Tweet Home Chicago: Beyond Bird Houses

The City of Chicago and Chicago Park District hosted Tweet Home Chicago — a bird house design and build competition — in 2010 to raise awareness about birds and bird habitat. More than 130 adults and youth submitted delightful, functional bird houses made of sustainable materials with a Chicago bird-friendly location in mind. These wonderful and whimsical bird houses are being displayed in Chicago parks and other locations across the city to help residents realize the steps they can take to help our feathered friends – beyond bird houses.

Chicago is a great city for birds.

Birds are an important part of our urban ecology, controlling insect populations and other pests, pollinating flowers and bringing nature into our lives. More than 80 species of birds nest here, while 200 more use our city as a resting stop during migration every spring and fall. Birds like Chicago for many of the same reasons we do — our extensive park system, lakefront green spaces, leafy streets and yards. Let’s work together to create more and better green spaces for our birds - beyond bird houses.

Bird houses have their place.

Bird houses help us connect with nature while helping local birds. However, a poorly managed bird house can also attract pest birds. While bird houses can help the dozen or so native birds that nest in cavities here, habitat and other improvements can help hundreds of other beneficial bird species that call Chicago home or pass through during migration.

Learn more.

Chicago is a leader in urban bird conservation. Learn more about our birds and how people are helping them.

See http://www.cityofchicago.org/Environment

Get Started

We recommend looking through the "Individual Houses" photoset first.