Birding spots · Illinois
Best Birding Spots in Rock Island County, Illinois
Hennepin Canal leads Rock Island County's birding spots with 180 species reported, best in spring. 21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hennepin Canal | 180 | 45 | 153 | 93 | 124 |
| Rock River - Carr Island | 147 | 34 | 125 | 72 | 100 |
| Pool 14 | 146 | 63 | 108 | 65 | 103 |
| Black Hawk Forest Nature Preserve | 144 | 29 | 133 | 86 | 102 |
| Greenvalley Nature Preserve | 132 | 23 | 111 | 69 | 91 |
| Sylvan Island | 127 | 19 | 70 | 54 | 105 |
| Lake George | 123 | 19 | 93 | 70 | 70 |
| Ms Rv Pools 11-22 Recreation Area (southwest) | 121 | 33 | 80 | 74 | 67 |
| Sunset Park & Marina | 109 | 38 | 73 | 48 | 63 |
| Josua Lindahl Hill Prairies Nature Preserve | 106 | 29 | 96 | 63 | 60 |
| Ben Butterworth Memorial Parkway | 98 | 50 | 48 | 41 | 76 |
| Pool 14 (east) | 90 | 30 | 71 | 32 | 36 |
| Shulers Shady Grove Park | 83 | 49 | 44 | 18 | 37 |
| Illiniwek Park & Preserve | 80 | 0 | 49 | 43 | 40 |
| Schwiebert Riverfront Park | 35 | 16 | 10 | 15 | 24 |
| Birding spot near Cleveland | 119 | 32 | 101 | 60 | 37 |
| Birding spot near Barstow | 118 | 24 | 103 | 64 | 49 |
| Birding spot near Illinois City | 116 | 38 | 70 | 73 | 81 |
| Birding spot near Rock Island Arsenal | 69 | 24 | 61 | 21 | 35 |
| Birding spot near Campbell's Island | 60 | 22 | 31 | 16 | 41 |
| Birding spot near Hampton | 52 | 31 | 32 | 11 | 32 |