Get Involved

Quad City Audubon Society (QCAS) activities offer opportunities for many different levels of involvement. All of our activities are free and open to the public - it is not necessary to be a member of QCAS to participate.

The easiest way to get involved is to attend one of the monthly meetings or field trips listed on our calendar page. 


Injured Birds 

What Do I Do With An Injured Bird? 

Sometimes birders come across an injured bird and are not sure who to call. Before you do anything, observation from a safe distance may show the animal is neither sick or injured and may need no assistance at all. If you do determine that assistance is needed, you can refer to the following list for the rehabilitator nearest you. These people are all volunteers and may have other jobs, so leave a message and they will return calls as soon as possible. 

For non-raptor birds in eastern Iowa:
Vera Blevins @ 563-355-7831

For raptors in eastern Iowa:
The RARE Group (raptor advocacy rehabilitation & education), located in Iowa City, 319-248-9770

While you are waiting, you can restrain the sick/injured bird in a pet taxi or cardboard box with some air holes but do not offer any food or water unless instructed to do so by the rehabilitator. Keep the bird warm or cool depending on the time of the year and wait for a call. 

Racing Pigeons 

Occasionally birders come across someone's pet racing pigeon that got lost on its way home. These birds are normally banded with non-Fish & Wildlife Service bands that have some identifying characteristics. The following website appears to be a good place to start to notify the owner -American Racing Pigeon Union. 


Saving the Birds Requires Saving the Planet!
Read more...

Using Native Plants
Read more...


Bird Counts 

The Christmas Bird Count is a census of area birds conducted during the 23 days surrounding Christmas. On the assigned date, organized field parties census the bird populations within a given count circle, a pre-defined area 15 miles in diameter. Meanwhile, "feeder watchers" will count the birds that visit their feeder during the day. There are a number of individual counts in the Quad Cities area, each held on a different day. Count circles include: Clinton, Cordova, Quad Cities, Andalusia, New Boston, and Muscatine. It is not necessary to be an expert birder to participate on a Christmas Bird Count. If you are not an expert, we will make every attempt to team you with an experienced birder if you would like to join a field party. 

Contact any board member if you are interested in participating in a field party or as a feeder watcher. 

The Illinois Spring Bird Count falls on the Saturday between May 4 and May 11, near the peak of song bird migration. Field parties often identify 100 or more different species during a Spring Count. Participants in the Spring Bird Count may join a field party, or they may choose to count the birds that visit their feeder or a neighborhood park. 

Contact any board member if you are interested in participating in the Illinois Spring Bird Count.

Conservation Projects 

Conservation Committee Projects focus on wildlife habitat improvement. Here are some examples:

Invasive species removal. In early July, we focus on the removal of sweet clover at the Lyndon-Agnew Prairie outside of Lyndon Illinois (see below for more information). Other opportunities for invasive plant removal include euonymous at Blackhawk State Historic Site in April and garlic mustard in May.

Wildlife population surveys including frog and toad studies at Nahant Marsh in Davenport and other locations.

Lyndon-Agnew Prairie is northeast of the Quad Cities along Interstate 88. It is a prairie remnant, preserved only because a railroad track was built before the ground could be plowed. This is a situation common to prairie remnants. The few remaining often find themselves along railroad track right-of-ways, in the oldest cemeteries or on ground too rocky, too sandy or too steep to be farmed. Yet even these sites fall to herbicides and shrubby encroachment. Unfortunately the railroad track right-of-way is nearly all prairie edge. The native prairie has been weakened by a variety of forces, and burning along an Interstate, while not impossible, is difficult. Still, the prairie exists and it exists as a functioning prairie with a good diversity of vegetation. There are believed to be around 70 native plants species in this remnant. Some of these, Turks Cap Lily, Philadelphia Lily, Sullivant's Milkweed are rare to endangered in Illinois. Others such as the Northern Dropseed/Prairie Gentian community evoke thoughts of how prairie once might have looked. The prairie cannot continue to exist without our assistance. Every year Quad City Audubon members have worked to help remove invasive species. It seems as if the efforts are helping. One of our target species, Sweet Clover, has markedly decreased over past years. The work itself is not hard, but the environment can be difficult. It is generally hot and humid, there is often little wind and there is no shade. Our major implement of destruction is a lopper though some use spades to cut plants at the soil line. 

Education Committee 

Every January, the Education Committee prepares a booth at the QCCA Expo center and operates spotting scopes along the Mississippi River during the Bald Eagle Days environmental fair. We can always use assistance preparing for the event, staffing the booth, and operating the scopes.

Newsletter Committee 

QCAS publishes our chapter newsletter, Mississippi Currents, four times a year. You can contribute by submitting articles, drawings, and photos of interest.

If you've been thinking about getting involved in any way, feel free to contact any board member.

~~Limpkin Florida Dec. 1, 2015 Photo by Dick Sayles