10 Trees and Shrubs at the Zoo That Support Fall Migration

Look to the skies—fall migration is taking place right now! According to the zoo’s Urban Wildlife Institute, October is a big month for the travel of short-distance migratory species, which only travel a few hundred miles during the season.

Kinglets and wrens are among the birds you’ll see this month. Also, insectivorous songbirds (like warblers) forage closer to the ground as trees lose their leaves and insects become more common in herbaceous vegetation. American goldfinches and sparrows can also be found foraging at prairie plants that seed in the fall. Meanwhile, hummingbirds, geese, warblers, thrushes, grosbeaks, and other species are leaving the Chicago area.

Illinois’ native fruit, nut, and seed-producing trees and shrubs help support the millions of birds that fly through the state this time of year. Here are some plants you can see on grounds that support migratory birds. If you have any of these in your neighborhood, you might also be able to catch a glimpse of interesting wild fliers this October.

1. Hawthorn

Numerous bird species, including cedar waxwings and fox sparrows, like to consume the small red fruits this plant produces. And while humans may not find the thorns pleasant, these pointy protuberances provide valuable protection for birds that use the plants as spots for nesting and habitation.

On zoo grounds, you can find several species of hawthorn that have fruit at different times. They are located on the north side of the zoo near Regenstein African Journey.

2. Red cedar

Mockingbirds, brown thrashers, and catbirds are among the dozens of species that enjoy eating the silvery blue cones (or woody fruits) grown on this tree, which appear in the summer and may stick around for an entire year.

Red cedar proliferates at Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo and can also be found near Regenstein Center for African Apes and the waterfall garden at Bird’s Eye Bar & Grill.

3. Ninebark

Ninebark, with its clusters of red and brown seed capsules that ripen by early fall, is part of the diets of cardinals, wrens, sparrows, grosbeaks, wood warblers, and finches.

Look for this shrub on the north side of the zoo, near Hurvis Family Education Center and the Lionel Train Garden, and at Waterfowl Lagoon.

4. Chokeberry

Featuring small, shiny, black fruit that ripen from August to October, chokeberry bushes offer great eating for species like wild turkeys, black-capped chickadees, northern mockingbirds, woodpeckers, cedar waxwings, orioles, robins, and blue jays.

Look for these plants to the east of the South Lawn and northwest of the rhinoceros habitat. There’s also a cultivar called Autumn Magic near McCormick Bird House and on the east side of Pepper Family Wildlife Center.

5. Blackhaw viburnum

The clusters of green, yellow, and pink fruits on this shrub turn to black in September and October. They attract songbirds such as wood thrushes, northern mockingbirds, gray catbirds, brown thrashers, and cedar waxwings, along with a host of more terrestrial creatures such squirrels and chipmunks.

You can find blackhaws growing in Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo. In the early warmer months, they may be hosting spring azure butterflies.

6. Smooth viburnum

From August to October, the clusters of pink and purple fruit on this deciduous shrub become richer purple, attracting songbirds, wood thrushes, mockingbirds, catbirds, cedar waxwings, grouse, and wild turkeys. Throughout the year, smooth viburnum is known to host many species of native moths and caterpillars, including hummingbird clearwing moths.

You can view this woody flowering plant southwest of Kovler Seal Pool.

7. Arrowwood viburnum

Another deciduous shrub, arrowwood viburnum is one of the most nutritionally dense migratory superfoods. Their fruits are eaten pretty quickly on zoo grounds and around Illinois by eastern bluebirds, northern flickers, gray catbirds, sparrows, cardinals, robins, grouse, and turkeys.

These may fall victim to invasive viburnum leaf beetles, which unfortunately have damaged some of the zoo specimens located around Foreman Pavilion and on Main Mall behind the Gorilla Trek VR ride.

8. Bayberry

The trunk or stem of this shrub grows small, aromatic silver berries that ripen in early September. More than 80 bird species, including eastern meadowlarks, robins, bluebirds, thrashers, yellow-rumped warblers, and red-bellied woodpeckers, consume this plant.

This makes it a welcome addition to zoo grounds, embodying the Horticulture’s mission to feature sustainable, native plants that support local pollinators year-round as well as migrating birds. Find it at Robert and Mayari Pritzker Penguin Cove.

9. Winterberry

As a species that persists into the winter months, this plant helps sustain waterfowl, woodpeckers, game birds, and many types of songbirds from bluebirds and chickadees to robins in cold weather. You can recognize it from its large red, yellow, or black clustered berries.

At Lincoln Park Zoo, winterberry can be found along the bridge over Hope B. McCormick Swan Pond—which makes sense, since waterfowl use this body of water year-round. The shrub is also available throughout Pritzker Family Children’s Zoo and on the north side of the bridge over Waterfowl Lagoon.

10. Bur Oak

Oak trees are majestic and full of meaning; the older ones have sheltered explorers and overseen important events throughout American history. They are valuable for birds, too, as they develop large and bristly acorns consumed by waterfowl, including wood ducks, along with northern flickers, redheaded woodpeckers, nuthatches and blue jays. Many small mammals such as squirrels also find sustenance around and in oak trees.

You can find bur oaks at the zoo on the South Lawn and at the south end of Flamingo Lagoon.

Fall migration lasts longer than spring migration and won’t end until January, but now is a great time to experience peak numbers for many different types of birds. On the recent night of October 6, the BirdCast migration tracker estimated that more than 6 million birds crossed Cook County. So take out your binoculars and enjoy!

But, as you may know, migration can also be a dangerous time for many birds, thanks to predators, bad weather, exhaustion, food shortages, and collisions. In one night at Chicago’s McCormick Place in 2023, almost 1,000 birds died crashing into the convention center, which has since spent $1.2 million on collision-deterring glass treatments. If you’d like to make sure your home and surroundings are friendly to birds, here are some things you can do to help.

If you’re interested in learning more about the plants at Lincoln Park Zoo, visit our Garden Explorer webpage. We’ve created a special tour titled “10 Trees & Shrubs for Migratory Birds”; simply go to the drop-down menu and select it to find all the plants listed above!