Illinois is a surprisingly rich birding state, where tallgrass prairie, the Lake Michigan shoreline, and the great rivers create a crossroads for birds. Along Chicago's lakefront, migration funnels millions of songbirds through famous hotspots like Montrose Point each spring and fall; on the restored prairies, bobolinks and meadowlarks sing over the grasses; and in backyards across the state, brilliant Northern Cardinals — the state bird — brighten every season. For families, Illinois offers everything from lakefront migration spectacles to prairie songbirds.
This guide maps the best spots to find birds in Illinois with kids. Give your young explorer a mission before you go with Nature Explorer Club's Birds of Illinois Activity Book to track every bird your family discovers.
Best Spots for Birding in Illinois
We mapped the best birding locations in Illinois so you can plan your adventure before you go.
- Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, Chicago — A world-famous migration hotspot on the Lake Michigan shore, where exhausted migrants pour into the "Magic Hedge" each spring and fall.
- Illinois Beach State Park, Zion — A long stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline, dune, and marsh that's excellent for migrating songbirds, waterfowl, and shorebirds.
- Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area — The largest remaining tallgrass prairie in Illinois, home to grassland birds like bobolinks, meadowlarks, and harriers.
- Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge — An Illinois River refuge that draws huge concentrations of migrating waterfowl, pelicans, and shorebirds.
- Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge — A large southern Illinois refuge of lakes and woods, famous for wintering geese and bald eagles.
- Starved Rock State Park — A park of wooded canyons and bluffs along the Illinois River, excellent for woodland birds and wintering eagles.
- Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve — A large preserve of prairie, savanna, and wetland with grassland birds, sandhill cranes, and waterfowl.
- Volo Bog State Natural Area — A rare quaking bog with a boardwalk, home to marsh and woodland birds in a fascinating habitat.
- Middlefork Savanna, Lake Forest — A high-quality restored savanna and prairie rich in grassland and woodland birds.
- Big Marsh Park, Chicago — A restored wetland on Chicago's southeast side that's become a haven for marsh birds and migrants.
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Make the Adventure Real The Birds of Illinois Activity Book turns your trip into a hands-on mission for ages 7–12 — with a species tracker, fun facts, drawing pages, games, and puzzles. |
Frequently Asked Questions: Birds of Illinois with Kids
What is the state bird of Illinois?
The Northern Cardinal is Illinois's state bird — the brilliant red songbird with a crest and orange beak that's a favorite at feeders year-round. Males are vivid red while females are warm tan with red highlights, and pairs often mate for life and sing together. Illinois schoolchildren helped choose it back in 1929.
Where is the best place for birding in Illinois with kids?
For migration, Montrose Point on the Chicago lakefront is world-famous and easy to reach. For prairie birds, Goose Lake Prairie and Rollins Savanna are excellent, and Starved Rock and Crab Orchard are wonderful for woodland birds and wintering eagles.
When is the best time for birding in Illinois?
Spring and fall migration are spectacular along the Lake Michigan shore, where millions of birds pass through. Summer brings nesting prairie and woodland birds, and winter brings bald eagles, waterfowl, and visiting northern species. Backyard birds like cardinals are present all year.
Why is the Chicago lakefront so good for migrating birds?
Migrating birds avoid crossing large bodies of open water, so when they reach Lake Michigan they follow the shoreline, concentrating along the Chicago lakefront. Small green spaces like Montrose Point's "Magic Hedge" become crucial rest stops, packing in dozens of colorful species during migration — a phenomenon birders treasure.
What makes Illinois birding special?
Illinois sits at a crossroads of tallgrass prairie, Lake Michigan, and the great river valleys, so families can see lakefront migration spectacles, prairie grassland birds, wetland species, and colorful backyard birds within one state. That variety makes for an unforgettable birding adventure.
Turn Your Illinois Adventure Into a Real Bird Watching Experience
Give your kids a mission before you go. Our Birds of Illinois Activity Book is a nature journal for ages 7 to 12 — with a bird tracker, fun facts about each species, bird category guides, drawing pages, games, and puzzles.
Or get all four Illinois nature books together — the Illinois Nature Explorer Series bundles the Birds, Butterflies, Leaves, and Wildflowers of Illinois activity books.
Also exploring Illinois's nature? Read our family guides to Butterflies of Illinois with Kids, Wildflowers of Illinois with Kids, and Leaves of Illinois with Kids.
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