Birding spots · Illinois
Best Birding Spots in Mason County, Illinois
Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge leads Mason County's birding spots with 234 species reported, best in summer. 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge | 234 | 63 | 142 | 176 | 174 |
| Liverpool Lake | 198 | 60 | 118 | 142 | 139 |
| Mud Lake | 189 | 51 | 104 | 139 | 110 |
| Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge (Buzzville) | 186 | 45 | 132 | 131 | 104 |
| Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge (Quiver Creek) | 150 | 55 | 115 | 69 | 63 |
| Knapps Island | 150 | 6 | 85 | 90 | 92 |
| Quiver Lake | 143 | 1 | 6 | 98 | 115 |
| Sand Ridge State Forest | 139 | 43 | 107 | 79 | 85 |
| Quiver Lake (southwest) | 123 | 26 | 78 | 61 | 29 |
| Sand Lake | 103 | 9 | 77 | 75 | 4 |
| Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak State Natural Area | 97 | 5 | 84 | 42 | 5 |
| Sand Ridge State Forest (northwest) | 94 | 27 | 58 | 39 | 34 |
| Henry Allan Gleason Nature Preserve | 82 | 11 | 58 | 42 | 21 |
| Cook Harbor | 64 | 26 | 38 | 28 | 18 |