Current and historic data suggest the Forest Preserves provide stopover and breeding habitat for a diversity of forest birds. In 2015 we began monitoring spring and fall migration through two preserves along I-294, Arie Crown Forest and Bemis Woods.
Fall 2015
18.2 hours of intensive searches at Arie Crown and Bemis Woods
– detected 55 species
Spring to Summer 2016
23.5 hours of circular plot counts and 66.9 hours of intensive searches at Bemis Woods and Arie Crown Forest
– Detected 134 species including 7 species in greatest need of conservation
The most commonly detected groups were:
– American Robin
– Indigo Bunting
– Northern Cardinal
– Woodpeckers (predominantly Downy and Red-bellied)
Fall 2016
30 hours of point count surveys at Bemis Woods and Arie Crown Forest
– detected 66 species
– American Robins were over 60% of the birds
Learn more about our bird research