The record of Crested Caracara from Fulton County in February 2023 (2023-004), recently accepted, is the first accepted record of this species for Illinois. This is the 455th species on the official Illinois State List of Birds.
Crested Caracara, 10 Feb 2023 in Fulton County. Photo by Leroy Harrison
This individual was initially found by Kevin Blodgett on 4 Feb 2023 at Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge and was observed again by him and Randy Smith on the 6th. It was last seen in the area on 10 Feb 2023. IORC is aware of anecdotal reports that possibly indicate the bird’s presence near this area in early January 2023, but not verifiable details were received by IORC.