Illinois

Do Illinois’ Returning Hummingbirds Remember You From Last Year?

Published

10 months ago

February 27, 2025

Do Illinois’ Returning Hummingbirds Remember You From Last Year?

Word has it that they’re already on their way north toward Illinois, other northern states, and Canada from their winter homes in Mexico.

Of course, we’re talking about hummingbirds. As a longtime hummingbird fan, I was delighted to read last weekend that over the last week, migrating hummingbirds have hit the road (so to speak) and are making the long trek from their winter homes south of the border.

Some are heading farther north, going into Wisconsin, Minnesota, and on into Canada, while others are going to stay behind and spend their summers with us here in the Land of Lincoln. The main two species that will be around here are the ruby-throated hummingbird, and the Rufous hummingbird.

Let’s talk about how you can convince them that your yard is the summer resort they’ve been looking for, and in doing so, get them to remember you as a friend.

Many Hummingbirds Spend Their Winters In Central America Mexico, But When February Comes, They Go

Unlike other birds that make the migration trip together, hummingbirds do it solo. They fly alone, often on the same path they took earlier in their life, and they really fly low, just above tree tops or water. Young hummingbirds have to learn as they go, because they navigate without parental guidance.

HummingbirdCentral.com:

During migration, a hummingbird’s heart beats up to 1,260 times a minute, and its wings flap 15 to 80 times a second. Research indicates a hummingbird can travel as much as 23 miles in one day. However those that make the 500 mile flight from Florida to the Yucatan do it in 18-22 hours non-stop, depending on wind conditions.

If You’re Looking To Make Your Yard A Hummingbird Haven, Here’s What To Do

I’d start with a feeder like the one you see the hummingbird sitting on in the photo above. Better yet, get yourself several of them. The more feeders, the more hummingbirds.

Here are some tips, courtesy of BirdAdvisors.com:

Provide more hummingbird feeders and spread them around your yard to create more territories.
Ensure you clean and change the hummingbird nectar regularly. You can either buy nectar or make your own, but don’t use any with red dye.
Provide a water feature such as a birdbath fountain or stream. Ensure that the water is clean and not stagnant.
Grow native plants that will provide food such as salvias, fuschias, trumpet creeper, lupin, columbine, bee balms, and foxgloves.
Don’t use pesticides and herbicides as these may be toxic to birds.
Provide small perches of thin branches bare of leaves for hummingbirds to rest.

Now, Let’s Get To The Question Of Whether Or Not Returning Hummingbirds Will Remember You When They’re Back In Illinois

In addition to being able to fly backwards, these small birds have pretty extraordinary memories. According to BirdWatchingDaily.com, their ability to remember the exact locations of flowers and feeders, along with the timing of nectar replenishment, has been well-documented.

When a hummingbird visits your feeder, it’s not just randomly stopping by–it likely remembers when it was last there and whether it was worth the trip. Hummingbirds can even remember which flowers had more nectar than the other ones did!

BirdWatchingDaily.com:

Given that hummingbirds have excellent memory, it is reasonable to hypothesize that they may associate specific people with food sources, particularly those who frequently refill feeders. Many birdwatchers report that hummingbirds become more comfortable around them over time, even flying close as if expecting a refill, which at the very least means they do not see you as a threat.

So, yes. It seems as though hummingbirds do remember their Illinois friends.

LOOK: The Funniest Animal Photos of 2024

The 2024 Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards reveal the hilarious side of nature, with a flailing squirrel taking the top prize and plenty of giggles along the way. Keep scrolling for the wildly hysterical (and maybe a bit cute) photos.

Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz

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Illinois

2025 FCS football championship: Bracket, schedule, scores

Published

20 minutes ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

2025 FCS football championship: Bracket, schedule, scores

The 2025-26 FCS playoffs consist of a 24-team bracket with play starting on Saturday, Nov. 29 and concluding on Monday, Jan. 5. The top 16 teams seeded and the top eight seeds receive automatic byes to the second round, while the rest of the 24-team field (the remaining 16 teams) play in the first round.

Here’s everything you need to know for the Division I Football Championship postseason.

FCS championship bracket

Click or tap here to view the bracket

FCS championship schedule

All times Eastern

Quarterfinals

Friday, December 12
Saturday, December 13

Semifinals

Saturday, December 20
- Semifinal 1 | 4 p.m. ET | ABC
- Semifinal 2 | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2

National Championship

FCS championship rounds, dates

Selection show: 12 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 23 on ESPNU
First round: Saturday, Nov. 29
Second round: Saturday, Dec. 6
Quarterfinals: Friday, Dec. 12 through Saturday, Dec. 13
Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 20
National championship: Monday, Jan. 5 on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET

FCS selections

The bracket selections for the 2025-26 FCS Championship was on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. The bracket was be revealed via a selection show on ESPNU at 12 p.m. ET and a selections release.

Eleven conferences (or conference partnerships/alliances) earn automatic bids to the playoffs. The FCS Championship Committee selects the remaining 13 at-large bids.

AUTOMATIC BIDS: Click or tap here to see all 11 of the clinched auto-bids

FCS championship history

North Dakota Dakota State is the reigning national champion, winning its 10 title in 2024 with a 35-32 win over Montana State. Here’s every FCS champion and runner-up from the past decade:

Year	Champion	Coach	Score	Runner-Up	Site
2024	North Dakota State	Tim Polasek	35-32	Montana State	Frisco, Texas
2023	South Dakota State	Jimmy Rogers	23-3	Montana	Frisco, Texas
2022	South Dakota State	John Stiegelmeier	45-21	North Dakota State	Frisco, Texas
2021	North Dakota State	Matt Entz	38-10	Montana State	Frisco, Texas
2020	Sam Houston	K.C. Keeler	23-21	South Dakota State	Frisco, Texas
2019	North Dakota State	Matt Entz	28-20	James Madison	Frisco, Texas
2018	North Dakota State	Chris Klieman	38-24	Eastern Washington	Frisco, Texas
2017	North Dakota State	Chris Klieman	17-13	James Madison	Frisco, Texas
2016	James Madison	Mike Houston	28-14	Youngstown State	Frisco, Texas
2015	North Dakota State	Chris Klieman	37-10	Jacksonville State	Frisco, Texas

Click here for a full list of every champion since 1978.

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Illinois

Another Winter Storm Targets Central Illinois

Published

12 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

Another Winter Storm Targets Central Illinois

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS) — After a brief lull in the weather on Friday, now another winter storm is setting its sights on central Illinois. Come Saturday, our next round of Winter is set to arrive. A new weather maker sweeps across the Upper Midwest, causing more snow to develop by mid-morning on Saturday. A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued from 7AM Saturday through 8 PM Saturday evening. The snow will pick up intensity by late-morning and last through the afternoon into the early evening hours before ending. This new weather system will follow a path very similar to the previous storm system and spread a swath of moderate to locally heavy snow. Before the snow wraps up Saturday evening, expect another 2″-4″ for much of central Illinois, with afternoon high temperatures bitterly cold in the mid-teens.

But the worst blast of cold air comes in Saturday evening into Sunday. Frigid Arctic air surges down from Canada causing temperatures to really tumble, driving in the coldest weather we’ve had in a long time and certainly the coldest so far this season. A Cold Weather Advisory is issued from 8 PM Saturday through Noon on Sunday. Sunday morning will be dangerously cold with wind chills around 20 to 25 BELOW ZERO. With wind chills this extreme, it doesn’t take long to suffer from frostbite or hypothermia. Please stay inside to keep warm, but if you do need to venture out, limit the time you spend outdoors, and make sure to cover up all exposed skin by wearing a hat, scarf, and gloves. Sunday afternoon features lots of sunshine, but despite the sunshine, temperatures will be brutally cold and frigid with high temperatures stuck in the low single numbers while wind chills remain well below zero.

Expect more extremely chilly weather on Monday with wind chills still ranging from 5 to 15 BELOW ZERO in the morning and afternoon highs only reaching into the 20s. Then temperatures will finally start to warm up, and we should climb out of the deep freeze with highs in the mid to upper 30s on Tuesday.

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Illinois

Illinois is newest state to allow medical assistance in dying after Pritzker signs bill

Published

1 day ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Illinois is newest state to allow medical assistance in dying after Pritzker signs bill

Updated on: December 12, 2025 / 11:49 AM CST
/ CBS Chicago

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a new law Friday making Illinois the newest state allowing medically assisted dying in terminally ill residents.

Known as “Deb’s Law,” it allows eligible terminally ill adults with a prognosis to live six months or less to request a prescription from their doctor that would allow them to die on their own terms.

The legislation was narrowly approved by the Illinois Senate in October after the Illinois House passed it in May.

People on both sides of the debate over the controversial legislation lobbied the governor up until the last minute. Medical aid in dying, also called assisted suicide or dying with dignity, is already legal in 12 states. Eight more are considering similar legislation.

“I have been deeply impacted by the stories of Illinoisans or their loved ones that have suffered from a devastating terminal illness, and I have been moved by their dedication to standing up for freedom and choice at the end of life in the midst of personal heartbreak,” Pritzker said in a news release after signing the bill.

Pritzker’s signature makes Illinois the first state in the Midwest to allow medically assisted death.

Advocates for the law say it allows adults to die on their own terms when survival is already not an option. Opponents say the bill legalizes “state-sanctioned suicide.”

The law requires two doctors to determine a patient has a terminal disease and will die within six months. The medication provided would need to be requested both orally and in written documentation, and will have to be self-administered. The law also requires all patients opting into medical assistance in dying to have been full informed about all end-of-life care options, including comfort care, hospice, palliative care and pain control.

The law is named for Deb Robertson, a former social worker from Lombard who had an aggressive case of neuroendocrine carcinoma. She began advocating for medical aid in dying in 2022 and has been a central figure in the movement.

Please note: The above video is from a previous report

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