Birding Hot Spots

The southern part of the city of Chicago and its south and southwest suburbs provides a beautiful landscape that attracts a variety of wildlife. Birding is a popular pastime in the Chicago Southland in this biologically significant treasure with tens of thousands of acres of wetland, prairie and oak woods.

Grab your binoculars, dress for the weather and head out to some of these spots, where you’ll find everything from migrant birds to local regulars to uncommon species.

Hickory Creek Preserve
Schoolhouse Road north of Route 30/Lincoln Highway
New Lenox Township

Kickapoo Woods
Halsted Street, south of 144th Street
Riverdale

Lansing Woods
186th Street, east of Torrence Avenue
Lansing

Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center
9800 Willow Springs Road
Willow Springs

Orland Grassland Land and Water Reserve
West 167th Street, west of South LaGrange Road
Cook County (near Orland Park)

Plum Creek Nature Center
27064 South Dutton Road, north of Goodenow Road
Crete Township near Beecher

Sand Ridge Nature Center
15891 Paxton Avenue
South Holland

Thorn Creek Woods Nature Preserve
Monee Road, north of Stuenkel Road
Park Forest

You’ll find additional birding hot spots on the outskirts of the Chicago Southland, including these:

Big Marsh Bike Park
11599 South Stony Island Avenue
Chicago

Dan Ryan Woods
South Western Avenue & 87th Street
Chicago

Eggers Grove
East 112th Street & South Avenue East
Chicago

Wolf Lake
12949 South Avenue O
Chicago

For more information on great places for birdwatching, visit Forest Preserves of Cook County, Forest Preserve District of Will County and Chicago Audubon Society.