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Birding Montrose Point

Birds Recorded at Montrose Point in Chicago

This is a list of the birds recorded at Montrose Point in Chicago. The list is based on historical records and verified eBird sightings. The total as of November 2023 is 351*. This represents 77% of the 456 birds recorded in the state of Illinois. The pie chart below compares these two numbers (hold your mouse over each section for more information). Status information updated in October 2018.

Google pie chart

Recent Additions

  • Ferruginous Hawk (Date of observation: November 6, 2023)
  • Eastern Screech-Owl (Date of observation: August 8, 2023)
  • Gull-billed Tern (Date of observation: June 1, 2023)
  • White-faced Ibis (Date of observation: April 24, 2021)
  • Cassin's Sparrow (Date of observation: November 13, 2020)

Recent Removals**

  • Mottled Duck (Date of observation: May 30, 2013)
  • Green-tailed Towhee (Date of observation: Unknown)

*This total includes verified sightings only. Several rare species included on the Montrose Point eBird Hotspot don't have supporting details and are not included on this list.

**Photos of the May 30, 2013 Mottled Ducks reveal evidence of hybridization with Mallards, and supporting information (a date or written description) is missing for the Green-tailed Towhee. You can read about the Mottled Ducks at my Montrose Birding Blog – 2013 Montrose Point Mottled Ducks (Not!).

Status Information*

R (Regular) = Species for which there are records in at least eight of the past ten years

C (Casual) = Species for which there are accepted records in three to seven of the past ten years

A (Accidental) = Species for which there are accepted records in no more than two of the past ten years

*Based on Illinois Ornithological Records Committee (IORC) status information

Waterfowl (37)

  • Black-bellied Whistling-Duck [A]
  • Snow Goose [R]
  • Ross's Goose [C]
  • Greater White-fronted Goose [C]
  • Brant [A]
  • Cackling Goose [C]
  • Canada Goose [R]
  • Mute Swan [R]
  • Trumpeter Swan [C]
  • Tundra Swan [C]
  • Wood Duck [R]
  • Blue-winged Teal [R]
  • Northern Shoveler [R]
  • Gadwall [R]
  • American Wigeon [R]
  • Mallard [R]
  • American Black Duck [R]
  • Northern Pintail [R]
  • Green-winged Teal [R]
  • Canvasback [R]
  • Redhead [R]
  • Ring-necked Duck [R]
  • Greater Scaup [R]
  • Lesser Scaup [R]
  • King Eider [A]
  • Harlequin Duck [C]
  • Surf Scoter [R]
  • White-winged Scoter [R]
  • Black Scoter [R]
  • Long-tailed Duck [R]
  • Bufflehead [R]
  • Common Goldeneye [R]
  • Barrow's Goldeneye [A]
  • Hooded Merganser [R]
  • Common Merganser [R]
  • Red-breasted Merganser [R]
  • Ruddy Duck [R]

Gallinaceous Birds (1)

  • Ring-necked Pheasant [A]

Grebes (5)

  • Pied-billed Grebe [R]
  • Horned Grebe [R]
  • Red-necked Grebe [C]
  • Eared Grebe [C]
  • Western Grebe [A]

Columbids (4)

  • Rock Pigeon [R]
  • Eurasian Collared-Dove [C]
  • White-winged Dove [C]
  • Mourning Dove [R]

Cuckoos (3)

  • Groove-billed Ani [A]
  • Yellow-billed Cuckoo [R]
  • Black-billed Cuckoo [R]

Nightjars (2)

  • Common Nighthawk [R]
  • Eastern Whip-poor-will [R]

Swifts (1)

  • Chimney Swift [R]

Hummingbirds (1)

  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird [R]

Rails and Cranes (9)

  • King Rail [C]
  • Virginia Rail [R]
  • Sora [R]
  • Common Gallinule [A]
  • American Coot [R]
  • Purple Gallinule [A]
  • Yellow Rail [A]
  • Black Rail [A]
  • Sandhill Crane [R]

Stilts and Avocets (2)

  • Black-necked Stilt [A]
  • American Avocet [R]

Plovers (6)

  • Black-bellied Plover [R]
  • American Golden-Plover [R]
  • Killdeer [R]
  • Semipalmated Plover [R]
  • Piping Plover [R]
  • Snowy Plover [A]

Sandpipers (31)

  • Upland Sandpiper [C]
  • Whimbrel [R]
  • Long-billed Curlew [A]
  • Hudsonian Godwit [A]
  • Marbled Godwit [C]
  • Ruddy Turnstone [R]
  • Red Knot [R]
  • Stilt Sandpiper [R]
  • Sanderling [R]
  • Dunlin [R]
  • Purple Sandpiper [A]
  • Baird's Sandpiper [R]
  • Least Sandpiper [R]
  • White-rumped Sandpiper [R]
  • Buff-breasted Sandpiper [C]
  • Pectoral Sandpiper [R]
  • Semipalmated Sandpiper [R]
  • Western Sandpiper [C]
  • Short-billed Dowitcher [R]
  • Long-billed Dowitcher [A]
  • American Woodcock [R]
  • Wilson's Snipe [R]
  • Spotted Sandpiper [R]
  • Solitary Sandpiper [R]
  • Wandering Tattler [A]
  • Lesser Yellowlegs [R]
  • Willet [R]
  • Greater Yellowlegs [R]
  • Wilson's Phalarope [C]
  • Red-necked Phalarope [A]
  • Red Phalarope [A]

Jaegers (2)

  • Parasitic Jaeger [C]
  • Long-tailed Jaeger [A]

Alcids (1)

  • Ancient Murrelet [A]

Gulls (19)

  • Black-legged Kittiwake [C]
  • Ivory Gull [A]
  • Sabine's Gull [A]
  • Bonaparte's Gull [R]
  • Black-headed Gull [A]
  • Little Gull [A]
  • Ross's Gull [A]
  • Laughing Gull [R]
  • Franklin's Gull [R]
  • Black-tailed Gull [A]
  • Short-billed Gull [A]
  • Ring-billed Gull [R]
  • California Gull [A]
  • Herring Gull [R]
  • Iceland Gull [R]
  • Lesser Black-backed Gull [C]
  • Slaty-backed Gull [A]
  • Glaucous Gull [R]
  • Great Black-backed Gull [R]

Terns (8)

  • Least Tern [A]
  • Gull-billed Tern [A]
  • Caspian Tern [R]
  • Black Tern [C]
  • Common Tern [R]
  • Forster's Tern [R]
  • Royal Tern [A]
  • Sandwich Tern [A]

Loons (3)

  • Red-throated Loon [R]
  • Pacific Loon [A]
  • Common Loon [R]

Suliforms (3)

  • Magnificent Frigatebird [A]
  • Double-crested Cormorant [R]
  • Neotropic Cormorant [A]

Pelicans (2)

  • American White Pelican [C]
  • Brown Pelican [A]

Herons and Ibises (13)

  • American Bittern [R]
  • Least Bittern [C]
  • Great Blue Heron [R]
  • Great Egret [R]
  • Snowy Egret [A]
  • Little Blue Heron [A]
  • Tricolored Heron [A]
  • Reddish Egret [A]
  • Cattle Egret [C]
  • Green Heron [R]
  • Black-crowned Night-Heron [R]
  • Yellow-crowned Night-Heron [A]
  • White-faced Ibis [A]

Vultures (2)

  • Turkey Vulture [R]
  • Black Vulture [A]

Diurnal Birds of Prey (13)

  • Osprey [R]
  • Golden Eagle [A]
  • Northern Harrier [R]
  • Sharp-shinned Hawk [R]
  • Cooper's Hawk [R]
  • Northern Goshawk [A]
  • Bald Eagle [C]
  • Mississippi Kite [A]
  • Red-shouldered Hawk [C]
  • Swainson's Hawk [A]
  • Red-tailed Hawk [R]
  • Rough-legged Hawk [C]
  • Ferruginous Hawk [A]

Owls (9)

  • Eastern Screech-Owl [A]
  • Barn Owl [A]
  • Great Horned Owl [R]
  • Snowy Owl [C]
  • Burrowing Owl [A]
  • Barred Owl [A]
  • Long-eared Owl [R]
  • Short-eared Owl [R]
  • Northern Saw-whet Owl [C]

Kingfishers (1)

  • Belted Kingfisher [R]

Woodpeckers (6)

  • Red-headed Woodpecker [R]
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker [R]
  • Yellow-bellied Sapsucker [R]
  • Downy Woodpecker [R]
  • Hairy Woodpecker [R]
  • Northern Flicker [R]

Falcons (3)

  • American Kestrel [R]
  • Merlin [R]
  • Peregrine Falcon [R]

Parrots (1)

  • Monk Parakeet [C]

Flycatchers (15)

  • Ash-throated Flycatcher [A]
  • Great Crested Flycatcher [R]
  • Cassin's Kingbird [A]
  • Western Kingbird [C]
  • Eastern Kingbird [R]
  • Scissor-tailed Flycatcher [A]
  • Olive-sided Flycatcher [R]
  • Eastern Wood-Pewee [R]
  • Yellow-bellied Flycatcher [R]
  • Acadian Flycatcher [C]
  • Alder Flycatcher [R]
  • Willow Flycatcher [R]
  • Least Flycatcher [R]
  • Eastern Phoebe [R]
  • Say's Phoebe [A]

Shrikes (2)

  • Loggerhead Shrike [A]
  • Northern Shrike [C]

Vireos (7)

  • White-eyed Vireo [R]
  • Bell's Vireo [C]
  • Yellow-throated Vireo [R]
  • Blue-headed Vireo [R]
  • Philadelphia Vireo [R]
  • Warbling Vireo [R]
  • Red-eyed Vireo [R]

Corvids (3)

  • Blue Jay [R]
  • American Crow [R]
  • Fish Crow [A]

Larks (1)

  • Horned Lark [R]

Swallows (7)

  • Bank Swallow [R]
  • Tree Swallow [R]
  • Northern Rough-winged Swallow [R]
  • Purple Martin [R]
  • Barn Swallow [R]
  • Cliff Swallow [R]
  • Cave Swallow [A]

Parids (2)

  • Black-capped Chickadee [R]
  • Tufted Titmouse [R]

Nuthatches (2)

  • Red-breasted Nuthatch [R]
  • White-breasted Nuthatch [R]

Creepers (1)

  • Brown Creeper [R]

Wrens (7)

  • Rock Wren [A]
  • House Wren [R]
  • Winter Wren [R]
  • Sedge Wren [R]
  • Marsh Wren [R]
  • Carolina Wren [R]
  • Bewick's Wren [A]

Gnatcatchers (1)

  • Blue-gray Gnatcatcher [R]

Kinglets (2)

  • Golden-crowned Kinglet [R]
  • Ruby-crowned Kinglet [R]

Thrushes (9)

  • Eastern Bluebird [R]
  • Townsend's Solitaire [A]
  • Veery [R]
  • Gray-cheeked Thrush [R]
  • Swainson's Thrush [R]
  • Hermit Thrush [R]
  • Wood Thrush [R]
  • American Robin [R]
  • Varied Thrush [A]

Mimids (5)

  • Gray Catbird [R]
  • Curve-billed Thrasher [A]
  • Brown Thrasher [R]
  • Sage Thrasher [A]
  • Northern Mockingbird [R]

Starlings (1)

  • European Starling [R]

Waxwings (1)

  • Cedar Waxwing [R]

Old World Sparrows (2)

  • House Sparrow [R]
  • Eurasian Tree Sparrow [A]

Pipits (1)

  • American Pipit [R]

Finches (9)

  • Evening Grosbeak [A]
  • House Finch [R]
  • Purple Finch [R]
  • Common Redpoll [R]
  • Hoary Redpoll [A]
  • Red Crossbill [A]
  • White-winged Crossbill [A]
  • Pine Siskin [R]
  • American Goldfinch [R]

Longspurs and Snow Bunting (3)

  • Lapland Longspur [R]
  • Smith's Longspur [A]
  • Snow Bunting [R]

Sparrows (24)

  • Cassin’s Sparrow [A]
  • Grasshopper Sparrow [R]
  • Lark Sparrow [R]
  • Lark Bunting [C]
  • Chipping Sparrow [R]
  • Clay-colored Sparrow [R]
  • Field Sparrow [R]
  • Fox Sparrow [R]
  • American Tree Sparrow [R]
  • Dark-eyed Junco [R]
  • White-crowned Sparrow [R]
  • Golden-crowned Sparrow [A]
  • Harris's Sparrow [R]
  • White-throated Sparrow [R]
  • Vesper Sparrow [R]
  • LeConte's Sparrow [R]
  • Nelson's Sparrow [R]
  • Henslow's Sparrow [R]
  • Savannah Sparrow [R]
  • Song Sparrow [R]
  • Lincoln's Sparrow [R]
  • Swamp Sparrow [R]
  • Spotted Towhee [A]
  • Eastern Towhee [R]

Chats (1)

  • Yellow-breasted Chat [R]

Icterids (11)

  • Yellow-headed Blackbird [R]
  • Bobolink [R]
  • Eastern Meadowlark [R]
  • Western Meadowlark [C]
  • Orchard Oriole [R]
  • Baltimore Oriole [R]
  • Red-winged Blackbird [R]
  • Brown-headed Cowbird [R]
  • Rusty Blackbird [R]
  • Brewer's Blackbird [C]
  • Common Grackle [R]

Warblers (38)

  • Ovenbird [R]
  • Worm-eating Warbler [C]
  • Louisiana Waterthrush [C]
  • Northern Waterthrush [R]
  • Golden-winged Warbler [R]
  • Blue-winged Warbler [R]
  • Black-and-white Warbler [R]
  • Prothonotary Warbler [R]
  • Tennessee Warbler [R]
  • Orange-crowned Warbler [R]
  • Nashville Warbler [R]
  • Connecticut Warbler [R]
  • Mourning Warbler [R]
  • Kentucky Warbler [C]
  • Common Yellowthroat [R]
  • Hooded Warbler [R]
  • American Redstart [R]
  • Kirtland's Warbler [A]
  • Cape May Warbler [R]
  • Cerulean Warbler [C]
  • Northern Parula [R]
  • Magnolia Warbler [R]
  • Bay-breasted Warbler [R]
  • Blackburnian Warbler [R]
  • Yellow Warbler [R]
  • Chestnut-sided Warbler [R]
  • Blackpoll Warbler [R]
  • Black-throated Blue Warbler [R]
  • Palm Warbler [R]
  • Pine Warbler [R]
  • Yellow-rumped Warbler [R]
  • Yellow-throated Warbler [C]
  • Prairie Warbler [C]
  • Grace's Warbler [A]
  • Townsend's Warbler [A]
  • Black-throated Green Warbler [R]
  • Canada Warbler [R]
  • Wilson's Warbler [R]

Cardinalids (8)

  • Summer Tanager [R]
  • Scarlet Tanager [R]
  • Northern Cardinal [R]
  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak [R]
  • Blue Grosbeak [C]
  • Indigo Bunting [R]
  • Painted Bunting [A]
  • Dickcissel [R]

Total: 351 species


Hypotheticals

  • Arctic Tern
  • Pomarine Jaeger
  • Swainson's Warbler
  • Green-tailed Towhee

Exotics/Origin Uncertain

  • Northern Bobwhite
  • African Collared-Dove
  • Budgerigar
  • Cockatiel
  • Eurasian Jay
  • Hooded Crow
  • Great Tit
  • European Goldfinch
  • European Greenfinch
  • Orange Bishop
  • Rosy-faced Lovebird
  • Zebra Finch
  • Desert Finch

Compiled by Geoffrey Williamson, John Purcell, and Robert Hughes

Note: An Excel version of the birds recorded at Montrose Point is available. To save this file to your computer, right-click directly on the link and select Save Link As (or a similar command) from the menu that appears. Choose where you want to save the file and click the Save button. This file requires Excel to use. If you don't have Excel on your computer you can download the free Excel Viewer from Microsoft to view Excel spreadsheets. Get Excel Viewer.

Related Resources

The Birds of Illinois
A list of the birds that have been officially recorded in Illinois. Status information is also included.

Montrose Point eBird Bar Chart
A bar chart showing monthly abundance of birds at Montrose. Note that the chart may take a few seconds to completely load. From eBird.