There’s something so comforting about waking up on these windows-open, cooler nights of a Chicago September and hearing the familiar birdsong of the American robin. Their call is one of the city’s most recognizable sounds, a reminder that even in busy neighborhoods, wildlife is close at hand. Later in the day, you might notice goldfinches bouncing between seed heads, mourning doves cooing from rooftops, or flocks of house sparrows chattering in the hedges. And if you’re near the lake or river, it’s not unusual to see mallards, mergansers, or even a great blue heron making use of the waterway.
Chicago is alive with bird activity year-round—and the way we plant our gardens can make a real difference in supporting them.
Why Native Plants Are the Best Choice for Birds in Chicago
Birds have co-evolved with native plants, which means these plants meet their nutritional and ecological needs in a way exotic ornamentals never can. Here’s how:
Seeds and Food Sources
- Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower) - seed heads devoured by goldfinches in fall and winter
- Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem) - cover for ground-nesting birds + seeds that persist through snow.
- Eurybia macrophylla (bigleaf aster) - late-season seeds to fuel migrating birds
Insects for Nestlings
Birds need more than just seeds. They need variety, including protein-rich insects, to raise their young. Plants like milkweeds, asters, and goldenrods host countless native insects. A single pair of chickadees needs thousands of caterpillars to raise one brood!
Shelter and Nesting
Grasses and sedges like palm sedge (Carex muskingumensis) and bottlebrush grass (Elymus hystrix) provide cover, while dense perennials like bee balm (Monarda fistulosa) create safe places for nests.
Winter Survival
While warblers and thrushes migrate, many birds—including cardinals, chickadees, and downy woodpeckers—stick around all winter. Standing seed heads and dried stalks of plants like zigzag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis) offer both food and structure against the cold.
Best Native Plants for Chicago Birds
At North Branch Natives, we design gardens with birds and pollinators in mind. A thriving landscape is all about making sure the right plants are in the right place—considering soil, light, moisture, and how each plant contributes to the ecosystem. In Chicagoland, here are a few standouts:
Woodland Gardens: Bird-Friendly Plants for Shady Yards
- Columbine - nectar for hummingbirds
- Zigzag goldenrod - late-season seeds + insect host
- Bigleaf aster - fall seeds for finches
Prairie Gardens: Native Flowers, Grasses + Sedges for Open Spaces
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Butterfly milkweed - hosts monarchs (food for birds)
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Mountain mint - draws pollinators for insect-eating birds
- New England aster - nectar + seeds into late fall
Savanna Gardens: Habitat for Mixed Sun Gardens
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Purple coneflower - goldfinch favorite
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Bee balm - hummingbird nectar + butterfly attractant
- Bottlebrush grass - seeds and protective cover
Pro tip: Some of the best times to plant are spring and fall. In Chicago, plant between early September and mid-October to give your plants time to develop strong root systems.
Chicago Birds You’re Likely to See in Your Garden
- American robin: The early riser whose dawn song often starts before sunrise.
- Mourning dove: Their soft, mournful coo is a constant in Chicago neighborhoods.
- House sparrow: A common urban bird, often found in groups along fences or gutters.
- Finches (especially goldfinches): These bright yellow birds love native seed heads.
- Chickadees and woodpeckers: Year-round residents who rely on winter seed and insects.
- Waterfowl: Near rivers and lakefront areas, expect to see mallards, mergansers, and herons.
Each of these birds interacts differently with your garden—feeding, nesting, sheltering, or simply resting on their way through.
Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary (image credit: Openlands)
Inspiration Close to Home
Visit Montrose Beach Bird Sanctuary, home to Chicago’s beloved piping plovers. Alongside the dunes and lake, you’ll find native plants like Asclepias (milkweed), Carex muehlenbergii (sand bracted sedge), Symphyotrichum (aster), and Pycnanthemum virginianum (mountain mint). It’s a powerful example of how planting natives creates habitat where wildlife thrives.
You don’t have to head to the lakefront to find bird-friendly habitats. Chicago is full of native landscapes where you can see the plants we use in our Native Garden Kits at work:
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North Park Village Nature Center: This 46-acre Chicago Park District preserve in the North Park neighborhood includes prairie, savanna, wetland, and woodland ecosystems all in one place. It’s a living classroom where you can see how native plants function together to support birds year-round.
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Humboldt Park: Walk through the meadows and along the lagoons, and you’ll spot many of the same native plants we include in our kits, especially asters, coneflowers, goldenrods, and grasses. It’s a great spot to see how these plants layer beautifully while attracting birds and pollinators.
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LaBagh Woods: A gem on Chicago’s Northwest Side, this woodland area is rich with asters and goldenrods in late summer and fall. It’s also a great place to observe how versatile these plants are—thriving in partial shade, along trails, and in diverse conditions while still buzzing with insect and bird life.
Designing a Bird-Friendly Yard in Chicago
Our team knows how to match plants to the microclimates of Chicagoland, whether you’re working with deep shade, compacted clay, or a sunny parkway strip. Our Native Garden Kits are a simple way to get started, but for more tailored guidance, our Garden Consultations provide a custom plan for your space. Consultations cover:
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Trees and shrubs that provide shade, berries, and long-term habitat
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Property line considerations (privacy, spread, maintenance)
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Long-term growth and how roots, canopies, and shade will change over time
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Chicago-specific logistics, like pavement, road salt and electric lines when planting
The right plant in the right place ensures your garden(and all of the wildlife it supports) thrives.
Learn More + Connect
We 💚 A Garden to Save the Birds by Chicagoan Wendy McClure: a beautiful, approachable story of the power of neighborhood ecosystems. It captures the ripple effect of bird-friendly gardens when one yard inspires the next, and together they form corridors of habitat across our neighborhoods. You can check it out from the library.
Explore the Audubon Illinois Coastal Stopover Tool. This resource shows how Chicagoland’s backyards, parks, and natural areas connect to create vital stopovers for migrating birds.
The Venn diagram of folks who love native plants and those who are interested in birds tends to be a flat circle. If you’re looking to connect with locals who get as excited as you about our local ecosystem, check out the Chicago Bird Alliance.
Try Merlin app for birds and Seek for IDing plants and insects.
Explore our library of blog posts, free native gardening 101 class, and free month-by-month gardening guide.
FAQs: Bird-Friendly Native Plants in Chicago
Q: What are the best native plants for attracting birds in Chicago?
Some top options include Echinacea purpurea (purple coneflower), Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem), and Monarda fistulosa (bee balm). These provide food, shelter, and nectar across the seasons.
Q: When should I plant native plants for birds in Illinois?
The best planting windows are spring and early fall. In Chicagoland, planting between early September and mid-October gives plants time to establish roots before winter.
Q: Which birds can I attract to my Chicago garden with native plants?
American robins, goldfinches, chickadees, woodpeckers, nuthatches, sparrows, mourning doves, catbirds, and cardinals are common visitors. If you’re near waterways, you may also see mallards, mergansers, and herons.
Q: Do native gardens really help migrating birds in Chicago?
Yes! Chicago is part of the Mississippi Flyway, a major migration route. Native gardens provide essential stopover food and shelter, especially in urban neighborhoods.
Ready to Create Your Bird Paradise?
🌿 Book a Garden Consultation for a custom plan tailored to your space
🌿 Check out our FREE gardening class
Together, one garden at a time, we can turn Chicagoland into a thriving stopover paradise for birds. 🐦🌿