When you think of birding and where would be a great place to go see dozens of different and beautiful bird species in a single afternoon Chicago probably does not spring to many people’s minds. That is true for almost everyone except local Chicagoans who are in the know. Twice a year hundreds of different bird species, everything from tiny colorful warbler to shorebirds to hawks, literally come flying through Chicago.

Chicago is fortunate to be on the western edge of Lake Michigan which just happens to be on of North America’s biggest flyways during migration. While flying through modern skyscrapers may unfortunately not be a great thing for birds it is a wonderful opportunity for locals to see a wide variety of birds.

The birds can be seen everywhere, it is not that unusual to see a shorebird on the sidewalk next to a downtown skyscraper. Montrose Harbor’s Magic Hedge is Chicago’s best known birding spot and it is for a good reason. Experienced birders have seen over 60 different species in a single day.

For those working or living downtown that want to see some amazing birds over their lunch hour can head over to Ohio Street Beach. Located just north of Navy Pier the few bushes and trees in this urban oasis are loaded with birds at this time of year.  

Our staff photographer went out to the Chicago Lakefront to get some shots of the Chicago skyline. What he did not expect to see were so many beautifully colored birds. Lake Michigan is a main flyway for migrating birds and that makes Chicago a major stopover on their journey.

We are not bird experts and our identification efforts by means of a bird book has allowed us to name many of the observed birds.  One surprise discovery was of a bird  that only lives in Arizona. We were unable to identify many of the birds captured in these photographs and would love to hear from all of you bird watchers out there!