17-year Cicadas are for the Birds! -

In 2007, the Birdfreaks went Cuckoo for Cicadas. A 17-year periodical cicada called Brood XIII emerged to the delight of bird species in northern Illinois and a few nearby states (MAP). It was amazing to see so many cicadas at once, the noise was deafening and the birds went crazy for them! We even found people harvesting them for dinner!

While that brood won’t be back until 2024, another 17-year cicada is emerging in the east: the Brood V Cicada. This is a great opportunity to watch birds as they pick off an easy meal and it’s very interesting to see and hear so many cicadas at once.

2007 Brood XIII Cicada - north central Illinois — 2007 Brood XIII Cicada – north central Illinois

Periodical cicadas are only found in eastern North America and there are both 13-year and 17-year species. These are different from the cicada species that come out every year in the summer.