lllinois Beach State Park is one of the premier places to view bird migration in the Midwest. The area is an important stopover point for migrating songbirds to rest and refuel before they continue with their spring and fall migrations. During fall and winter, you’ll also see migrating waterfowl, gulls, and shorebirds.
Hawks, including Cooper’s, Sharp-shinned, Northern Harriers, Broad-winged, Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, Swainson’s have been found here, along with other raptors including, Bald Eagles, Ospreys, Merlins, Peregrine Falcons, American Kestrels, and occasionally Goshawks and Golden Eagles. Look for large numbers of migrating hawks in the fall. While migrating, raptors like hawks depend on updrafts to help them conserve energy by soaring. Since updrafts are absent over large bodies of open water, migration over the Great Lakes can be a challenge for them.
The Cornell Ornithology Lab has a great website for identifying birds.
INHS ornithologist bird sightings
On a two-hour hike through the south unit in August, our ornithologist observed the following birds:
Ring-billed Gull
Northern Cardinal
Black-billed Cuckoo
Double-crested Cormorant
American Kestrel
Field Sparrow
Downy Woodpecker
American Goldfinch
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Black-capped Chickadee
Baltimore Oriole
Eastern Towhee
Cedar Waxwing
Blue Jay
Canada Goose
Carolina Wren
Warbling Vireo
Eastern Wood-Peewee
American Robin
Indigo Bunting
Eastern Bluebird
Chimney Swift
Barn Swallow
Red-winged Blackbird