Birding in Illinois

The top birding locations in Illinois include Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, Jackson Park / Wooded Island, Illinois Beach State Park, Lincoln Park / North Pond, LaBagh Woods, Palos Forest Preserves, Afton Forest Preserve, Allerton Park, Almond Marsh Forest Preserve, Amboy Marsh Nature Preserve, Arcola Marsh, Bakers Lake - Ron Beese Park, Ballard Nature Center, Banner Marsh FWA - Bell's Landing, Banner Marsh FWA - East Access, Banner Marsh FWA - Main Access, Bartel Grassland, Beall Woods State Park, Bensenville Ditch, Big Lake, Big Rock Forest Preserve, Black Walnut Creek Preserve, Blackwell Forest Preserve - McKee Marsh, Blackwell Forest Preserve - Silver Lake area, Boone Creek Conservation Area, Braidwood Lake, Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve, Burnham Park - Promontory Point, Burnham Prairie Nature Preserve, Burnidge Forest Preserve, Burning Star Mine, Busey Woods, Urbana, Busse Woods (Ned Brown Forest Preserve), Cache River State Natural Area, Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, Calumet Park, Carbondale Reservoir, Carlyle Lake, Carlyle Lake, Carlyle Lake - Coles Creek, Carlyle Lake - James Hawn Access, Carlyle Lake - Parking Area 3, Carlyle Lake - West Access Marina and Beach, Carlyle Lake - Whitetail Access, Carlyle Lake FWA, Carlyle Lake FWA - Patoka Access, Centennial Park, Orland Park, Centennial Trail - Schneider's Passage, Centennial Trail - West of Rt. 83, Chain of Rocks Bridge area, Chain-o-Lakes State Park, Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge, Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge - Eagle Bluff, Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge - Goofy Ridge, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, Clinton Lake State Recreation Area, Clinton Lake State Recreation Area - Peninsula Day Use Area, Clinton Lake State Recreation Area - Radio Tower Access, Coal Miner's Trail, Minonk, Columbus Park, Cooper Park, Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge - Visitor Center Pond Trail, Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge - Wolfcreek Causeway, Crabtree Nature Center, Cuba Marsh Forest Preserve, Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge - Bellrose Tract, Danada Forest Preserve - West, Daniel Wright Woods Forest Preserve, Deer Grove Forest Preserve - East, Des Plaines SFWA, Des Plaines SFWA - Widewaters, Detweiller Riverside, Dixon Waterfowl Refuge - Marquis Oak Ridge Trail, Dixon Waterfowl Refuge at Hennepin & Hopper Lakes, Douglas-Hart Nature Center, Douglass (Anna & Frederick) Park, East Cape Girardeau, East Fork Lake, Eggers Grove Forest Preserve (Chicago), Eldon Hazlet State Park, Elsen's Hill, West DuPage Woods Forest Preserve, Emiquon Preserve - southern pullovers, Emiquon Preserve - Visitor's Center, Evergreen Lake, Evergreen Lake - Shady Hallow Area, Fabyan Forest Preserve, Ferguson Forest Preserve, Fermilab, Fermilab, Fort Massac State Park, Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve, Four Lakes Forest Preserve, Fox Creek SFWA/Bailey Wetlands, Fox Creek SFWA/Bailey Wetlands, Fox Ridge State Park, Fox River Forest Preserve, Fox River Shores Forest Preserve, Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve, Gillson Park, Glacial Park Conservation Area, Goose Lake Natural Area, Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area, Grant Park - Museum Campus, Green River State Wildlife Area, Greene Valley Forest Preserve, Gremel Wildlife Nature Preserve/Green Wing Environmental Laboratory, Hastings Lake Forest Preserve, Helmick Nature Preserve / Butterfield Creek Wetlands, Henderson Creek SFWA, Hennepin Canal - Big Island and Lock 31, Heron County Park, Homer Lake Forest Preserve, Hoover Forest Preserve, Horseshoe Lake Conservation Area, Horseshoe Lake State Park, Humboldt Park, Illinois Beach State Park - Hawkwatch, Illinois Beach State Park - North Unit/Camp Logan, Illinois Beach State Park - South Unit, Independence Grove Forest Preserve, Izaak Walton Preserve, Homewood, Jackson Park, Jackson Park - Wooded Island/Bobolink Meadow area, Johnson Sauk Trail State Park, Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve, Judson University, Kankakee River State Park, Kaskaskia Island, Kennekuk Cove County Park, Kickapoo State Park, Kidd Lake Marsh State Natural Area, LaBagh Woods Forest Preserve, Lake Arispie/Marsh, Lake Bloomington, Lake Calumet area, Lake Calumet area - Big Marsh/Park #564, Lake Calumet area - Hegewisch Marsh, Lake Charleston, Lake Jacksonville, Lake Kakusha, Lake Petersburg, Lake Rawson, Lake Renwick Heron Rookery Nature Preserve, Lake Springfield, Lakewood Forest Preserve, LaRue-Pine Hills Ecological Area, LaSalle Lake SFWA, Lincoln Memorial Garden Park, Lake Springfield, Lincoln Park, Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, Lock and Dam 13 (Illinois), Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Lone Point Shelter, Illinois River, Loyola Park, Lyman Woods Forest Preserve, Mallard Lake Forest Preserve, Marshall SFWA - Marshall Unit, Mautino SFWA, Mauvaise Terre Lake, McDowell Grove Forest Preserve, McGinnis Slough Forest Preserve, Meadowbrook Park, Urbana, Melvin Price Lock and Dam 26, Alton, Meredosia National Wildlife Refuge, Mermet Lake, Middle Fork River Forest Preserve, Middle Fork River FP - Point Pleasant Wetland, Middlefork Savanna Forest Preserve, Midewin Natl Tallgrass Prairie - Explosives Road area, Midewin Natl Tallgrass Prairie - Iron Bridge Trailhead, Miller Meadows Forest Preserve, Mississippi Palisades State Park, Monee Reservoir, Montrose Harbor, Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, Lincoln Park, Moorman Swine Research Unit, Champaign, Moraine Hills State Park, Moraine Hills State Park - McHenry Dam/Black Tern Marsh, Moraine View State Park, Morton Arboretum - East Side, Muirhead Springs Forest Preserve, Nachusa Grasslands, Nelson Lake Marsh Nature Preserve/Dick Young Forest Preserve, Newton Lake, North Point Marina/State Line Beach, Winthrop Harbor, Northerly Island, Northwestern University (Main Campus and Lakefill), Nygren Wetlands, Oakhurst Forest Preserve, Oakwood Bottoms - Big Muddy Levee Road, Olive Park, Orland Grassland, Park No. 566, Paul Douglas Forest Preserve (Grassy Ridge Meadow), Peabody River King SFWA, Pecatonica Wetlands Forest Preserve, Pembroke Savanna, Perry Farm Park, Bourbonnais, Pine Dunes Forest Preserve, Pleasant Valley Conservation Area, Poplar Creek Prairie/Carl R. Hansen (Shoe Factory) Woods, Prairie Green, Geneva Park District, Prairie Ridge State Natural Area, Pratt's Wayne Woods Forest Preserve, Pyramid State Park, Rainbow Beach, Rend Lake - Nason Observation Tower, Rend Lake - Northern Section, Rend Lake - South, Rend Lake - Ward Branch, Rend Lake Spillway, River Bend Forest Preserve, River Park, Rock Cut State Park, Rock Springs Conservation Area, Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve, Rosehill Cemetery, Ryerson Conservation Area, Sand Bluff Bird Observatory, Sand Ridge Nature Center, Sand Ridge State Forest, Sanganois State Wildlife Area, Sangchris Lake State Park - Access Area 1, Santa Fe Bottoms, Saw Wee Kee Park, Schroeder Wildlife Sanctuary, Sedge Meadow Forest Preserve (Wadsworth Wetlands), Shabbona Lake State Park, Shelbyville SFWA (Kaskaskia Unit) - Fish Hook Waterfowl Area, Silver Creek Preserve, Silver Springs SFWA, Skokie Lagoons Forest Preserve, Songbird Slough Forest Preserve, South Shore Park, Spring Bluff Forest Preserve, Spring Creek Forest Preserve - Penny Road Pond, Spring Lake Bottoms, Spring Lake SFWA, Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve, Spunky Bottoms, Starved Rock State Park, Stephen A. Forbes State Park, Stump Lake Fish and Waterfowl Management Area, Techny Basin - north of Willow Road, Thatcher Woods Forest Preserve, Three Oaks Recreation Area, Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge, Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge, Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge - Calhoun Wetlands, Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge - Swan Lake, Union County Conservation Area, Union County Wildlife SFWA, Universal/Peabody Strip Mine Illinois, Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge - Lost Mound (Carroll County, public areas), Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge - Spring Lake Unit, Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge - Thomson Causeway, Van Patten Woods Forest Preserve, Volo Bog State Natural Area, Washington County State Recreation Area, Washington Park, Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve, Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve - Sawmill Creek Area, Watershed Nature Center, Waukegan Beach, Wayne Fitzgerrell State Park, Weldon Springs State Park, West Branch Forest Preserve, Whalon Lake Forest Preserve, White Oak Park, Bloomington, Willowhaven Nature Center, Wolf Lake/William Powers State Recreation Area, Wood Dale Reservoir, Woodford SFWA, Worley Lake, Pekin Lake FWA. Each offers unique habitats and species.

The best seasons for birding in Illinois are Spring and Summer and Fall. Spring migration brings diverse species through the area.

Notable species in Illinois include Connecticut Warbler, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Common Nighthawk, Nelson's Sparrow, Whimbrel, American Wigeon, Greater Scaup, Red-breasted Merganser, and more. The state supports urban park, coastal, forest, lake, grassland, wetland, dune, riparian, river/riparian, mountain habitats.