"If you spot a flash of yellow in Pratt's Wayne Woods, it's not a canary run amok. Instead, consider the sighting an omen of good ecological times to come. For years, YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS were a rarity in northern Illinois. Although native to the area, destruction of wetlands destroyed the blackbirds' habitat. But converting farm fields back to marshes at Pratt's Wayne Woods in Wayne and James "Pate" Philip State Park in Bartlett is reversing that trend. At 10 a.m. this morning in Philip Park, the two preserves will be jointly named as an Audubon Important Bird Area. There are only 48 such areas in Illinois. The Audubon Society's important bird area program is an international effort that recognizes sites providing crucial habitats for threatened species. "
Link: Full Article from Red NOVA
Link: All about the Yellow-headed Blackbird from Cornell Labs
Yellow-headed Blackbird image © 2005 Michael Allen McDowell
