The Illinois
Ornithological Society

Birds of Illinois

Birds of Illinois, Part 2: Stilts and Avocets to Shrikes

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 documentation. See the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee page for more information about IORC. The taxonomy and nomenclature used here follow the seventh 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 442 species have been officially recorded in the state as of September, 2013.

The list is available for downloading as a Microsoft Word Document, a Rich Text Format Document, an Excel Spreadsheet*, or a PDF**. 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.

Recent Additions: White-crested/Small-billed Elaenia, Wandering Tattler

Recent Removals: Western Gull

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

**Requires Adobe Reader. If you don't have Adobe Reader on your computer, go to the Adobe Reader download page and follow the instructions to download it. Adobe Reader is safe and completely free.

Key

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.

Part 1: Waterfowl to CranesArrow

Part 2: Stilts and Avocets to Shrikes You are here

Part 3: Vireos to Old World SparrowsArrow

Order: Charadriiformes

Family: Recurvirostridae (Stilts and Avocets)

  • Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) (spec) Regular / b
  • American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) (spec) Regular

Family: Charadriidae (Plovers)

  • Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) (spec) Regular
  • American Golden-Plover (Pluvialis dominicus) (spec) Regular
  • Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) (photo) Accidental
  • Wilson's Plover (Charadrius wilsonia) (photo) Accidental
  • Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) (spec) Regular
  • Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) (spec) Regular / b (endangered, State and Federal)
  • Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) (spec) Regular / B
  • Mountain Plover (Charadrius montanus) (photo) Accidental

Family: Scolopacidae (Sandpipers)

  • Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) (spec) Regular / B
  • Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) (spec) Regular
  • Wandering Tattler (Tringa incana) (photo) Accidental
  • Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) (spec) Regular
  • Willet (Tringa semipalmata) (spec) Regular
  • Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) (spec) Regular
  • Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)
  • Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis) (spec) Extinct
  • Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) (spec) Regular
  • Long-billed Curlew (Numenius americanus) (spec) Accidental / (b)
  • Hudsonian Godwit (Limosa haemastica) (spec) Regular
  • Marbled Godwit (Limosa fedoa) (spec) Regular
  • Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) (spec) Regular
  • Red Knot (Calidris canutus) (spec) Regular
  • Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) (photo) Casual
  • Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata) (photo) Accidental
  • Stilt Sandpiper (Calidris himantopus) (spec) Regular
  • Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) (photo) Accidental
  • Sanderling (Calidris alba) (spec) Regular
  • Dunlin (Calidris alpina) (spec) Regular
  • Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima) (spec) Regular
  • Baird's Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii) (spec) Regular
  • Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) (spec) Regular
  • White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) (spec) Regular
  • Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis) (spec) Regular
  • Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) (spec) Regular
  • Semipalmated Sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) (spec) Regular
  • Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) (spec) Regular
  • Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) (spec) Regular
  • Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) (spec) Regular
  • Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) (spec) Regular / B
  • American Woodcock (Scolopax minor) (spec) Regular / B
  • Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) (spec) Regular / b (NE) (endangered)
  • Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) (spec) Regular
  • Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius) (spec) Regular

Family: Stercorariidae (Jaegers)

  • Pomarine Jaeger (Stercorarius pomarinus) (photo) Regular 5
  • Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus) (spec) Regular 5
  • Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus) (photo) Casual 5

Family: Alcidae (Alcids)

  • Dovekie (Alle alle) (doc) Accidental
  • Ancient Murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus) (spec) Accidental

Family: Laridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)

  • Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) (spec) Regular
  • Ivory Gull (Pagophila eburnea) (photo) Accidental
  • Sabine's Gull (Xema sabini) (spec) Regular
  • Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) (spec) Regular
  • Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) (photo) Accidental
  • Little Gull (Hydrocoloeus minutus) (photo) Regular
  • Ross's Gull (Rhodostethia rosea) (photo) Accidental
  • Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) (spec) Regular
  • Franklin's Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan) (spec) Regular
  • Black-tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris) (photo) Accidental
  • Mew Gull (Larus canus) (photo) Casual
  • Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) (spec) Regular / B
  • California Gull (Larus californicus) (photo) Regular
  • Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) (spec) Regular / B
  • Thayer's Gull (Larus thayeri) (spec) Regular
  • Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides) (photo) Regular
  • Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) (photo) Regular
  • Slaty-backed Gull (Larus schistisagus) (photo) Accidental
  • Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens) (photo) Accidental
  • Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus) (spec) Regular
  • Great Black-backed Gull (Larus marinus) (spec) Regular
  • Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus) (doc) Accidental
  • Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) (spec) Regular / B (endangered, State and Federal)
  • Large-billed Tern (Phaetusa simplex) (doc) Accidental
  • Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica) (photo) Accidental
  • Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) (spec) Regular / B
  • Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)
  • Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)
  • Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) (photo) Casual
  • Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)
  • Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus) (photo) Accidental
  • Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) (doc) Accidental
  • Black Skimmer (Rhynchops niger) (photo) Accidental
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Order: Columbiformes

Family: Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves)

  • Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) (spec) Regular (introduced) / B
  • Band-tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata) (photo) Accidental
  • Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) (spec) Regular (introduced) / B 6
  • White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) (photo) Casual
  • Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) (spec) Regular / B
  • Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) (spec) Extinct / (B)
  • Inca Dove (Columbina inca) (photo) Accidental
  • Common Ground-Dove (Columbina passerina) (spec) Accidental

Order: Cuculiformes

Family: Cuculidae (Cuckoos and Anis)

  • Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) (spec) Regular / B
  • Black-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus erythropthalmus) (spec) Regular / B (threatened)
  • Groove-billed Ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris) (spec) Accidental

Order: Strigiformes

Family: Tytonidae (Barn Owls)

  • Barn Owl (Tyto alba) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)

Family: Strigidae (Typical Owls)

  • Eastern Screech-Owl (Megascops asio) (spec) Regular / B
  • Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) (spec) Regular / B
  • Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) (spec) Regular
  • Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula) (spec) Accidental
  • Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) (spec) Casual
  • Barred Owl (Strix varia) (spec) Regular / B
  • Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) (spec) Regular / b
  • Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)
  • Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus) (spec) Accidental
  • Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) (spec) Regular / b

Order: Caprimulgiformes

Family: Caprimulgidae (Nightjars)

  • Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) (spec) Regular / B
  • Chuck-will's-widow (Caprimulgus carolinensis) (spec) Regular / B
  • Eastern Whip-poor-will (Caprimulgus vociferus) (spec) Regular / B

Order: Apodiformes

Family: Apodidae (Swifts)

  • Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica) (spec) Regular / B

Family: Trochilidae (Hummingbirds)

  • Green Violetear (Colibri thallasinus) (photo) Accidental
  • Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) (photo) Accidental
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) (spec) Regular / B
  • Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) (spec) Casual
  • Allen's Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) (spec) Accidental 7
  • Broad-billed Hummingbird (Cynanthus latirostris) (spec) Accidental 7

Order Coraciiformes

Family: Alcedinidae (Kingfishers)

  • Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) (spec) Regular / B

Order: Piciformes

Family: Picidae (Woodpeckers)

  • Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) (spec) Regular / B
  • Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) (spec) Regular / B
  • Williamson's Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus thyroideus) (doc) Accidental
  • Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) (spec) Regular / b
  • Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) (spec) Regular / B
  • Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) (spec) Regular / B
  • Red-cockaded Woodpecker (Picoides borealis) (photo) Accidental
  • Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus) (spec) Accidental
  • Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) (spec) Regular / B
  • Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) (spec) Regular / B

Order; Falconiformes

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 (threatened) 8
  • Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) (spec) Regular

Order: Psittaciformes

Family: Psittacidae (Parrots)

  • Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) (spec) Regular (introduced) / B
  • Carolina Parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis) (spec) Extinct / (B)

Order: Passeriformes

Family: Tyrannidae (Tyrant Flycatchers)

  • White-crested/Small-billed Elaenia (Elaenia albiceps/parvirostris) (photo) Accidental 9
  • Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi) (spec) Regular
  • Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens) (spec) Regular / B
  • Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventris) (spec) Regular
  • Acadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens) (spec) Regular / B
  • Alder Flycatcher (Empidonax alnorum) (spec) Regular
  • Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii) (spec) Regular / B
  • Least Flycatcher (Empidonax minimus) (spec) Regular / B
  • Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) (spec) Regular / B
  • Say's Phoebe (Sayornis saya) (photo) Accidental
  • Vermilion Flycatcher (Pyrocephalus rubinus) (photo) Casual
  • Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) (spec) Accidental
  • Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) (spec) Regular / B
  • Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) (photo) Accidental
  • Western Kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) (spec) Regular / b (local)
  • Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) (spec) Regular / B
  • Gray Kingbird (Tyrannus dominicensis) (photo) Accidental
  • Scissor-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus forficatus) (photo) Regular / b
  • Fork-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus savana) (photo) Accidental

Family: Laniidae (Shrikes)

  • Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)
  • Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) (spec) Regular

(Continued on next page)

Part 1: Waterfowl to CranesArrow

Part 2: Stilts and Avocets to Shrikes You are here

Part 3: Vireos to Old World SparrowsArrow

Footnotes

4 The status of the three species of jaegers in Illinois remains unclear, reflecting the paucity of accepted documentations, although the genus as a whole is certainly Regular. Historically, Parasitic has been thought to be by far the most frequent species, but recent evidence suggests that Pomarine and Long-tailed are less exceptional than formerly believed. Bailey (2002) reviews records of jaegers in Illinois, although many of the records he treats have not been accepted as correctly identified by IORC. We treat Parasitic and Pomarine Jaegers as regular as suggested by Bailey (2002), and based on their abundance in the much greater number of records from Lake Michigan in Indiana (Brock 1986). However, in view of the limited number of well-documented reports identified to species, the Committee will continue to review documentations for all jaegers identified to species until a clearer picture of the relative abundance and timing of migration emerges.

5 Eurasian Collared-Doves have spread dramatically through southern and central Illinois since first recorded in 1996, and have established breeding populations known from several locations. The species was introduced into the Bahamas in 1974, and spread from there on its own to Florida by the late 1970's. The Illinois population is the result of the explosive spread of this species through eastern North America. In addition, a population of African Collared-Doves (Streptopelia roseogrisea) has been present in the Joliet area since at least 19xx and dispersers from this population or other escapes have been recorded in most counties of northeastern Illinois. Because of taxonomic uncertainty regarding this form and the fact that most feral populations of African Collared-Doves elsewhere in North America have not proven to be self-sustaining, IORC does not consider African Collared-Dove to be a valid member of the established avifauna in Illinois.

6 Broad-billed Hummingbird is represented by an incomplete specimen (ISM 660432, a tail feather) and a series of photographs.

7 Allen's Hummingbird is represented by an incomplete specimen (ISM 660484, two tail feathers) and a series of photographs.

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

9 The specific identification of the April 2012 Douglas Park, Chicago Elaenia has not yet been determined. The Committee feels confident that the bird is either a White-crested Elaenia (Elaenia albiceps) or a Small-billed Elaenia (Elaenia parvirostris) and will continue to review the evidence surrounding this record.

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Birds of Illinois, Part 2: Stilts and Avocets to Shrikes