How Do You Go Bird Watching In Illinois?
Bird watching in Illinois offers a fulfilling experience to all levels of birders from novice to expert. The state of Illinois has established an extensive network of parks and nature centers which makes it a leader in Midwestern bird watching. The Prairie State is ideal for birders who want to catch sight of rare grassland bird species. Start bird watching in the greater Chicago area. The Chicago Wilderness is a 225,000-acre regional nature reserve. The Chicago area also has some of the highest quality urban greenspaces in America, which are home to dozens of native species and a variety of migrants. Travel to southern Illinois and the Cache River area–home to a variety of waterfowl, including herons, egrets, ducks and geese. Patient birders will be rewarded with sightings of red-headed woodpeckers, pileated woodpeckers and prothonotary warblers. Southern Illinois has many broad protected natural areas including the world famous Horseshoe Lake which is a winter home for over 150,000
