Geneva was proclaimed a Bird City Illinois this week through the work of a pair of birding brothers – John and Kevin Potts – who joined the city’s Natural Resources Committee.

Mayor Kevin Burns also issued a proclamation for World Migratory Bird Day May 17, recognizing that birds and their habitats are declining. The proclamation, announced at the April 20 City Council meeting, calls to raise public awareness to support conservation that can address those threats.

“In 2022, after two years of development, the Audubon Council of Illinois launched the Bird City Illinois program,” said Jennifer Kuroda of the Audubon Council of Illinois, speaking at the Monday, April 20 city council meeting.

The Illinois program was modeled after the highly successful Bird City Wisconsin, Kuroda said.

Since 2022, the organization has gradually grown the program through Illinois and recognized over 15 communities as Bird Cities, Kuroda said.

“A city must meet at least nine criteria of the program to become an official Bird City. And both the public and citizens demonstrate an active and ongoing commitment to the protection and conservation of bird populations and their habitats,” Kuroda said.

“We commend you on your dedication to birds and conservation in your community.”

Among the criteria are habitat, threats to birds, sustainability, education and engagement, according to the Bird City Network.

The Potts brothers worked for two years through the Natural Resources Committee to have the city qualify for the Bird City designation.

“Jennifer presented on Bird City Illinois, when we joined on our first day, and then over the past two years, we’ve been working towards this day,” John Potts said. (right) “We’ve been working to get the nine checklist items to make sure that we successfully complete the checklist that we need to for the Bird City.”

Information will be coming out on social media about World Migratory Bird Day, John Potts said.

“Two years of working toward this – we’re really excited for this,” John said.

Kevin Potts said they are “huge birders” and really excited for the new designation for the city.

“We love going around to different areas of Geneva – the Fox River is such an important migratory path for spring and fall migration,” Kevin said. “We love getting out there and seeing what natural resources Geneva has to offer. And it’s huge when it comes to birding. And so, we’re always out there, birding. We’re excited to have Geneva be a Bird City.”

Burns asked what is involved with going out birding.

“You’ll know a birder when you see them – there’s a look,” John said. “You got a nice sunhat, binoculars, checklists. Lot of birders use their phone to identify calls. ... We’re traditionalists. We’re big bird book people, inherited bird books from our grandpa.”

Their late grandfather was also a bird photographer, their father and uncles are birders as well.

“Our whole family birds,” John said. “We have no friends, we just have birds.”

The best time to go birding is in early in the day in May, about 7 a.m. – earlier is better – because the birds are up and calling and they are sporting their breeding plumage, John said. They are harder to identify in fall when they don’t have those colors.

The Potts brothers were born and raised in Geneva. Kevin graduated from Geneva High School in 2011 and John in 2014.

Kevin Potts works for Scholastic and John Potts works as a project manager for a construction company.

A bird they really wanted to see is a hermit thrush.

“It’s a very bland brown bird,” John said. “It’s a bird everyone’s looking for. It’s a brown bird that just hangs on the ground. Kevin and I were kind of looking for it for a while.”

“Did you find it?” Burns asked.

“Yes. In our backyard, literally,” John said. “We go to all the forest preserves in Kane County and then it was walking on our deck ... (in) Eagle Brook. ... That’s the thing about birding. It’s like you can go far and wide and eventually it will walk under your car.”

John saw the hermit thrush first and yelled, bringing his brother and uncles out to see it.

“I was pretty pumped,” John said.

Kevin said there’s more to it than just trying to get one elusive bird counted.

“It’s kind of like fishing with friends or with your dad or whatever and just spending time in a natural setting in a beautiful place with people you love,” Kevin said.

The sign features an oriole, black-capped chickadee and cardinal over a green Illinois. St. Charles became a Bird City Illinois in 2024.