Where to Enjoy Some Winter Weather Bird Watching in Illinois

Jan 5, 2024

Just because winter weather has arrived doesn’t mean you have to forgo enjoyment of the Great Outdoors! Today we’re sharing some fantastic places to check out the winter wildlife, in particular: birds. These beautiful nature parks, conservation areas, wildlife preservations, and hiking trails are perfect for winter birding. If you’re a wildlife or nature photographer, you’ll want to bring your best gear with you, too, to catch some incredible seasonal snapshots of migratory species.

Despite chilly temps, here’s a four great hot spots for birding in Illinois:

Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary is located in Lincoln Park. The area’s best vantage point is a 150-yard stretch of shrubbery and treese known as “The Magic Hedge”, notorious for its incredible attractive power to migratory birds. More than 300 species have been noted at the sanctuary and nearby Montrose Beach Dunes. It might seem counterintuitive to list a major metropolitan area like Chicago as a hotspot for wildlife, but this area is world renowned!
Illinois Beach State Park is another wonderful stop on your bird watching adventure. The lake is home to many species of waterfowl including grebe, loons, ducks, and gulls. The southern region of the park features wonderful trails through each of the area’s habitats: forest, marsh, beach, dunes, and lakeside. The northern region of the park is famous for the annual hawk watching season; visitors flock (pardon the pun) to the area in September through November to catch a glimpse of the migratory birds of prey including Osprey, Peregrine Falcon, Golden Eagles, Sharp-Skinned Hawks, Northern Harriers, and more.
Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area is a gorgeous tallgrass prairie adjacent to a section of marshy wetlands, making it the perfect home for wintering migratory birds. In the winter season, you’ll find an assortment of waterfowl, Bald Eagles, Rough-Legged Hawks, Short-Eared Owls, and Northern Shrike. As the weather begins to warm and Spring creeps towards us, you’ll notice breeding pairs arrive including Northern Bobwhites, American Bitterns, various wrens and sparrows, and more.
Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge is an impressive 44,000 acre wildlife refuge area, with 7,000 acre Crab Orchard Lake at its center, and two adjacent smaller lakes, Little Grassy Lake and Devil’s Kitchen Lake. It’s a prime spot for migrant and wintering waterfowl, as well as resident bird of prey nests. Wander along the trails or follow the auto trail map via the visitor’s center and you’ll see species such as Bald Eagle, Canada Geese, several types of Warblers, Eastern Bluebird, and more.

Here’s a list of some of the birds you’ll see across Illinois: