Coeur d’Alene Audubon has been dedicated to protecting birds since 1990.
Tundra Swan by Doug Albertson
Featured Conservation Project
Featured Conservation Project
Blue Bird Trail Nest Boxes
For over 25 years, local Audubon members have monitored and collected data from fifty bluebird nest boxes along the Hoodoo Valley Bluebird Trail, located 20 miles north of Coeur d’Alene. Through installation, monitoring and maintenance of these boxes, we are able to gather valuable data about bluebird populations in our area, while also helping to protect and restore their numbers. These nest boxes have also provided nesting opportunities for both Tree and Violet-green Swallows. The boxes are monitored from the first arrival of the birds until the hatchlings have all fledged. Teams of volunteers monitor the trail each week and the data is sent to e-bird at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University.
Higgens Point Eagle Watch
Each winter, Bald Eagles come to Coeur d’Alene Lake to feast on kokanee salmon that spawn on the lake shore and die. At the peak, it is possible to see hundreds of Bald Eagles flying, fishing or perched in the trees near Wolf Lodge and Beauty Bays. The Higgens Point area is a nice, convenient viewing location that attracts people from near and far.
Initiated in December 2023 and in collaboration with Idaho State Parks, Coeur d’Alene Audubon volunteers man spotting scopes (with step stools for our younger viewers), binoculars, and share information on eagle biology, behavior and how to safely and appropriately view the birds. Check our website calendar each December for Saturday scheduling.
Christmas Bird Count
The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is a long-running citizen science tradition that began in 1900 as a conservation alternative to a holiday hunting tradition. In late December, volunteers across the Western Hemisphere participate in synchronized bird counts within designated areas. This data collection effort has provided valuable insights into bird populations, distribution, and habitat health over time. Many Coeur d’Alene Audubon members enjoy participating in this yearly event; our club archives have decades of Christmas Bird Count data for the five counties that our chapter serves.
Highway Cleanup
Twice each year members of our group head out to pick up trash strewn along 2 miles of Hwy 95, fueled by coffee, treats and a desire to make our community and environment a better place for people, birds, and other creatures. This community service event helps us contribute to a cleaner environment and create safer spaces for birds to forage, nest, and thrive. Birds and other animals may search in litter for food, be attracted to shiny items, get entangled in discarded items, or be enticed to highway areas that are not safe spaces for them. Our efforts to keep this stretch of highway free of trash helps local birds and other wildlife and is a simple but helpful way to improve a local habitat and instill community pride.
Reel-in and Recycle
A decade ago the Coeur d’Alene Audubon Society initiated a local Reel-in and Recycle Program in coordination with the Idaho Department of Lands. A number of recycling bins used as collection points were set up around several local lakes and along the Coeur d’Alene River. The bins are monitored and their contents collected by volunteers, and then the collected monofilament line is sent to our recycling partner, Berkley Recycling.
Discarded monofilament line presents a serious threat to wildlife. Fish, birds and other wildlife can easily become entangled causing ingestion, strangulation and death. A nationwide Reel-in and Recycle Program was created to deal with this threat, and to date over 13,000 bins have been set up and 20,000 miles of discarded fish line recycled.
Project FeederWatch
Join thousands of birders in the U.S. and Canada who count and enter data on birds they observe in their yard or a natural area of their choice. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and other groups have used this citizen science project to collect a vast amount of useful data since the 1970’s to study population trends and seasonal movements of birds. Project FeederWatch is a fun and easy way to spend more time observing birds and contribute to an important citizen science project.
Interpretive Signs
In our work to educate and interest people about birds and wildlife, our group is helping to design and place interpretive signs in various places such as Tubbs Hill and Mica Bay. Our Tubbs Hill signs were partially funded by Coeur d’Alene Audubon member donations in memory of member Kris Buchler, a gifted environmental educator and steward. Look for more educational signs as you get outdoors and bird in our lovely area.
Mica Bay Surveys
The Mica Bay Survey is an ongoing effort to document the diversity and quantity of birds on an established survey route in Kootenai County. Mica Bay is located 7 miles south of Coeur d’Alene. The survey route is approximately 3 miles long and includes several habitat types. The survey is performed once a month year around and takes between 2 and 4 hours to complete. This consistent monitoring of the site provides valuable information regarding seasonality, migration timing and patterns, population trends, and diversity changes. This information can help inform Idaho Fish and Wildlife as well as other researchers to changes occurring in our area. This effort has been ongoing since 2010.