A South Shore Park May Help a Chicago Birder Spot 300 Different Birds This Year

On a cold, misty Thursday morning in Chicago, a 29-year-old birder named Tarik Shahzad stood at the edge of Lake Michigan and scanned the water through his binoculars. He was at Park 566, a nature area in the South Shore neighborhood, hoping to spot birds he hadn't seen yet this year. Shahzad has identified 298 different bird species in Cook County in 2024, and he only needs two more to reach his goal of 300. If he gets there, he will break his own record for the most birds spotted in the county in a single year.

Shahzad is taking part in a challenge where birders try to see as many different bird species as possible in one area within 365 days. He first broke the Cook County bird-spotting record in 2024 with 294 sightings, and last year he pushed it to 296. This year, he has already passed that mark and is closing in on 300. The birder in second place had 12 fewer sightings than Shahzad as of Thursday, according to the online bird-tracking database eBird.

Park 566, also called 'USX,' used to be the site of a large U.S. Steel factory called the South Works facility. The plant was torn down in the 1990s, and about 70 acres of the land are now being restored as a natural area. Workers have used controlled burns and removed invasive plants to help native wildlife return. Residents have also been invited to suggest an official name for the park, which right now goes simply by its number.

Shahzad said the park is often overlooked because more famous birding spots like Montrose Beach get more attention. But he believes Park 566 is special because it has open prairies, rare bird species, and a stunning view of both the city skyline and Lake Michigan. He said some people may avoid the South Shore park because they don't know about the restoration work happening there. 'If you want to find one of the largest prairies in the city of Chicago with threatened and endangered bird species... Park 566 is the place,' he said.

On Thursday, Shahzad really wanted to find a red crossbill, a small songbird with a unique curved beak. He also hoped to spot rare ducks and gulls that don't often appear in this part of the country. He didn't find any new species that morning, but he still enjoyed watching Savannah sparrows hopping between tall grass stalks. He said the red crossbill has about a 5% chance of showing up on any given day, so he plans to return 20 times in November to improve his odds.

One of Shahzad's most exciting recent finds happened last weekend on Lake Michigan. He and a few friends chartered, or rented, a fishing boat to go birding on the open water. Early in the trip, Shahzad spotted something and said he thought it might be a Pacific loon — a rare bird in the Chicago area. Matt Igleski, executive director of the Chicago Bird Alliance, was on the boat and said, 'That's a pretty big deal. That's a pretty rare bird for us.' The Pacific loon became bird number 298 on Shahzad's list.

At Park 566, Shahzad also watched three common loons floating in the lake, looking like small black shapes on the dark water. Common loons only appear in the area during short seasonal windows, making each sighting special. He played a recording of their call — a long, echoing sound that many people recognize from movies and nature shows. 'That long haunting call is a common loon,' he said.

Shahzad also pointed out some of the environmental problems left behind at the park. He bent down and showed a visitor a type of black, rocky material called slag, which is a waste product from making steel. He said much of this pollution has never been properly cleaned up, and that environmental hazards still remain at the site. He believes places like Park 566 are important for birds, especially as climate change affects where and when different species appear.

Climate change is a serious concern for birders like Shahzad. When winters are warmer than usual, cold-weather birds like snowy owls and swans may never come far enough south to be spotted in the Chicago area. This year, forecasters expect an unusually warm winter due to a weather pattern called El Niño. 'I could miss a snowy owl or a swan if it doesn't get cold enough by Dec. 31,' Shahzad said. 'More importantly, it's affecting the birds there to find.'

Shahzad studied environmental policy at Middlebury College and now works for The Nature Conservancy, an organization that protects natural areas. He didn't get seriously into birdwatching until 2023, when he joined a walk organized by the Chicago Ornithological Society. Since then, the hobby has taken over his life in the best way possible. Edward Warden, president of the Chicago Ornithological Society, summed it up with a laugh: 'He's crazy.' Whatever happens, Shahzad plans to keep returning to Park 566 until he finds those last two birds.