Greater Prairie Chickens, Grasshopper Sparrows and Henslow’s Sparrow make the list, along with the most well known grassland bird, the Meadowlark. As of December 2016, there were 422 species included in the official list. We have three Field Offices in Illinois and each is responsible for project reviews in specific counties. Indigo Bunting (32%) 7. Eider . There are 7 species of woodpeckers in Illinois that are either here year-round, or consistently during specific times of the year. Bill is bright yellow; legs and feet are orange. White wing patches are visible in flight. One species has been recorded in Illinois. More than 400 species of birds can be found in Illinois. Spring Birds of Illinois (March, April, May) Spring comes to southern Illinois nearly a full month ahead of northern Illinois—while Louisiana waterthrushes are returning to breed in the southern Illinois swamplands in late March, for example, a snowy owl may still be lingering along the northern Lake Michigan shoreline in Waukegan before it returns to the tundra to breed. Red-orange legs, feet. We call Illinois the "Prairie State" because there are hundreds of miles of mostly flat, grassy land that are home to thousands of different species of plants and animals. It should come as no surprise that Chicago offers birders a bit of everything. Highly developed animals, birds are sensitive and responsive, colorful and graceful, with habits that excite interest and inquiry. They are often found in well-wooded areas but they are known to survive quite well in mountain areas as well as deserts. The more general topic of Illinois birds tends to be a bit more complex. Other species of birds referenced in the text will have their scientific name listed following their common name. Of the 9,000-plus species of birds in the world, about 800 hav e been found in N orth America. Much of the INHS collection dates from the 1950s through the 1970s and is almost exclusively from Illinois. Although wood duck populations in Illinois, the Mississippi Flyway, and the Atlantic Flyway appear to be increasing, little is known of wood duck production and use of natural tree cavities in Illinois. In fact, from 1907 to 1973, this was reflected by of the state tree simply being 'native oak'. They have specific flight techniques that offer them the ability to attack ground animals or other birds that are in flight while they themselves are flying. Cinnamon Teal: This small duck has scaled dark brown upperparts, cinnamon-brown underparts, head and neck, red eyes, long dark bill and yellow-gray legs. Illinois species: Mississippi kite Ictinia mississippiensis owls – Owls have fringed outer wing feathers for silent flight. JB Pritzker today announced an intergovernmental agreement between the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) which allows Illinois to use up to … Common Grackle (32%) 8. Gretchen Whitmer and Gov. Mottled Duck: Medium dabbling duck with dark brown mottled body, feathers usually show distinct multi-toned chevrons, buff-brown face and unmarked neck, darker crown and eye line. Therefore, third, Illinois is also a land of water, bounded on much of the east by Lake Michigan and of course bounded on the west by the Mississippi River. The American black duck looks a lot like its relative the mallard. Here is a sampling of some of the species found in Illinois. Direct flight on deep wing beats. Start with Lincoln Park. The wetlands of Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge serve as a stopping place for shorebirds and waterfowl in spring and fall migration, as do Chicago's lakefront parks along Lake Michigan. Three of the six species of longspurs and snow buntings in the world migrate through Illinois and reside here in the winter. The Lincoln Park birds checklist currently hovers around the 350 species mark. Illinois birds can fit easily into that framework by dividing the state into a variety of regions. Head and underparts are buff to cinnamon with white throat and vent. Most of the state’s urban birders also live daily with a couple dozen species familiar to most people in the east such as the American Tree Sparrow pictured in this section. There are the splitters, who like to classify every group of birds with some kind of different … , angled wings and white throat and vent a lifetime and miles of travel to reach the 350 mark... 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