Birding spots · Illinois
Best Birding Spots in La Salle County, Illinois
Lake Mendota leads La Salle County's birding spots with 199 species reported, best in spring. 20 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 | Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Mendota | 199 | 58 | 177 | 110 | 155 |
| Plum Island | 162 | 69 | 125 | 88 | 106 |
| Starved Rock State Park | 148 | 45 | 87 | 69 | 102 |
| Dayton Bluffs Preserve | 118 | 13 | 85 | 64 | 83 |
| Starved Rock State Park (Owl Canyon) | 115 | 19 | 82 | 76 | 51 |
| Illini State Park | 111 | 43 | 70 | 39 | 69 |
| Buffalo Rock State Park | 104 | 35 | 76 | 46 | 54 |
| Matthiessen State Park (southeast) | 99 | 15 | 70 | 71 | 39 |
| Matthiessen State Park | 94 | 30 | 61 | 54 | 40 |
| Horseshoe Canyon | 93 | 20 | 61 | 25 | 48 |
| Huse Lake | 89 | 32 | 55 | 53 | 35 |
| Starved Rock State Park (Delbridge Island) | 87 | 30 | 32 | 30 | 38 |
| French Canyon | 87 | 29 | 47 | 47 | 44 |
| Lake Mendota Park & Sports Complex | 86 | 30 | 69 | 26 | 43 |
| Starved Rock Pool | 85 | 40 | 48 | 34 | 27 |
| Starved Rock State Park (Wildcat Canyon) | 75 | 0 | 62 | 16 | 38 |
| Saint Louis Canyon | 71 | 16 | 36 | 37 | 22 |
| Birding spot near Marseilles | 134 | 34 | 49 | 67 | 98 |
| Birding spot near Mendota | 94 | 23 | 71 | 30 | 45 |
| Birding spot near Mendota (north) | 58 | 0 | 23 | 27 | 26 |