Birder Leads Owl Talk at Harley Clarke
Amateur birder Daniela Herrera presented an overview of owls and birding guidelines at the Harley Clarke Mansion coach house.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Bird Watching
Amateur birder Daniela Herrera led a conversation about owls at the Harley Clarke Mansion coach house on Nov. 5. She also gave guidelines for birding around owls and their habitats.
Why it matters
The talk highlights growing participation in birding among Chicago's BIPOC community through local groups. Herrera's presentation offers residents practical guidance on finding owls and observing them responsibly.
The owl talk was held on Nov. 5 at the Harley Clarke Mansion coach house. Herrera's presentation covered owl habitat, owls of Illinois, and how to find owls, and concluded with a list of birding do's and don'ts.
The players
Daniela Herrera
Herrera is an amateur birder and member of the Chicago BIPOC Birders Group who began birding during the pandemic.
Chicago BIPOC Birders Group
The Chicago BIPOC Birders Group is a community birding organization whose members came together through Herrera's pandemic bird-watching project.
The details
Herrera, a member of the Chicago BIPOC Birders Group, began birding during the pandemic, with the black-capped chickadee as her spark bird discovered at the Montrose Bird Sanctuary. Her pandemic bird-watching project drew mostly people from the BIPOC community, and the group chose to call itself the Chicago BIPOC Birding group.
Timeline
Pandemic period: Herrera began birding and started her bird-watching project.
Nov. 5, 2026: Owl talk held at the Harley Clarke Mansion coach house.
Culture Shift
Herrera's pandemic-era birding project, which drew mostly BIPOC participants and led to the formation of the Chicago BIPOC Birders Group, reflects a broader expansion of who takes up outdoor hobbies like birding in Chicago. The owl talk extends that community's public-facing educational work.
Chicago residents interested in birding can use Herrera's do's and don'ts as practical guidance for observing owls and their habitats responsibly. The talk shows that beginners, including those who started birding during the pandemic, can find community through local groups.
The takeaway
Start with a single common species, as Herrera did with the black-capped chickadee, and build from there. Joining a local group can make learning to bird more accessible and social.
Further reading
Explore more on Bird Watching to see how local birders in Chicago are getting outside and learning about the region's birds.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Evanston RoundTable.
