Birds of Illinois, Part 1: Waterfowl to Cranes

This list is based on the forthcoming revised checklist of Illinois birds. The checklist is based on the deliberations of the seven-member Illinois Ornithological Records Committee (IORC). IORC was organized in 1986 to review Illinois bird records using evidence submitted to the Committee. Such evidence may include an identifiable specimen, photograph, a digital or electronic image, video or audio tape recording, and/or written documention. The taxonomy and nomenclature used here follow the sixth edition of the American Ornithologists' Union checklist (AOU 1998) and its supplements (through the 44th supplement, Banks et al 2003, issued July 2003). A total of 436 species have been officially recorded in the state as of July, 2006. This list is available for downloading as a Microsoft Word Document, a Rich Text Format Document, or an Excel Spreadsheet*. To save one of these files to your computer, right-click directly on the desired link and select Save Target As from the menu that appears. Choose where you want to save the file to and click the Save button.

*Requires Excel. If you don't have Excel on your computer you can download the free Excel Viewer from Microsoft to view Excel spreadsheets.

Evidence Type

photo = photograph
spec = specimen
doc = written documentation

Status Information

Regular = Species for which there are records in at least eight of the past ten years.
Casual = Species for which there are accepted records in three to seven of the past ten years.
Accidental = Species for which there are accepted records in no more than two of the past ten years.
Extirpated = Species which were formerly Casual or Regular in Illinois but which have not been recorded in the wild in the state for at least 50 years.
Extinct = Species which have occurred in the state but no longer occur anywhere in the world.

Breeding Information

For species that have bred in Illinois, an additional notation appears in the entry, following a slash ("/").
B = Species which currently breed more or less regularly in the state. In general, this is defined by breeding in at least eight of the last ten years or 40 or more of the last 50 years.
b = Species which have bred at least once in the past 50 years, but do not currently breed regularly.
(B) = Species which formerly bred more or less regularly in the state, but which have not been confirmed as breeding in the past 50 years.
(b) = Species which have been confirmed as breeding in the state, but never regularly, and with no confirmed records of breeding in the past 50 years.

Two terms are restricted to breeding species, based on Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) designations. These are:

Endangered = Species whose breeding populations are in danger of extirpation within Illinois; listed as endangered by the IDNR.
Threatened = Species whose breeding populations are at risk of becoming endangered within Illinois; listed as threatened by the IDNR.

Order Anseriformes

Family Anatidae: Whistling-Ducks, Swans, Geese and Ducks

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) (spec) Accidental
Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor) (photo) Accidental
Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) (spec) Regular
Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens) (spec.) Regular / b (cross-breeding)
Ross's Goose (Chen rossii) (spec) Regular
Brant (Branta bernicla) (spec) Casual
Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii) (spec) Regular
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) (spec) Regular / B
Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) (spec) Regular (introduced) / B
Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) (spec) Extirpated (reintroduced, established) / (b)
Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) (spec) Regular
Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) (spec) Regular / B
Gadwall (Anas strepera) (spec) Regular / b
Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope) (spec) Casual
American Wigeon (Anas americana) (spec) Regular
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) (spec) Regular / b
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) (spec) Regular / B
Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula) (photo) Accidental
Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors) (spec) Regular / B
Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera) (photo) Regular
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) (spec) Regular / b
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) (spec) Regular / b
Garganey (Anas querquedula) (doc) Accidental
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) (spec) Regular / b
Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) (spec) Regular / b (NE)
Redhead (Aythya americana) (spec) Regular / b
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) (spec) Regular
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) (doc) Accidental
Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) (spec) Regular
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) (spec) Regular / b
King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) (spec) Casual
Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) (photo) Accidental
Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) (photo) Regular
Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) (spec) Regular
White-winged Scoter (Melanitta fusca) (spec) Regular
Black Scoter (Melanitta nigra) (spec) Regular
Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) (spec) Regular
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) (spec) Regular
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) (spec) Regular
Barrow's Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) (spec) Casual
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) (spec) Regular / B
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) (spec) Regular
Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) (spec) Regular / b (NE)
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) (spec) Regular / B

Order Galliformes

Family Phasianidae: Partridges, Pheasants, Grouse, Ptarmigans and Turkeys

Gray Partridge (Perdix perdix) (spec) Regular (N, introduced) / B
Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) (spec) Regular (introduced) / B
Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) (spec) Casual (NW) / (B) 1
Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) (spec) Extirpated / (b) (N)
Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido) (spec) Regular (SE, local) / B (endangered) 2
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) (spec) Regular / B 3

Family Odontophoridae: New World Quails

Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) (spec) Regular / B

Order Gaviiformes

Family Gaviidae: Loons

Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata) (spec) Regular
Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica) (photo) Regular
Common Loon (Gavia immer) (spec) Regular / (b) (N)
Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii) (spec) Accidental

Order Podicipediformes

Family Podicipedidae: Grebes

Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) (spec) Regular / B (threatened)
Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) (spec) Regular / (b)
Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena) (spec) Regular
Eared Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) (spec) Regular / b (NE)
Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) (spec) Regular
Clark's Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii) (doc) Accidental

Order Pelecaniformes

Family Sulidae: Boobies

Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus) (doc) Accidental

Family Pelecanidae: Pelicans

American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) (spec) Regular
Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) (spec) Accidental

Family Phalacrocoracidae: Cormorants

Neotropic Cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) (spec) Casual
Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) (spec) Regular / B (threatened)

Family Anhingidae: Anhingas

Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) (photo) Casual

Family Fregatidae: Frigatebirds

Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) (doc) Accidental

Order Ciconiiformes

Family Ardeidae: Bitterns, Herons and Egrets

American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) (spec) Regular / b (endangered)
Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis) (spec) Regular / B (threatened)
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) (spec) Regular / B
Great Egret (Ardea alba) (spec) Regular / B
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)
Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) (photo) Regular
Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) (photo) Accidental
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) (spec) Regular / B
Green Heron (Butorides virescens) (spec) Regular / B
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) (spec) Regular / B (threatened)

Family Threskiornithidae: Ibises and Spoonbills

White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) (spec) Casual
Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) (photo) Regular
White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) (photo) Regular
Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) (photo) Accidental

Family Ciconiidae: Storks

Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) (spec) Accidental

Family Cathartidae: American Vultures

Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) (photo) Regular / B (S) (local)
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) (spec) Regular / B

Order Falconiformes

Family Accipitridae: Ospreys, Kites, Eagles, Harriers and Hawks

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) (spec) Regular / b (local) (endangered)
Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) (spec) Accidental / (b)
White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) (doc) Accidental
Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) (spec) Regular / B (S, local) (endangered)
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) (spec) Regular / B (threatened)
Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) (spec) Regular / b (endangered)
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) (spec) Regular / B
Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) (spec) Regular
Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) (spec) Regular / B (threatened)
Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) (spec) Regular / B
Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) (spec) Regular / B (NE, local) (endangered)
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) (spec) Regular / B
Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) (spec) Accidental
Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) (spec) Regular
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) (spec) Regular

Family Falconidae: Falcons

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) (spec) Regular / B
Merlin (Falco columbarius) (spec) Regular
Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) (spec) Casual
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) (spec) Regular / B (endangered) 4
Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) (spec) Regular

Order Gruiformes

Family Rallidae: Rails, Gallinules and Coots

Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis) (spec) Regular / (b) (N)
Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis) (spec) Regular / b (endangered)
King Rail (Rallus elegans) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)
Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola) (spec) Regular / B
Sora (Porzana carolina) (spec) Regular / B
Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) (spec) Casual / b (S)
Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) (spec) Regular / B (threatened)
American Coot (Fulica americana) (spec) Regular / B

Family Gruidae: Cranes

Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis) (spec) Regular / B (threatened)
Whooping Crane (Grus americana) (spec) Accidental

Footnotes

¹ Ruffed Grouse in NW Illinois may represent a remnant native population or wild dispersals from Wisconsin or Iowa. A very small population in Pope County may be the result of late 1950's or early 1960's releases of wild-trapped birds. All other populations in Union and Alexander County or extreme western Jo Daviess County are the results of wild-trapped birds released during the period 1982-94 and are not considered established.

² During the summers of 1991-98 Greater Prairie-Chickens from out-of-state were introduced into Illinois' only remaining populations in Jasper and Marion counties.

³ The native Wild Turkey population in Illinois was extirpated in the early 1900's. Turkeys were first reintroduced in the Shawnee Forest in 1959 from out-of-state stock. Once established there, Illinois birds have been and continue to be introduced to unpopulated locations throughout the state.

⁴ Peregrine Falcon was extirpated as a breeding species; the current breeding population is reintroduced.

The IllinoisOrnithological Society