IORC Update, 6 December 2024

The Illinois Ornithological Records Committee (IORC) recently concluded evaluations of 14 records of the occurrence of rare birds in Illinois. IORC accepted 13 of these records and did not accept one.

The records involved are summarized below. For each record, we indicate the species or form, with number of individuals in parentheses if greater than one, followed by date or date range, location, and county. The record number is indicated in parentheses, followed by, for accepted records, names of the documenters. If multiple documenters are listed, those understood by IORC to have been the original finders of the bird(s) are listed first and separated from the others by a semicolon. IORC thanks all the documenters, for accepted and unaccepted records alike, for their submissions. All documentation is maintained in the IORC archives so that there is a permanent record of all these observations. Documentation, regardless of the Committee’s decision, is a valuable part of the record of bird life in Illinois.

Records Accepted

  • Pomarine Jaeger, 28 September 2024, Carlyle Lake, Clinton County (2024-043; Christopher Tomera).
  • Parasitic Jaeger, 23 September 2024, North Avenue Beach in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, Cook County (2024-044; Mike McBrien).
  • Parasitic Jaeger, 27 September 2024, Chicago’s Park No. 566, Cook County (2024-039; Tarik Shahzad).
  • Long-tailed Jaeger, 22 September 2024, Lake Michigan offshore from Chicago, Cook County (2024-038; Henry Meade, Tarik Shahzad, Phillip Stosberg, Peter Tolzmann, Geoffrey A. Williamson).
  • Wood Stork, 18-20 September 2024, Clinton Lake, DeWitt County (2024-035; Ann Anderson; Peter Weber, Steve Zehner).
  • White Ibis, 20 September 2024, Niota, Hancock County (2024-037; Steve Huggins).
  • Sharp-shinned Hawk, 22 June 2024, Dunham Forest Preserve, DuPage County (2024-033; Kyle Wiktor).
  • Say’s Phoebe, 30 September 2024, Montrose Beach Dunes in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, Cook County (2024-040; Mark Kolasa).
  • Say’s Phoebe, 3 October 2024, Illinois Beach State Park, South Unit, Lake County (2024-046; Carolyn Lueck).
  • Sage Thrasher, 25 September to 28 October 2024, Hidden Lake Forest Preserve, DuPage County (Bonnie Graham, Ann Haverstock, Glenn Perricone, Geoffrey A. Williamson). Originally found by Dan Weeden.
  • Great-tailed Grackle, 11 July to 31 August 2024, Monee, Will County (2024-029; Pat Andersen, Diane Hicks).
  • Kirtland’s Warbler, 18 September 2024, Montrose Point in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, Cook County (2024-036; Connie Smith; Joshua Wright).
  • Townsend’s Warbler, 25 September 2024, Marky Mutchler; Demond McDonald, Randy Shonkwiler).

Records Not Accepted

  • Mottled Duck, 31 August 2024, Eldon Hazlet State Park, Clinton County (2024-032).

23rd Annual IOS Gull Frolic – SOLD OUT, Join the Waitlist Now

Sunday, February 16, 2025

Start Time – 9:30 a.m.

Guest Speaker: Amar Ayyash, author of “The Gull Guide: North America”

Purchase Tickets

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The Gull Frolic is a unique winter event at Illinois’ premier gull-watching hotspot, North Point Marina. Bring your binoculars, scope and cold weather gear, and join birders outside of the yacht club to enjoy a close study of some of our harder-to-find winter species, including Iceland (Thayer’s and Kumlien’s), Glaucous, Great Black-backed, and Lesser Black-backed Gulls! A variety of waterfowl typically make an appearance too (scoters and other diving ducks), along with the occasional raptor, owl, or winter finch. Birders wearing bright orange hats will be available to help answer questions along the “boardwalk”.

To learn more, click here.

Join the Waitlist

Chicago Piping Plover Summer 2024 Intern reflects on her experiences

Jessica Cortez worked to promote conservation efforts and raise awareness about our Piping Plovers and other birds that use the Montrose Beach and Dunes through her education outreach

Back in April, I was working as a nanny to my two beautiful nieces and wondering what my next step was going to be. I had graduated from the University of Michigan in 2022 and still hadn’t explored many opportunities in my field. One day while I was giving my nieces breakfast, my mother frantically ran upstairs to tell me that my father had just heard of a summer position on the beach involving birds in some way or another, and that I should apply. If there are a few things that everyone knows about me, it’s that I love birds, I love the beach, and I love to talk! This sounded almost too good to be true, until I did some further research and found the position my father had described. 

Piping Plover and Shorebird Outreach Intern. I didn’t exactly know what this position entailed, but spending time on the beach and talking to people about endangered birds sounded like a regular summer day to me, and obviously the job of my dreams. Despite my nerves almost getting the best of me, I applied to what appeared to be the position of my fantasies, and to my absolute delight, I got accepted! Although I initially thought this position was the job of my dreams, my dreams hadn’t even come close to just how fun and fulfilling this position actually ended up being. 

From my first week on the beach, I was already getting a ton of engagement from people who wanted to hear all about the Piping Plovers. I couldn’t believe I was actually being paid to yap about birds- something I already frequently do. On top of that, people were actually interested in hearing about them! Before I knew it, people were visiting me at the beach and recognizing me from the various social media posts that mentioned my addition to the team. Some people even asked to take pictures with me, and to my amusement, many beach patrons told me that they endearingly referred to me as ‘beach girl’ or ‘bird girl’. On top of that, I was being supported by a team of great bosses who were giving me the liberty to decide exactly how I wanted to engage the public, and were open to listening to all of my crazy ideas.

Through my time at the beach, I talked to so many more people than I ever would have imagined could ever be interested in hearing about endangered birds on the beach. Every day, I was surprised that I was leaving feeling more fulfilled than the last. I wasn’t only engaging with people who already knew all about Monty and Rose and their history on Montrose like I’d initially assumed I would be, but I was talking to people from Central America and coastal Mexican cities who told me they’d seen plovers in their home countries. I was talking to food vendors on the beach who wanted to know why the beach was closed off in certain sections and subsequently what they could do to help protect the birds. I was talking to kids who didn’t even speak English but were nonetheless drawn in by the pictures of cute birdies that I had on my table. 

Not only was I talking to such a vast and diverse amount of people, but I was also finally in a position where I could help reach my own community of Latinos in the city, a group that is so often overlooked in science circles. I was able to speak in my native tongue and it was actually considered to be an advantage versus just a characteristic that I had.

Sure, there were some instances of interacting with creepy men or rude people, but these very seldom occurrences of discomfort on the beach were so far outweighed by the immense love I felt from the Montrose community. From the lifeguards and paleteros working on the beach, to the frequent patrons that were always sure to stop by my table and ask about updates on Imani and crew, who all quickly became my friends, I felt so overwhelmingly accepted and supported on Montrose Beach. Which, admittedly, was something I was nervous about before starting my position. Plus, what other job position would allow me to take a quick dip in the lake on a hot summer day, or spend time birding when the day is slow? 

Midway through the summer, essentially all of my close friends and family were asking for updates on the chicks and wanted to be the first to hear of any news with the plovers. These are mostly people who can’t tell a gull from a pigeon and couldn’t care less about birds in general, by the way. I felt so fulfilled to know that I was making a difference, not only at Montrose beach but even in my own circle. I know I had an impact on the plovers, just as much as they had an impact on me. Overall, I couldn’t have dreamed of a position more suited to exactly my interests and passions, and I don’t think there’s any other position where I could have had as much fun as I did.

Forever a plover lover, 
Jessica Cortez

IOS Speaker Series: “The Secret Lives of Sandhill Cranes”

October 23rd @ 7:00 pm

About the PresentationSandhill Cranes are highly visible and charismatic megafauna. But how well do we understand their lives on a daily and annual basis? This program will describe nearly 20 years of observing color-banded Sandhill Cranes in Wisconsin as part of a scientific research study. We will explore demographic characteristics, behavior, and conservation of Sandhill Cranes while conducting this research.

About Matt Hayes 
Matt is currently the Assistant Director for the Illinois Audubon Society. He is a trained field ornithologist and geneticist who has conducted research on sandhill cranes, piping plovers, and variety of songbirds. He enjoys birding, outdoor activities, and spending time with family.

Register in advance for this meeting by clicking the button below. 
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtc-6urDsoHtB-OFafy1cR7F7d6ZDN4EGu

IOS Big Sit 2024 – Competition and Fundraiser

Friday, September 20 – Sunday, Sep. 22, 2024













Artwork by Evan Smith

Plan now for your team or your individual Big Sit. Learn more about how to participate as a team or an individual, how to register a fundraising page, how to donate, and how to join in the fun!

Click here for more information.

IORC Update, 26 August 2024

The Illinois Ornithological Records Committee (IORC) recently concluded evaluations of 31 records of the occurrence of rare birds in Illinois. IORC accepted 26 of these records and did not accept five.

The records involved are summarized below. For each record, we indicate the species or form, with number of individuals in parentheses if greater than one, followed by date or date range, location, and county. The record number is indicated in parentheses, followed by, for accepted records, names of the documenters. If multiple documenters are listed, those understood by IORC to have been the original finders of the bird(s) are listed first and separated from the others by a semicolon. IORC thanks all the documenters, for accepted and unaccepted records alike, for their submissions. All documentation is maintained in the IORC archives so that there is a permanent record of all these observations. Documentation, regardless of the Committee’s decision, is a valuable part of the record of bird life in Illinois.

Records Accepted

  • Eurasian Wigeon, 10-11 March 2024, Middle Fork River Forest Preserve, Champaign County (2024-008; Alex Lowe-Massi; Sarah Winnicki-Smith).
  • Snowy Plover, 31 May to 7 June 2024, North Unit of Illinois Beach State Park and Johns Mansville Ponds in Waukegan, Lake County (2024-028; John Kuenzli; Susan Lamberts, Carolyn Luecke, Annette McClellan, William McClellan, Valentina Roumi, Beau Schaefer, Adam Sell, Matt Tobin, Gustavo Ustariz, Steve Zehner).
  • Ruff, 27 March 2024, Richton Park, Cook County (2024-009; Jeffrey Stwora, Linda Stwora; Ian Sarmiento, Matt Zuro).
  • Ruff, 30 March 2024, Bellrose Unit of Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Pulaski County (2024-010; Keith McMullen).
  • Ruff, 23-24 April 2024, Greene Valley Forest Preserve, DuPage County (2024-018; Davida Kalina).
  • Ruff, 8 May 2024, Pecatonica, Winnebago County (2024-019; Dan Williams).
  • Pomarine Jaeger, 4 November 2023, Park No. 566, Chicago, Cook County (2023-100; Marky Mutchler, Peter Tolzmann).
  • Black-tailed Gull, 29-31 May 2024, Waukegan Beach, Lake County (2024-025; Matt Tobin; Geoffrey A. Williamson).
  • Short-billed Gull, 29 January 2024, Mel Price Lock and Dam, Madison County (2024-007; Jonah Eckels, Bill Rowe; Samuel Belley, David French, Paul McKenzie, Seth Winkelman).
  • Glaucous-winged Gull, 22 January to 25 February 2024, at North Point Marina in Winthrop Harbor and in Grayslake, Lake County (2024-006; Woody Goss; Nat Carmichael, Nathan Goldberg, Haley Gottardo, Stephen Hurst, Scott Latimer, Dan Michler).
  • Burrowing Owl, 10-13 April 2024, Montrose Point in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, Cook County (2024-011; Kay McNab).
  • Prairie Falcon, 24 October 1993, Sand Bluff Bird Observatory, Winnebago County (1993-079; John Longhenry).
  • Prairie Falcon (1 to 2), 28 October 2023 to 26 February 2024, southwest of Arcola, Coles County (2023-101; Tyler Funk; Ted Hartzler, Christopher Hensel).
  • Prairie Falcon, 26 February 2024, Essex Township, Kankakee County (2024-013; Bob Fisher, Donnalyn Quint).
  • Prairie Falcon, 26 May 2024, Johnsburg, McHenry County (2024-027; Michal Furmanek).
  • Say’s Phoebe, 24 March 2024, Hannaford Forest Preserve, Kane County (2024-014; Kevin Hatcher; Sandeep Biswas).
  • Fish Crow, 23 May 2024, Evanston, Cook County (2024-023; Tamima Itani).
  • Sage Thrasher, 13-14 April 2024, McKee Marsh in Blackwell Forest Preserve, DuPage County (2024-012; Josiah Verbrugge).
  • Lark Bunting, 8-9 July 2024, Park No. 566, Chicago, Cook County (2024-030; Alex Haza).
  • Great-tailed Grackle, 20 December 2023 to 12 March 2024, Monee, Will County (2023-108; Isoo O’Brien; Geoffrey A. Williamson, Susan Zelek).
  • Swainson’s Warbler, 29 April 1990, Sand Bluff Bird Observatory, Winnebago County (1990-039; Lynda Johnson, John Longhenry).
  • Kirtland’s Warbler, 18 May 2024, Montrose Point in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, Cook County (2024-021; Graham Deese).
  • Townsend’s Warbler, 8 September 2001, Sand Bluff Bird Observatory, Winnebago County (2001-064; John Longhenry).
  • Western Tanager, 15 May 2024, Glacial Park, McHenry County (2024-024; Randy Schietzelt).
  • Black-headed Grosbeak, 18-22 July 2024, south of Du Quoin, Perry County (2024-031; Richard Wayman; C. Leroy Harrison, Bob Shelby).
  • Painted Bunting (1 to 3), 3 May to 19 July 2024 (and possibly later), East St. Louis, St. Clair County (2024-026; Joe Gardner, Yvonne Homeyer, Amy Rangel, Christopher Tomera).

Records Not Accepted

  • Smew (5), 3-4 April 2024, Woodstock, McHenry County (2024-016).
  • Limpkin, 14 January 2024, Forbes Biological Station, Mason County (2024-004).
  • Pomarine Jaeger, 28 October 2023, Gillson Park, Wilmette, Cook County (2023-082).
  • White-faced Ibis (2), 22 November 2023, Pyramid State Park, Perry County (2023-099).
  • Eyebrowed Thrush, 20 March to 2 April 2024, Eureka, Woodford County (2024-015).

2024 Grants Summary

This year 7 grant proposals were fully funded, totaling $17,000 in research dollars! IOS has now funded 140 grants, awarding over $137,000 since the program’s inception.

One of IOS’s objectives is “To promote scientific research and education in order to improve knowledge and awareness of birds in Illinois”. The IOS Grants Program was initiated several years ago to support this objective with funding.

The 2024 IOS Grants Program received fourteen requests for funding, representing a notably diverse set of study goals. The IOS review team evaluated each proposal to determine this year’s recipients. In addition to money provided directly by IOS, donations by five organizations and many individuals made it possible for the 2024 grant recipient to receive full funding for their projects.

Sponsor Organizations:
Dupage Birding Club
Illinois Audubon Society
Lake-Cook Audubon Society
Chicago Ornithological Society
Evanston North Shore Bird Club

Thanks to all! Without the generosity of these organizations and IOS members and friends in the bird conservation community, IOS would not be able to support these projects. The support exemplified by this funding sends an important message to these students and researchers: We believe in your work, and we care about the future of our state’s bird life!

Thanks to Dustin Weidner, John Leonard and Matt Hayes for reviewing and evaluating all the requests.

Congratulations to the grant recipients! Watch for their project articles in future issues of Meadowlark. Following is a synopsis of the 2024 grants. Where noted, individuals and organizations targeted those grants for their donations.

Project LeadProjectFully Sponsored by
Mike Avara
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign		The stopover and wintering behavior of Northern Saw-whet Owls in IllinoisBob Fisher
Avi Berger
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign		A Novel Approach to Investigating Developmental Changes in Eggshell ThicknessIllinois Audubon Society
Carlos Calzada
University of Chicago & 
Field Museum of Natural History		West Nile Virus Epizootic in the FMNH’s Bird Collection: Evidence for Pathogen-driven Selection?Dupage Birding Club
Mac Chamberlain
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign		Social and genetic monogamy in the Brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater)Individuals &
Illinois Ornithological Society
Avery Dart
Illinois State University		Effects of extra-pair paternity on provisioning effort in male house wrens (Troglodytes aedon)Illinois Audubon Society
Ramona Pollard
The Nature Institute		Mapping Birds for Restoration: Use of Passive Bird Monitoring to Create Targeted Restoration EffortsIndividuals,
Chicago Ornithological Society
& Illinois Ornithological Society
Anastasia Rahlin
Illinois Natural History Survey,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign		Investigating Marsh and Sedge Wren diets with fecal metabarcoding across a wetland urbanization gradientLake-Cook Audubon Society

2024 Project Summary & Abstracts

IOS Annual Shorebirding Weekend

IOS will be hosting its annual August Shorebirding Weekend on August 24th and 25th, within the Emiquon and Chautauqua Wildlife Refuges. This is one of Illinois’ premier hotspots for migrant shorebirds and is host to numerous shorebirds each season. It’s not uncommon for us to see over 20 species of shorebirds on this trip! In addition to the numerous possibilities of shorebirds, the area also offers a nice assortment of passerines, herons, terns, and waterfowl. We look forward to sharing another weekend with all of you for some great birding! Lunch will be provided at the Dixon Mounds State Museum on Saturday, where we can cool off and relax before we continue birding for the afternoon.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

IORC Update, 1 June 2024

The Illinois Ornithological Records Committee (IORC) recently concluded evaluations of 25 records of the occurrence of rare birds in Illinois. IORC accepted 15 of these records and did not accept 10.

The records involved are summarized below. For each record, we indicate the species or form, with number of individuals in parentheses if greater than one, followed by date or date range, location, and county. The record number is indicated in parentheses, followed by, for accepted records, names of the documenters. If multiple documenters are listed, those understood by IORC to have been the original finders of the bird(s) are listed first and separated from the others by a semicolon. IORC thanks all the documenters, for accepted and unaccepted records alike, for their submissions. All documentation is maintained in the IORC archives so that there is a permanent record of all these observations. Documentation, regardless of the Committee’s decision, is a valuable part of the record of bird life in Illinois.

Records Accepted

  • King Eider, 21 November 1936, Henry, Marshall County (1936-002; J.A. King).
  • Limpkin, 17 October 2023, Lake Springfield, Sangamon County (2023-092; H. David Bohlen).
  • Limpkin, 8 December 2023, Lake Springfield, Sangamon County (2023-115; Jarod Hitchings, Dennis Oehmke).
  • Limpkin, 12 January 2024, Borah Lake, Richland County (2024-005; Anna King).
  • American Golden-Plover, 16 December 2023, Rend Lake, Jefferson County (2023-111; Keith McMullen).
  • Parasitic Jaeger, 14 October 2023, Gillson Park, Wilmette, Cook County (2023-076; William Pixler, Peter Tolzmann).
  • Short-billed Gull, 8-11 January 2024, Lock & Dam 14 on the Mississippi River, Rock Island County (2024-003; Steve Freed; Brandon Caswell).
  • White Ibis, 17 November to 19 December 2023, Emiquon Preserve, Fulton County (2023-109; Forbes Biological Station).
  • Say’s Phoebe, 1-9 January 2024, Danville, Vermilion County (2024-001; Rob Kanter).
  • Bohemian Waxwing (1200),  30 November 1919, Beach, Lake County (1919-002; Colin Sanborn, Herbert L. Stoddard). Specimen record.
  • Pine Grosbeak, 17 November 1906, Beach, Lake County (1906-002; J.F. Ferry). Specimen record.
  • Pine Grosbeak, 22 November 1933, Chicago, Cook County (1933-001; E.B. Baker). Specimen record.
  • Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, 16 December 2023, Rend Lake, Franklin County (2023-110; Keith McMullen).
  • Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s), 19 November to 19 December 2023, north of Rockford, Winnebago County (2023-112; Barbara Williams).
  • Black-throated Gray Warbler, 7-14 January 2024, Elgin, Cook County (2024-002; Bob Andrini).

Records Not Accepted

  • Cinnamon Teal, 29 August 2023, Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area, Grundy County (2023-056).
  • Parasitic Jaeger, 6 September 2023, Chicago, Cook County (2023-049).
  • Parasitic Jaeger, 6 September 2023, Gillson Park, Wilmette, Cook County (2023-055).
  • Parasitic Jaeger, 12 September 2023, Burnham Park, Chicago, Cook County (2023-052).
  • Parasitic Jaeger, 17 September 2023, Rainbow Beach, Chicago, Cook County (2023-058).
  • Parasitic Jaeger, 18 September 2023, Burnham Park, Chicago, Cook County (2023-116).
  • Parasitic Jaeger, 23 September 2023, South Shore Cultural Center, Chicago, Cook County (2023-117).
  • Parasitic Jaeger, 27 September 2023, Gillson Park, Wilmette, Cook County (2023-118).
  • Parasitic Jaeger, 14 October 2023, Jackson Park, Chicago, Cook County (2023-075).
  • Audubon’s Oriole, 8 May 2011, Half Day Forest Preserve, Lake County (2011-044).

Funding for the 2024 IOS Grants Program

To the Illinois birding community, please consider supporting the IOS Grants program.

Since 2004, the IOS Grants Program has awarded multiple grants to applicants conducting projects relating to birds and/or birding in Illinois. Funding has been provided from a variety of sources including individual donations from IOS members and friends, donations from birding and bird conservation organizations and local birding groups around the state, the Gull Frolic, Big Day pledges, and more. We couldn’t offer this program without the generosity and support from the Illinois birding community!

Each year we receive many applications, 2024 (our 21st year) is no different, with four proposals submitted and the deadline still ahead. The submissions will be reviewed in detail by our Grants team, and we are striving to fund as many of the proposals as possible. We are hoping to notify applicants if they will receive funding by May 19th.

Many come from graduate students at various universities around Illinois, to support their research on birds. Some requests are projects in their 2nd or 3rd year of field research.

The IOS Grants are important on multiple levels:

  • They provide critical funding for bird research in Illinois, particularly when other funding sources are becoming increasingly difficult to find.
  • They promote scientific research and education in order to improve knowledge and awareness of birds in Illinois.

Supporting the IOS Grants program is one way that the birding community can show how we value the commitment and dedication of the applicants doing bird-related research. By donating to the IOS Grants program, individuals like you are supporting the work that builds our future, helping maintain and expand high quality habitat, identifying and mediating conservation issues, and ensuring that birds will continue to thrive in Illinois.

Please donate what you can, contact your friends, neighbors, family, local clubs and organizations, and ask them to help. IOS will help combine contributions to fund requests. Any amount is appreciated! If you or your organization would like to fully fund a request, we will help you contact the recipient and make the award yourself, if desired.

To make a contribution

  • Preferred method for contributions is to donate online on the IOS website. Click the Donate tab and designate “Grants Program donation” in the menu. Click here to donate online.
  • If donating by check, checks can be made out to the Illinois Ornithological Society and mailed. Please email grants@illinoisbirds.org to let us know to expect a check in the mail. 

Mail checks to:
Illinois Ornithological Society
c/o Grants Program
PO Box 931
Lake Forest, IL 60045

Thank you for your support!
IOS Grants Team

Dustin Weidner
Grants Program Director
Weidner: 214-697-9266
grants@illinoisbirds.org

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