These photographs of rare and uncommon birds taken in Illinois represent the collective effort of many people. Thanks to all those who contributed. All photographs are copyrighted to the Illinois Ornithological Society; any unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. Move your mouse over each image for additional information about each bird. To read about the photographers who have contributed photos to this Web site, see the About The Photographers section on this page.
Recent additions: Burrowing Owl, Bewick's Wren, and Swainson's Warbler
Waterfowl
- Brant(K. Hirabayashi)
- Harlequin Ducks(R. Hughes)
- Harlequin Ducks(R. Hughes)
- Surf Scoter(R. Hughes)
- Long-tailed Duck(T. Mahan)
Loons
- Red-throated Loon(R. Hughes)
Grebes
- Eared Grebe(K. Hirabayashi)
- Eared Grebe(R. Hughes)
- Red-necked Grebe(R. Hughes)
Cormorants
- Neotropic Cormorant(D. Kassebaum)
Herons
- Yellow-crowned Night-Heron(T. Jackman)
- Yellow-crowned Night-Heron(T. Mahan)
- Tricolored Heron(T. Mahan)
- Least Bittern(T. Mahan)
- American Bittern(K. Hirabayashi)
Ibises & Spoonbills
- Roseate Spoonbill(T. Mahan)
- White Ibis(T. Mahan)
- Glossy Ibis(R. Hughes)
Vultures
- Black Vulture(T. Mahan)
Diurnal Birds of Prey
- Mississippi Kite(T. Mahan)
- Merlin(K. Hirabayashi)
- Northern Goshawk(G. Williamson)
Rails
- Common Moorhen(C. Fields)
- Black Rail(K. Hirabayashi)
- Yellow Rail(T. Mahan)
Cranes
- Whooping Crane(R. Hughes)
Plovers
- Piping Plover(R. Hughes)
- Piping Plover(K. Hirabayashi & R. Hughes)
- Piping Plover(R. Hughes)
- Snowy Plover(D. Kassebaum)
- Snowy Plover(R. Hughes)
- Wilson's Plover(K. Hirabayashi)
Sandpipers
- Marbled Godwit(R. Hughes)
- Marbled Godwit(K. Hirabayashi)
- Buff-breasted Sandpiper(K. Hirabayashi)
- Curlew Sandpiper(C. Fields)
- Sharp-tailed Sandpiper(K. Hirabayashi & E. Secker)
- Western Sandpiper(C. Fields)
- Purple Sandpiper(W. Serafin)
- Purple Sandpiper(K. Hirabayashi)
- Red Knot(R. Hughes)
- RuffD. Kassebaum)
- Whimbrel(R. Hughes)
- Whimbrel(R. Hughes)
- Red Phalarope(T. Mahan)
Avocets & Stilts
- American Avocet(R. Hughes)
- Black-necked Stilt(T. Mahan)
Gulls
- Great Black-backed Gull(K. Hirabayashi)
- Great Black-backed Gull(K. Hirabayashi)
- Lesser Black-backed Gull(R. Hughes)
- California Gull(C. Fields)
- California Gull(R. Hughes)
- Iceland Gull(K. Hirabayashi)
- Laughing Gull(R. Hughes)
- Laughing Gull(K. Hirabayashi)
- Laughing Gull(R. Hughes)
- Black-legged Kittiwake(R. Hughes)
- Black-tailed Gull(K. Hirabayashi & R. Hughes)
- Thayer's Gull(K. Hirabayashi)
- Sabine's Gull(M. Retter)
- Sabine's Gull(T. Mahan)
- Black-headed Gull(K. Hirabayashi)
Terns
- Arctic Tern(C. Fields)
- Royal Tern(W. Hughes)
Jaegers
- Parasitic Jaeger(R. Hughes)
Pigeons & Doves
- Band-tailed Pigeon(D. Oehmke)
- White-winged Dove(T. Mahan)
Owls
- Burrowing Owl(R. Hughes)
- Burrowing Owl(K. McMullen)New!
- Snowy Owl(R. Hughes)
- Snowy Owl(K. Hirabayashi)
- Northern Saw-whet Owl(K. Hirabayashi)
Hummingbirds
- Broad-billed Hummingbird(D. Oehmke)
- Rufous Hummingbird(T. Mahan)
Flycatchers
- Olive-sided Flycatcher(C. Fields)
- Say's Phoebe(K. Hirabayashi)
- Say's Phoebe(S. Huggins)
- Scissor-tailed Flycatcher(D. Kassebaum)
- Vermilion Flycatcher(C. Fields)
- Western Kingbird(R. Hughes)
Shrikes
- Northern Shrike(C. Fields)
Wrens
- Bewick's Wren(D. Kassebaum)New!
Warblers
- Kirtland's Warbler(E. Walters)
- Grace's Warbler(K. Hirabayashi)
- Hooded Warbler(K. Hirabayashi)
- Black-throated Blue Warbler(K. Hirabayashi)
- Townsend's Warbler(K. Hirabayashi)
- Swainson's Warbler(D. Kassebaum)New!
Sparrows
- Henslow's Sparrow(K. Hirabayashi)
- Henslow's Sparrow(C. Fields)
- LeConte's Sparrow(K. Hirabayashi)
- LeConte's Sparrow(R. Hughes)
- LeConte's Sparrow(T. Mahan)
- Nelson's Sparrow(K. Hirabayashi)
- Nelson's Sparrow(N. Lameka)
- Brewer's Sparrow(R. Hughes)
- Clay-colored Sparrow(C. Fields)
- Harris's Sparrow(K. Hirabayashi)
Buntings
- Painted Bunting(T. Mahan)
- Painted Bunting(D. Kassebaum)
Longspurs
- Smith's Longspur(P. Weber)
About The Photographers
Carolyn Fields lives in Palatine, Illinois and uses a Nikon Coolpix 990 digital camera and a Kowa TSN3 or a Swarovski ATS 80 HD spotting scope.
Kanae Hirabayashi lives in Chicago, Illinois and uses a Canon 10D digital SLR camera with a Canon EF 75-300mm IS lens plus 1.4x Teleextender, and, since March of 2006, a Canon 20D digital SLR camera with EF 100-400mm IS lens. For digiscoping she uses Nikon Coolpix 990 and 4500 digital cameras with a Swarovski AT80 spotting scope. She started digiscoping with a Sony Mavica digital camera.
Steve Huggins lives in Chicago, Illinois and uses a Canon Rebel XT camera with a Canon 400mm 5.6 lens.
Robert Hughes lives in Chicago, Illinois and uses a Questar telescope with a Fujifilm A303 digital camera.
Thomas Jackman, formerly of Hyde Park, Chicago currently lives in Taos, New Mexico and used a Canon AE-1 with a Tameron SP 500mm lens.
Dan Kassebaum lives in Belleville, Illinois and uses a Sony MVC - F883 digital camera with a Swarovski STS 80 HD spotting scope. For closer subjects he often shoots through his Swarovski SLC 8x30 WB binoculars.
Travis Mahan lives in Decatur, Illinois and uses a Swarovski ST 80 HD spotting scope with a Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital camera, plus a 2Plus LE-Adapter with a 37mm to 28mm ring.
Dennis Oehmke lives in Springfield, Illinois and uses a Canon A-1 or Canon AE-1 camera with a Canon 500mm FD 4.5L lens and a 2x extender. He recently purchased a Canon EOS 30D digital SLR.
Eric Secker lives in Wheaton, Illinois and uses a Swarovski ATS 80mm HD spotting scope and a Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital camera.
Eric Walters lives in Zion, Illinois and currently uses a Canon 20D digital SLR camera with a 500mm lens and a 1.4 teleconverter. Before that he used a Nikon F5 camera with a 170-500mm zoom lens.
Peter Weber lives in Rochester, Illinois and uses Canon EOS 1D and EOS 1D Mark II cameras with a 500mm f4.5 lens and a 1.4 teleconverter. He also uses a 400mm f5.6 IS lens.
Geoff Williamson lives in Chicago, Illinois and uses a Nikon Coolpix 4500 digital camera, usually with a Swarovski ATS 80mm HD spotting scope, but sometimes with Bausch & Lomb Elite 8x 42 binoculars.