Photo of redstart on grapevine posted to our facebook group by Joan Gumbel

What makes good migratory bird habitat? At the LaBagh Woods restoration, planners (following guidance from scientists) thought that structure is the key. Typical of local restorations, the plan was to remove invasive shrubs, and focus on the canopy and ground cover layers. Chicago Ornithological Society then partnered with the restoration volunteers and the FPCC to purchase many, many shrubs - over 4000 over the course of 8 years of restoration. In 2023, a group of birders - CBA president Judy Pollock and field trip leaders Brighten Jelke and J’orge Garcia, members Katy Krigbaum, Pamela Feldman and Kelly Ballantyne, supporter Maureen Murphy and Marty Flynn - decided to look at what features the bird were using.

They found that canopy trees, branches hanging over water and native shrubs were all well-used by migrating birds. Shrubs the volunteers planted were mostly used by migrants when they were 5 or more years old.

One earlier study done locally found that some warblers use oaks, and others do not. Both groups of birds were found at LaBagh in good numbers.

Read the study here.