Birding spots · Illinois

Best Birding Spots in DeKalb County, Illinois

Afton Forest Preserve leads DeKalb County's birding spots with 203 species reported, best in spring. 13 spots in the county have enough data to rank.

Species counts are birds reported at least three times in that season at that spot, 2016–2025. Busy spots list more species simply because more people look, so compare the checklist counts. Spot names come from public map data and hotspot listings.

Spot	Species	Checklists	Winter	Spring	Summer	Fall
Afton Forest Preserve	203	1,169	59	168	107	158
Shabbona Lake State Park	188	619	71	157	88	134
Wilkinson-Renwick Marsh Nature Preserve	149	507	33	134	54	82
Saunnak Forest Preserve	119	268	9	109	49	70
Russell Forest Preserve	111	113	24	96	35	31
Prairie Park	109	131	20	92	31	75
P.A. Nehring Forest Preserve	106	156	29	98	11	45
Prairie Oaks Forest Preserve	100	78	21	75	31	42
Shabbona Lake	93	85	11	56	35	40
Knute Olson, Jr. Forest Preserve	87	78	14	78	33	21
Lorusso Lagoon	52	60	0	35	18	25
Birding spot near Kirkland	89	85	17	67	20	52
Birding spot near Leland	54	79	0	48	20	0