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.

Common Yellowthroat

Download the Chicago Bird Alliance'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 Bird Alliance Saturday morning Wooded Island Bird Walk.

See reports from past walks.
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Indigo Bunting

Local Birding Organizations

• Chicago Bird Alliance
• Chicago Ornithological Society
• Evanston North Shore Bird Club
• Lake-Cook Audubon Society
• DuPage Birding Club
• Illinois Audubon Society (And Illinois Bird Records)
• 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 Tools
• The Crossley ID Guides
  

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.
• Paul R. Clyne's February, 2010 Draft Checklist of the Birds of Jackson Park.

Park Advocacy

• Bobolink Meadow Volunteers
• Chicago Park District Natural Areas Community Stewardship
• Jackson Park Advisory Council
• Jackson Park Watch
• Friends of the Parks

Blogs

• Wooded Island Birding (2012-2014)
• Pass It on Chicago
• 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

• Ask around at a Saturday morning Wooded Island bird walk and word will get back.