Every year, Eagle Creek Park’s Ornithology Center attracts more than 60,000 bird enthusiasts from over 40 U.S. states and 15 countries worldwide!
Once in the park you soon forget that you’re only 20 minutes from downtown and the airport. Nestled just minutes away from downtown Indianapolis, visitors can find birds like bald eagles, great blue herons, double-crested cormorants, grebes, loons, and other amazing wildlife right in the city.
Situated nearest to the 71st street entrance, the Ornithology Center sits on top of a bluff overlooking the bird sanctuary to the west – a large area of retained water separated from the reservoir by Coffer Dam. The facility is surrounded by a diverse habitat of deciduous woods, ponds, streams, grassland and wetlands, which makes birding rewarding at any time of year!
The Ornithology Center building has a fascinating history, beginning as the private library of J.K. Lilly and then becoming the Nature Center for Eagle Creek Park for over 30 years. Reopening in fall of 2009 as the Ornithology Center and winning the IPRA “Outstanding Facility Award” the building is now "all about the birds," featuring beautiful exhibits, programming focused on birds and birdwatching, as well as live bird of prey programs.
Of the 408 bird species that frequent Indiana, 265 can be found right here at Eagle Creek Park! The American Birding Association has listed us as an “Important Bird Area” and we are recognized in a number of publications as a “premiere bird watching site.” National Geographic’s “Birding Hotspots” and National Geographic’s “Guide to Eastern Bird watching Sites” reads, “Indianapolis residents don’t need to go far for excellent birding: Eagle Creek Park, one of the largest municipal parks in America at more than 5,000 acres, makes it a superb destination. Eagle Creek is excellent for spring songbird migration, with 30 species of warblers possible on a good day in the beautiful deciduous woods.”
The Ornithology Center is a wonderful addition to the already superb environment it’s located in. Outside on the south end of the building we have a large observation deck and outdoor bird checklist with a detailed map of the park. Visitors can view the checklist, find out what birds have been seen in the park, and then learn from the map the best area to locate them. Inside the building we have local and regional information, displays, and several hands-on kiosks to learn about individual birds, their calls, and their migration. Also there is an interactive detailed map of the park that shows you where the best birding trails are. Our two viewing rooms are unsurpassed in bird viewing opportunities. From the back observation room you can look out over the Bird Sanctuary where it’s not uncommon to see Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons, Double-crested Cormorants, Grebes, Loons, Egrets and 21 species of ducks on their journey north. From the north observation room you can watch the many resident and migratory birds that come to our bird feeders and others that just visit our water feature for a cool drink or a quick bath. Our one of a kind exhibit hall features four distinct habitats (forest, grassland, pond and wetland) displaying approximately 100 taxidermy birds in their natural settings. As you walk through the different habitats you will hear the tranquil sounds of nature and birds singing all around you. All of the birds in the exhibit are native to Indiana and most can be seen right here in the park.