The Illinois Ornithological Records Committee (IORC) recently concluded evaluation of 20 records of occurrence of rare birds in Illinois, accepting 18 and not accepting two. For each record, we indicate below the species or form, with number of individuals in parentheses if greater than one, followed by date or date range, location, and county. At the end, the record number is indicated in parentheses, followed by, for accepted records, names of the documenters. 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
- Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (3), 9 May 2017, Watershed Nature Center, Edwardsville, Madison County (2017-012; Evan Dvorchak, John Tomlinson)
- Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (3), 23 June 2017, northwest Alexander County (2017-023; Robert E. Fisher)
- White-winged Dove, 18 March 2017, Quincy, Adams County (2017-007; Pat Reyburn; Phil Reyburn)
- White-winged Dove, 4 June 2017, River Grove, Cook County (2017-014; Susan Szeszol)
- White-winged Dove, 19 June 2017, River Forest, Cook County (2017-022; Jill Anderson)
- Black Rail, 20-28 June 2017, Montrose Point in Chicago’s Lincoln Park, Cook County (2017-020; Karen Mansfield; Matthew Cvetas, Robert D. Hughes, Geoffrey A. Williamson)
- Black-headed Gull, 23 March 2017, Lake Springfield, Sangamon County (2017-008; H. David Bohlen; Colin Dobson)
- Neotropic Cormorant (2), 4 June to 26 July 2017, Almond Marsh Forest Preserve, Lake County (2017-015; Adam Sell; Oliver Burrus, Carolyn Fields, Vince Moxon)
- Neotropic Cormorant, 4-9 June 2017, Nygren Wetland Preserve, Winnebago County (2017-016; John Longhenry)
- Anhinga, 18 June 2017, Oakwood Bottoms, Jackson County (2017-018; Dan Kassebaum)
- Tricolored Heron, 20-22 June 2017, Illinois Beach State Park, Lake County (2017-021; Matthew Cvetas)
- Swallow-tailed Kite, 7 April 2017, east of Metropolis, Massac County (2017-010; Keith McMullen)
- Say’s Phoebe, 5 October 2013, Moraine View State Recreation Area, McLean County (2013-080; Benjamin Murphy)
- Townsend’s Solitaire, 3-5 December 2016, Sand Ridge State Forest, Mason County (2016-091; Colin Dobson, Andy Gilbert)
- Pine Grosbeak, 13 April 2017, Rockton, Winnebago County (2017-011; Martin Kehoe; Rolf Thienemann, Daniel T. Williams, Geoffrey A. Williamson)
- Golden-crowned Sparrow, 21 March to 4 April 2017, Letcher Basin, Woodford County (2017-006; Craig Taylor; Benjamin Murphy, Matt Wistrand)
- Western Tanager, 4 June 2017, Illinois Beach State Park, Lake County (2017-017; Carolyn Fields)
- Painted Bunting (2), 20 May to 31 July 2017, East St. Louis, St. Clair County (2017-019; Dan Kassebaum)
Records Not Accepted
- Semipalmated Plover, 7 March 2017, Northbrook, Cook County (2017-005)
- Ruff, 20 September 2016, Techny Basin, Glenview, Cook County (2016-075)