The North Chicago Wetland Mitigation Site serves as an important bird area for spring and fall migrants.
We found a total of 103 species of birds at NCMS in 2016, including the state endangered Northern Harrier, and 13 other SGCN.
Spring and Summer 2016
– 21 person hours of line transect surveys
– 14.8 person-hours of intensive searches
detected:
– 90 bird species.
– No threatened and endangered species
-12 SGCN species
– Possible breeding populations of American Woodcock, Sedge Wren, and Willow Flycatcher.
The most common species were
– American Robins
– Red-winged Blackbirds
– Song Sparrows
Substantial populations of
– Brown-headed Cowbirds
– Common Grackles
– Common Yellowthroats
– Willow Flycatchers
– Yellow Warblers
Fall 2016
-22.96 hours of line transect surveys
detected:
– 67 species
– Northern Harrier – Endangered Species
– Brown Creeper – Forest Listed Species
The most common species were
-Red-winged Blackbird
– American Goldfinch
– American Robin
– Song Sparrow
Substantial numbers of migrating Palm Warblers were also found.
Continued monitoring will help us further understand how bird communities during spring, summer, and fall may be affected by ongoing restoration efforts. In future fieldwork seasons, we will continue to derive seasonal density estimates of birds for between-years comparisons. Continued monitoring will allow us to better assess to what extent NCWMS functions as an effective preserve for resident and migratory birds.