Join us for a local Bird Migration Walk & Cleanup at Northerly Island. Birding in groups is another way to build up your bird identification skills while creating a wholesome community with other bird and nature lovers. Learn more about local bird migration patterns, conservation, species, plants, and more!

This experience includes a voucher for one (1) Basic admission ticket to the Field Museum, valid through the end of May 2025, to explore the new Archaeopteryx exhibit. Opportunities to win Arc'teryx prizes onsite to help equip you for the right gear for your next season of exploration!

All proceeds from tickets for the event benefit the Field Museum. Photography/videography will be take place onsite.

Reserve your spot. Limited Spaces Available. 

Please bring your own binoculars if you have them. If not, we will share the few available onsite. Bring your own water bottles as well.

Date: Sun. April 27th

Time: 9AM-11AM

Location: Northerly Island (Insert Pin for directions at local parking lot or location TBD)

ABOUT OUR BIRD EXPERTS:

Tarik Shahzad Born and raised in Chicago, Tarik Shahzad spent his childhood falling in love with nature at local parks and forest preserves. He continued his passion for nature at Middlebury College, graduating in 2020 with a degree in Environmental Policy. In 2024, Tarik embarked on a Cook County Big Year, a self-paced challenge to identify as many unique bird species as possible within the calendar year. On December 8th 2024, he broke the record with a Short-tailed Shearwater at Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary, a first state record for that species.

Cameron Rutt is a Conservation Ecologist at the Field Museum's Keller Science Action Center. He specializes in birds of the Amazon Rainforest and how we can best safeguard this incredible diversity and the remote regions they call home.

Doug Stotz is a Senior Conservation Ecologist in the Field Museum's Keller Science Action Center. He works to ensure the conservation of birds by focusing on their ecology in the tropical rainforests of South America and their migration in the Chicago area.

ABOUT THE FIELD MUSEUM:

The Field Museum connects all of us to the natural world and the human story. Learn more about the history HERE.

ABOUT THE FIELD MUSEUM'S KELLER SCIENCE ACTION CENTER:

The Keller Science Action Center is at the forefront of the urban conservation movement, especially in the Chicago Region, where a century of Museum collection and study underlies its efforts. An interdisciplinary team of ecologists, social scientists, educators, and geospatial analysts use museum-science to benefit both people and nature. The team works throughout the region as a lead partner in regional consortia: the Chicago Cultural Alliance, Calumet Stewardship Initiative, and Chicago Wilderness. It also works in specific conservation corridors, from the Museum Campus, south through the lakefront parks and communities of the city of Chicago, to the great swathe of industry, people and biodiversity at the south end of Lake Michigan known as the Calumet region, and then to the farms, settlements, and communities of the globally rare black-oak savannas of the Kankakee region.

ABOUT NORTHERLY ISLAND:

Northerly Island Park is a 119.7-acre park situated along the Lake Michigan shoreline on Chicago’s beautiful Museum Campus. Chicago's famous architect and planner Daniel H. Burnham imagined Northerly Island as one of the northernmost points in a series of manmade islands stretching between Grant and Jackson Parks and exists as the only island to be completed. The site of the Century of Progress World Fair in 1933, Northerly Island has since been transformed into an urban nature sanctuary.

This lakefront Natural Area features prairie and savanna, a 5-acre pond, and strolling paths that offer great views for observing birds and other native wildlife. The path runs along the western side of the peninsula, terminating at the southern end. There are over 150 different varieties of native plants and an emerging savanna with 20,000 trees and shrubs, all of which provide an ecosystem for migratory and local birds.

Transportation Options:

All Museum Campus parking is owned by the Chicago Park District and managed by Standard Parking. Parking rates typically are higher during special events. Museum guests are encouraged to take public transportation. 
If you’re hoping to snag a deal on Museum Campus parking, check out the SpotHero app for nearby parking spots. 

Soldier Field North Garage:
$27 for up to 4 hours, $34 for up to 12 hours. The North Garage (accessible via the main entrance on Museum Campus Drive) is open from 5am to 5pm every day. Parked cars can leave after closing hours, but overnight parking is not allowed.

East Museum Lot
$34 for up to 12 hours. The East Museum Lot (located on the east side of the Field Museum) is open from 9am to 3pm daily, and is accessible via the main entrance on Museum Campus Drive. Parked cars can leave after closing hours, but overnight parking is not allowed.
Wheelchair-Accessible Parking:
Wheelchair-accessible parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis in the East Museum Lot.

If the East Museum Lot’s accessible parking is full, consider parking at the east end of the Soldier Field North Garage for easier access to our accessible East entrance. There are elevators at both entrances to the Soldier Field garage.
Accessibility at the Field Museum
By Bike:
Public bike racks are available at the East and West entrances, as well as on the northeast and northwest terraces.

Borrow a bike with Divvy, Chicago's bike-sharing system. Visit Divvy’s website for station locations and pricing information.
By CTA Train:
The closest CTA train stop is Roosevelt. Servicing the Red, Orange, and Green lines, the Roosevelt stop also offers a connection to the #146 bus (at State and Roosevelt), which takes riders directly to the Museum Campus.

For schedule updates, maps, information on Ventra fare cards, and other travel information, visit the CTA website.

By CTA Bus:
Two bus lines service the Museum Campus:

#146 (Inner Drive/Michigan Express/Museum Campus)
#130 (Museum Campus, only mid-May through Labor Day)
Use the CTA’s Bus Tracker for updated arrival times.

By Metra:
The closest Metra stop to the Field Museum is the Metra Electric District station at Museum Campus/11th Street.

Visit Metra’s website for information about other nearby stations, schedules, tickets, and other travel information.