Indiana Dunes National Park

National Park · United States

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Photo © Diego Delso

Photo © Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 — Source: Wikimedia Commons

Along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, where glacial geology meets temperate woodland and open water, sprawls a landscape of extraordinary ecological complexity. The dunes themselves—massive sand ridges sculpted by wind and time—form the dominant feature, rising sharply from the shoreline and cloaked in a mosaic of pioneer species, scrubland, and mature forest. Behind them, interdune wetlands, oak savannas, and freshwater marshes create a patchwork of microhabitats supporting woodland songbirds, raptors hunting over open ground, and migratory waders during their seasonal passages. Small mammals navigate the sandy terrain and forest understory, while aquatic and wetland birds exploit the abundant water resources. The park's nearly 920 square kilometers protect one of the Great Lakes' most biodiverse coastal systems—a rare remnant of the pre-settlement landscape where dune ecology and temperate forest interpenetrate in ways now vanishingly rare across North America.

Wildlife photographers and birdwatchers converge here for the interplay of light and habitat: morning mist rising from the interdune wetlands offers ethereal conditions for capturing birds in flight, while the open dunes provide unobstructed sight lines to raptors quartering the landscape. Spring and autumn migrations bring concentrated waves of passage songbirds through the woodlands, and summer breeding activity rewards patient observers with territorial displays and nesting behavior across multiple habitat zones. The varied terrain—from lakeside beach to deep woodland—demands exploration on foot, revealing new ecological niches at every turn. Access is straightforward from the industrial lakeshore towns of northwest Indiana, yet once inside the park boundary, visitors find themselves transported into a world of dune, forest, and water that feels utterly removed from the industrial landscape beyond.

Website nps.gov/indu/index.htm

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Bubo scandiacus

Aquila chrysaetos

Turdus migratorius

Northern Cardinal

Cardinalis cardinalis

Red-winged Blackbird

Agelaius phoeniceus

Cyanocitta cristata

American Goldfinch

Ring-billed Gull

Larus delawarensis

Downy Woodpecker

Dryobates pubescens

Corvus brachyrhynchos

Black-capped Chickadee

Poecile atricapillus

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Melanerpes carolinus

Melospiza melodia

Branta canadensis

Greater White-fronted Goose

Anser albifrons

Cygnus columbianus

Blue-winged Teal

Spatula discors

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeata

Mareca strepera

American Wigeon

Mareca americana

Anas platyrhynchos

American Black Duck

Ring-necked Duck

Aythya collaris

Histrionicus histrionicus

Melanitta perspicillata

White-winged Scoter

Melanitta deglandi

Bucephala albeola

Common Goldeneye

Bucephala clangula

Hooded Merganser

Lophodytes cucullatus

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serrator

Oxyura jamaicensis

Chaetura pelagica

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Archilochus colubris

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

Coccyzus americanus

Zenaida macroura

Porzana carolina

Common Gallinule

Gallinula galeata

Pied-billed Grebe

Podilymbus podiceps

Podiceps auritus

Aechmophorus occidentalis

Black-necked Stilt

Himantopus mexicanus

American Avocet

Recurvirostra americana

Pluvialis squatarola

Charadrius vociferus

Semipalmated Plover

Charadrius semipalmatus

Hudsonian Whimbrel

Numenius hudsonicus

Gallinago delicata

Spotted Sandpiper

Actitis macularius

Lesser Yellowlegs

Tringa flavipes

Tringa semipalmata

Calidris canutus

Calidris alpina

Baird's Sandpiper

Calidris bairdii

Least Sandpiper

Calidris minutilla

Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotos

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Calidris pusilla

Hydroprogne caspia

Sterna forsteri

Bonaparte's Gull

Chroicocephalus philadelphia

Franklin's Gull

Leucophaeus pipixcan

Great Black-backed Gull

American Herring Gull

Larus smithsonianus

Double-crested Cormorant

Nannopterum auritum

Yellow-crowned Night Heron

Nyctanassa violacea

Little Blue Heron

Egretta caerulea

Butorides virescens

Great Blue Heron

American White Pelican

Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

Northern Harrier

Circus hudsonius

Broad-winged Hawk

Buteo platypterus

Red-shouldered Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensis

Rough-legged Buzzard

Great Horned Owl

Bubo virginianus

Eastern Screech Owl

Belted Kingfisher

Megaceryle alcyon

Red-headed Woodpecker

Melanerpes erythrocephalus

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Sphyrapicus varius

Hairy Woodpecker

Leuconotopicus villosus

Northern Flicker

Colaptes auratus

Pileated Woodpecker

Dryocopus pileatus

American Kestrel

Falco sparverius

Falco columbarius

Sayornis phoebe

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Contopus cooperi

Eastern Wood Pewee

Contopus virens

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

Empidonax flaviventris

Acadian Flycatcher

Empidonax virescens

Willow Flycatcher

Empidonax traillii

Least Flycatcher

Empidonax minimus

Fork-tailed Flycatcher

Tyrannus savana

Eastern Kingbird

Tyrannus tyrannus

Great Crested Flycatcher

Myiarchus crinitus

Vireo olivaceus

Philadelphia Vireo

Vireo philadelphicus

Eastern Warbling Vireo

Yellow-throated Vireo

Vireo flavifrons

Blue-headed Vireo

Vireo solitarius

White-eyed Vireo

Northern Shrike

Lanius borealis

Bombycilla cedrorum

Tufted Titmouse

Baeolophus bicolor

Riparia riparia

Tachycineta bicolor

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Stelgidopteryx serripennis

Hirundo rustica

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Corthylio calendula

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Regulus satrapa

Cistothorus stellaris

Cistothorus palustris

Thryothorus ludovicianus

Troglodytes hiemalis

Northern House Wren

Troglodytes aedon

Blue-grey Gnatcatcher

Polioptila caerulea

White-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta carolinensis

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta canadensis

Dumetella carolinensis

Northern Mockingbird

Mimus polyglottos

Toxostoma rufum

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Eastern Bluebird

Townsend's Solitaire

Myadestes townsendi

Hylocichla mustelina

Swainson's Thrush

Catharus ustulatus

Catharus guttatus

Grey-cheeked Thrush

Catharus minimus

Catharus fuscescens

Passer domesticus

Haemorhous purpureus

Haemorhous mexicanus

Acanthis flammea

Plectrophenax nivalis

Chipping Sparrow

Spizella passerina

Clay-colored Sparrow

Spizella pallida

Spizella pusilla

Red Fox Sparrow

Passerella iliaca

American Tree Sparrow

Spizelloides arborea

Dark-eyed Junco

White-crowned Sparrow

Zonotrichia leucophrys

Harris's Sparrow

Zonotrichia querula

White-throated Sparrow

Zonotrichia albicollis

Pooecetes gramineus

Savannah Sparrow

Passerculus sandwichensis

Lincoln's Sparrow

Melospiza lincolnii

Melospiza georgiana

Pipilo erythrophthalmus

Yellow-breasted Chat

Baltimore Oriole

Icterus galbula

Icterus spurius

Brown-headed Cowbird

Rusty Blackbird

Euphagus carolinus

Quiscalus quiscula

Seiurus aurocapilla

Louisiana Waterthrush

Parkesia motacilla

Northern Waterthrush

Parkesia noveboracensis

Golden-winged Warbler

Vermivora chrysoptera

Blue-winged Warbler

Vermivora cyanoptera

Prothonotary Warbler

Protonotaria citrea

Tennessee Warbler

Leiothlypis peregrina

Orange-crowned Warbler

Leiothlypis celata

Nashville Warbler

Leiothlypis ruficapilla

Connecticut Warbler

Oporornis agilis

Mourning Warbler

Geothlypis philadelphia

Common Yellowthroat

Geothlypis trichas

American Redstart

Setophaga ruticilla

Cape May Warbler

Setophaga tigrina

Northern Parula

Setophaga americana

Magnolia Warbler

Setophaga magnolia

Bay-breasted Warbler

Setophaga castanea

Blackburnian Warbler

Setophaga fusca

American Yellow Warbler

Setophaga aestiva

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Setophaga pensylvanica

Blackpoll Warbler

Setophaga striata

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Setophaga caerulescens

Setophaga palmarum

Setophaga pinus

Setophaga coronata

Yellow-throated Warbler

Setophaga dominica

Black-throated Green Warbler

Setophaga virens

Cardellina canadensis

Wilson's Warbler

Cardellina pusilla

Scarlet Tanager

Piranga olivacea

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Pheucticus ludovicianus

Spiza americana

Passerina cyanea

Branta hutchinsii

Anser caerulescens

Cygnus buccinator

Northern Pintail

Aythya valisineria

Aythya americana

Melanitta americana

Long-tailed Duck

Clangula hyemalis

Common Merganser

Mergus merganser

Northern Bobwhite

Colinus virginianus

Common Pheasant

Phasianus colchicus

Common Nighthawk

Chordeiles minor

Chuck-will's-widow

Antrostomus carolinensis

Eastern Whip-poor-will

Antrostomus vociferus

Rufous Hummingbird

Selasphorus rufus

Black-billed Cuckoo

Coccyzus erythropthalmus

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto

Rallus limicola

Fulica americana

Coturnicops noveboracensis

Antigone canadensis

Red-necked Grebe

Podiceps grisegena

Black-necked Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

American Golden Plover

Pluvialis dominica

Charadrius melodus

Hudsonian Godwit

Limosa haemastica

Long-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus scolopaceus

Short-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus griseus

American Woodcock

Wilson's Phalarope

Phalaropus tricolor

Solitary Sandpiper

Tringa solitaria

Greater Yellowlegs

Tringa melanoleuca

Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpres

Stilt Sandpiper

Calidris himantopus

Purple Sandpiper

Calidris maritima

White-rumped Sandpiper

Calidris fuscicollis

Chlidonias niger

Black-legged Kittiwake

Rissa tridactyla

Larus hyperboreus

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Larus glaucoides

Long-tailed Jaeger

Stercorarius longicaudus

Parasitic Jaeger

Stercorarius parasiticus

Red-throated Loon

Mycteria americana

White-faced Ibis

American Bittern

Botaurus lentiginosus

Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

Coragyps atratus

Pandion haliaetus

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Accipiter striatus

Mississippi Kite

Ictinia mississippiensis

Swainson's Hawk

Buteo swainsoni

American Barn Owl

Northern Saw-whet Owl

Aegolius acadicus

Short-eared Owl

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Myiopsitta monachus

Alder Flycatcher

Empidonax alnorum

Western Kingbird

Tyrannus verticalis

Loggerhead Shrike

Lanius ludovicianus

Corvus ossifragus

Bohemian Waxwing

Bombycilla garrulus

Eremophila alpestris

American Cliff Swallow

Petrochelidon pyrrhonota

Certhia americana

Ixoreus naevius

Anthus rubescens

Evening Grosbeak

Hesperiphona vespertina

Loxia curvirostra

Two-barred Crossbill

Loxia leucoptera

Lapland Longspur

Calcarius lapponicus

Grasshopper Sparrow

Ammodramus savannarum

Chondestes grammacus

LeConte's Sparrow

Ammospiza leconteii

Nelson's Sparrow

Ammospiza nelsoni

Henslow's Sparrow

Centronyx henslowii

Pipilo maculatus

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus

Dolichonyx oryzivorus

Western Meadowlark

Sturnella neglecta

Eastern Meadowlark

Sturnella magna

Brewer's Blackbird

Euphagus cyanocephalus

Worm-eating Warbler

Helmitheros vermivorum

Black-and-white Warbler

Mniotilta varia

Kentucky Warbler

Geothlypis formosa

Setophaga citrina

Cerulean Warbler

Setophaga cerulea

Prairie Warbler

Setophaga discolor

Passerina caerulea

Cairina moschata

Eurasian Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus

Phalaropus fulicarius

Hydrocoloeus minutus

Leucophaeus atricilla

Mangrove Warbler

Setophaga petechia

North American Red Squirrel

Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

Eastern Chipmunk

Tamias striatus

Ondatra zibethicus

Virginia Opossum

Didelphis virginiana

Long-tailed Weasel

Neogale frenata

Northern Short-tailed Shrew

Blarina brevicauda

Eastern Cottontail

Sylvilagus floridanus

Eastern Fox Squirrel

Northern Raccoon

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Sciurus carolinensis

North American Beaver

Castor canadensis

White-footed Deermouse

Peromyscus leucopus

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