Jackson Park Birding
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 Habitat should be preserved,
if not expanded,
as change comes to Jackson Park.

Jackson Park, on the South Side of Chicago, is an important stopping point for migratory birds. Its size (over 500 acres), habitat and location along the western shore of Lake Michigan make it possible to view over 250 species of birds through the seasons.
 
But the existing habitat faces an uncertain future. The Obama Presidential Center will soon be built on the western edge of the Park, there are plans to remove large numbers of trees from the Park to upgrade its golf course, merge it with the nearby South Shore Golf Course, and to expand the driving range west of Bobolink Meadow. The importance of Jackson Park's habitat must be taken into account as these projects are planned, especially given global threats to migratory bird populations. The figure above highlights steps that can be taken.  (Or download it here.)

These steps include:
  • Increasing habitat wherever possible. If existing natural areas must be destroyed to accommodate new uses of the park, equivalent or better new habitat should be created within the park.
  • Recognizing that all new lawns and plantings planned for the Park can be useful habitat, if the correct choices are made.
  • Maintaining Wooded Island as a secluded nature sanctuary, without any new man-made structures.
  • Moving the driving range to south of 63rd Street, enabling the expansion of Bobolink Meadow to the east.
  • Recognizing that Audubon International, an industry organization set up to greenwash golf courses, has no affiliation with the better known National Audubon Society.
  • Allowing off-trail dead trees to remain as habitat for cavity-nesting birds.
  • Keeping boats off the East and West Lagoons. Boating will disturb wildlife, and will damage the aquatic plantings put in as part of the the Army Corps of Engineers recent restoration project. (See maps of preferred plant communities.)
  • Ensuring that any new buildings in or near the Park incorporate the most up-to-date methods for reducing bird collisions.
  • Improving visitors' awareness of the park's flora and fauna through interpretive signage, viewing platforms with public telescopes, and programs for local youth and adults.
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Common Yellowthroat
Download the Chicago Audubon Society's Jackson Park Bird Checklist and brochure giving an overview of birding in the park.

See recent bird sightings in or near Jackson Park.

All the photos on this site were taken in Jackson Park. To see the birds yourself, come visit any time of year and join a free Chicago Audubon Society Saturday morning Wooded Island Bird Walk (listed under "Upcoming" on the left hand side of the Audubon Society page).

See reports from past walks.

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Indigo Bunting
Local Birding Organizations
  • Chicago Audubon Society
  • Chicago Ornithological Society
  • Evanston North Shore Bird Club
  • Lake-Cook Audubon Society
  • DuPage Birding Club
  • Illinois Ornithological Society
  • Illinois Young Birders
  • Birding Conservation Network
  • Chicago Bird Collision Monitors

Other Birding Resources
  • Free nature guides from the Field Museum
  • IBET (Illinois Birders Exchanging Thoughts) listserv
  • Illinois Birding Network Facebook page
  • Cornell's Lab of Ornithology All About Birds, eBird, and Migration Forecast

Other Places to Bird
  • The Chicago Region Birding Trail Guide
  • Montrose Point
  • Cook Country Forest Preserves
  • Indiana Dunes


Media
  • J. Sullivan "A Sylvan Retreat: The Wooded Island of Jackson Park, Chicago's Premier Birding Area" Field Museum of Natural History bulletin. 1986, volume 57, page 12.
  • B. Brotman "Wooded Island is haven for birds — and birders" Chicago Tribune, September 5, 2012.
  • M. Brachear Pashman "Birders fear loss of habitat to Obama Center, Jackson Park golf course development" Chicago Tribune, August 5, 2017.

Park Advocacy
  • Jackson Park Watch
  • Friends of the Parks

Blogs
  • Wooded Island Birding (2012-2014)
  • Pass It on Chicago
  • Whimbrel Birders Club
  • Mila Kellen Marshall's open letter to Mayor Emanuel, Tiger Woods, and President Obama

National Organizations
  • American Bird Conservancy (and Ending Glass Collisions)
  • American Birding Association
  • Audubon

On Nature
  • "The Cognitive Benefits of Interacting with Nature"

Contact
  • info@jacksonparkbirding.org
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