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Wild About Illinois Birds!

458 species officially recorded in the state as of January 2024

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Birds of Illinois

According to the Illinois Ornithological Society, a total of 458 species and one species group have been officially recorded in the state as of January 2024. Near the bottom of each species page, you will notice the status listed as either common or casual. For the purposes of these pages, the definition of the status is obtained from the Illinois Ornithological Society.

Common = Species for which there are at least eight records in the past ten years. This includes species that are very local and those that cannot be located reliably anywhere in the state. Most species in this category are expected within the state annually.

Casual = Species for which there are at least six records in the state and three to seven records in the past ten years.

Family and Species

  • Kingdom: Animalia - Animals are multicellular organisms that rely on other organisms for nourishment. There cells do not have cell walls. Most animals are capable of movement at least in some portion of their life cycle. Reproduction is generally sexual, but in some animals asexual reproduction may be utilized at certain times.
  • Phylum: Chordata - The Phylum Chordata contains the vertebrate animals. Mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fishes are included in this phylum. These animals have a notochord at some point in their development. They have a tubular nerve cord along the back. Gill slits and a tail are present at some point in their life cycle. They have an internal skeleton.
  • Class: Aves - Birds are the only organisms with feathers. They are endotherms, maintaining a nearly constant body temperature. They have a hard bill but no teeth. A gizzard, which functions to grind food, is present in the digestive tract. Fertilization is internal. A nest is built in which the hard-shelled eggs are deposited and incubated.
  • Order: Anseriformes - Waterfowl are medium-sized, aquatic birds with small legs. These birds are adapted for their aquatic life by having webbed feet (for movement), down feathers (for warmth), oily feathers (to prevent them from getting wet) and a wide bill with a fringed edge (for straining food).
  • Family: Anatidae (Ducks, Geese and Swans) - Swans, geese, ducks, mergansers and whistling ducks have an aquatic lifestyle. The body is covered with down feathers for added warmth. Three of the toes are webbed to help with swimming. These birds have a medium- to large-sized body and average-sized legs (except for the long-legged swans and geese). The bill is flattened and has a tooth-like fringe on its edge to help strain food from the water. The wings are narrow.
Waxwing
Raptor
Kingfisher

Features and Behaviors

An adult belted kingfisher is 11 to 14 inches in length. The male and female are similar in appearance, except that the female has a rust-colored stripe on the chest. Both sexes have a dark, gray stripe at the top of the chest. The back feathers are blue-gray while the chest and belly feathers are white. The head and bill are large in proportion to body size. The feathers on the top of its head stand up or are "spiked.“

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