Nestled in Romeoville, O'Hara Woods is 137 acres of protected woods located along a migratory bird route. With 80 acres being owned by the Village since 1971 and an Illinois Nature Preserve designation since 1982, nature has had a chance to flourish here for generations. As a result, visitors can spot more than 130 species of birds in the woodlands. Park in the lot at the end of Beverly J. Griffin Drive, jump on the trail, and see if you can spot some of these residents of the woods!
Top 10 Winter Birds
When you head into O’Hara Woods from November – March, keep your eyes peeled for these ten species.
Mallard
Dark-eyed Junco
Downy Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Gadwall
Red-tailed Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Black-capped Chickadee
American Tree Sparrow
White-breasted Nuthatch
Photo credits: 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10 Kara Morales; 1, 3 Greg DuBois; 4, 8 Scott Martin
Top 5 Rare Winter Birds
O’Hara Woods also has some rarer birds that are not commonly seen in the area. Can you spot these winter rarities?
Winter Wren
Purple Finch
Northern Pintail
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Photos credits: 1 Scott Martin; 2, 5 Kara Morales; 3 Greg DuBois; 4 Blair Dudeck