Green Heron photo by Robyn Detterline; all other photos and text by Stephanie Beilke
Humboldt Park is a large park in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood. Several intertwining loops intersect the park. East of Humboldt Dr., follow a loop around the big lagoon to look for ducks in the open water, as well as Great Blue Herons, Green Herons and Black-crowned Night-Herons along the water’s edge and warblers among the tree tops. Wood Ducks are especially abundant all along Humboldt Park’s waterways. Don’t forget to check the wooded island which has plenty of shrubby cover for small migrating songbirds and perches for Belted Kingfishers.
West of Humboldt Dr., there are marshes bordered by mature trees, hosting breeding Baltimore Orioles and Warbling Vireos. The beach next to the Fieldhouse is the spot to check for shorebirds including Killdeer which nest near the beach. Barn Swallows nest at the Fieldhouse and underneath the bridge at Humboldt Dr. The prairie river leads to the Humboldt Park Bird & Butterfly Sanctuary to the south as well as a formal garden. The sanctuary provides perching spots for flycatchers, warblers and vireos. The shrubby hawthorn trees, lawns and bare ground surrounding the formal garden are good spots for finding migrating thrushes and sparrows of all kinds.
Occasionally, the park is visited by one of the neighboring Peregrine Falcons, but more common raptor sightings are Red-tailed Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk and American Kestrel.
Special Birds of interest, and/or best time to visit: Early morning is best.
This amazing Virtual Tour put together by Humboldt Park birders Stephanie Beilke and Robyn Detterline can help you plan your visit.
Hours: 6AM- 11PM
Humboldt Park is located in the East Humboldt Park neighborhood in Chicago, bordered by North Ave., Augusta Blvd., Kedzie Ave. and California Ave.
Average Visit Time: 1-3 hours
Free parking at the Fieldhouse and the Boathouse as well as along Luis Muñoz Marín Drive.
Public Transportation: Accessible from the North Avenue (72) and Division St (70) bus lines. Two blocks south of The 606 bike trail. Bike routes along Division (going west from downtown), Augusta (going west from downtown) and Kedzie (going south from the north side) lead to the park.
Amenities: The Park contains extensive sports fields for soccer and baseball, a restaurant (The Boathouse Café), a field house and gymnasium, several playgrounds, and the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture.
During the summer, pedal boats and bikes are available for rental and several food trucks often park along Luis Muñoz Marín Drive.
More Info
Volunteer/Give Back: Humboldt Park Natural Areas workdays occur once a month on Saturdays during spring through fall. Contact Jaclyn.HumboldtPark@gmail.com to be added to the email list.