(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — As birds start migrating south for the winter, the Forest Preserves of Cook County is encouraging residents to explore nature preserves and keep their eyes to the skies.
Board President Toni Preckwinkle spoke at Eggers Grove Tuesday morning, touting the 240-acre space as the perfect bird watching destination.
“Birding is a relaxing, at times exhilarating activity that anyone can enjoy,” Preckwinkle said. “Everyone benefits from being out in nature, and everyone is welcome in the forest preserves. All year long this is a birding hotspot, and in the coming weeks, visitors can see many of the waterfowl and songbirds that travel through our region.”
Migration season is expected to bring 250 species of birds through the Southeast Side preserve.
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Preckwinkle called Eggers Grove a haven for wetland and woodland birds due to “considerable investments” the forest preserves and its partners have made in ecological restoration.
Those investments include removing invasive species, restoring native plants and utilizing a new water control structure, which recreates the historic seasonal changes at the site’s wetlands.
"Thanks to the restoration efforts at Eggers Grove, more native bird species are utilizing the diverse habitats here,” said Audubon Great Lakes Executive Director and Vice President Michelle Parker. “Birds are important ecological indicators that tell us about the health of our environment. By protecting birds and the places they need, we also protect the places that people and other wildlife rely on.”
Forest Preserves naturalists will hold bird walk events at Eggers Grove this fall on Sept. 20, Oct. 6 and Nov. 10.
For more information on how to Bird the Preserves — including a checklist of birds to watch for, bird-of-the-month profiles, and how you can help birds survive and thrive — visit fpdcc.com/birding/.
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