Baby Boom: Bison Calf, Pair of Eaglets Are Chicago Region’s Newest Residents

Bison at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, one of three natural areas in the region where bison have been reintroduced. (USDA Forest Service)Bison at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, one of three natural areas in the region where bison have been reintroduced. (USDA Forest Service)

Whether the weather cooperates or not, spring has sprung and one of the surest signs of the season is the appearance of baby wildlife.

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A couple of recent births highlight the success of restoration and conservation efforts in Illinois.

The newcomers include a bison calf born at Nachusa Grasslands, 100 miles west of Chicago, where a small herd was introduced in 2014. Bison once freely roamed the Midwest and are now found in the wild at a handful of preserves in Illinois and Indiana as part of prairie ecosystem restoration projects.   


Will County forest preserves staff is celebrating a second successful nesting season for a pair of bald eagles, with two eaglets spotted in mid-April. 

Eagle offspring can be difficult to confirm initially — because the birds’ nests are so large and deep, eaglets heads barely reach the top, according to the forest preserve. A second nest is being monitored for signs of hatching.

To protect the eagles, the forest preserve does not disclose the locations of the nests.


Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 |  [email protected]

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