winter in Central and South America. That means climate changes across these regions are all interconnected for migratory birds.”

Out of Shahzad’s 294 recorded bird species, dozens were rare birds with few sightings in Illinois and Cook County.

“These changes — migration shifts, habitat fragmentation — are only expected to increase as climate change intensifies,” said Keeney.