The Listers Corner feature of our website continues to substantially increase in popularity. Questions and suggestions may be directed to any member of the IOS Listers Corner Committee: Joe Lill, Mike Madsen and Jim Mountjoy.

With so many new birders joining the Listers Corner clan the IOS Board thought it would be timely to restate and clarify the procedures and rules governing the submission of totals.

Since this is a ‘for fun’ activity, not a scientific database, the rules are few:

• The Listers Corner Committee (LCC) does not vet submitted lists, except for mathematical errors, the presence of birds not on the IOS official state checklist and to determine whether a single-observer sighting of a Review List species has been documented to IORC in a timely manner (within one month of the sighting). The Review List, available on the IOS website, contains those bird species on the Illinois Checklist that require documentation to the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee. Final totals may change over time as listers make adjustments to their totals; for instance, in response to decisions by the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee related to sightings of review-list species.
• Listers are urged to abide by the ABA Code of Ethics and the ABA Recording Rules and Interpretations.
• In most cases, listers only need to send in their numerical totals, not their species list. However, when list totals reach thresholds that vary by category, a list of species may also be required.
• The 95% Rule, adopted by the American Birding Association, applies to all Team Big Days. 95% of all species must be identified by all observers.
• All submissions should be sent to the LCC by 1/31 of the following year. Lists sent after that will be added to Listers Corner solely at the discretion of the LCC.

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Here are a few Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I still count Hoary Redpoll on my 2024 lists? There have been a number of questions from the Illinois birding community about the handling of Hoary Redpoll with regards to list submission. The Listers Corner Committee will be handling the Hoary Redpoll question in this manner:
1) Hoary Redpoll will be countable for all 2024 Year Lists (state, county, etc.) Technically, one shouldn’t count it if it is first found after July, when the IOS Records Committee amended the official state list. The updated state list is available here. (link to: http://www.illinoisbirds.org/the-birds-of-illinois/)
2) Hoary Redpoll will be countable for all Big Days and Big Months through July 2024, but not afterwards.
3) Hoary Redpoll should not be included with any submitted life lists (state, regional, county, sites, buddy, etc.). This pertains to any total submitted in January 2025 for inclusion in the 2024 Listers Corner.
4) The LC Committee will not be going back and vetting any lists from the past. Even though we know for certain that some birders have Hoary Redpoll on their lists, it would be impossible to apply retroactive adjustments in any kind of equitable manner. If a birder does not submit an updated number, the number on record will not be changed.

I saw a Whooping Crane fly past. Can I count it? As a result of the ABA (American Birding Association) ruling on the countability of Whooping Cranes, you may, if you wish, add that species to your state and county lists, as long as the sighting is after June 2006, when the first chick from the Wisconsin flock was hatched in the wild. We will not be going back and changing list totals from past years. As always, the ultimate decision to list the species is yours. We asked the ABA committee about the scenario of seeing cranes following the ultralight plane. They prefer to have one standard for countability, and mentioned that the decision to count the species in that situation is up to the birder.

Can I count that Budgerigar that occasionally shows up at our feeders? Exotic species, not on the Illinois Checklist, cannot be included in lists sent to LCC. If/when an exotic is added to the Checklist, it becomes countable.

What about European Goldfinch? On January 9, 2024, the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee (IORC) voted to add European Goldfinch to the state checklist. The American Birding Association Checklist Committee uses a rubric of a 15-year breeding period as one requirement before considering an exotic to be established, and a paper by Craves and Anich (2023), concludes that breeding has occurred continuously since 2003. Hence, any European Goldfinch identified from 2018 to the present is eligible for a birder’s Illinois Life List, along with other life lists such as County or Site lists. Year lists from 2018 to 2022 will not be updated by the LCC. However, the LCC has decided that it can be counted for 2023 year lists, and, of course, going forward.

What about heard-only birds? The short answer is yes. Most listers count the regularly-occurring owls and nightjars by sound only. Beyond that, it becomes more problematic, dealing with mimics, the very similar sounding songs of vireos and warblers, etc. If it’s a relatively common species in an expected location, sure, go ahead and count it. However, be very cautious when making an ID based on sound, especially if it’s a Review List species, or a species far out of season or out of its normal range and habitat. Making an ID based on a call or chip note only is often not a reliable method.

Can I count a bird when I use an audio recording to lure it into view? Some specific locations prohibit playback. Using this technique in those places is a clear violation of the ABA Code of Ethics. Otherwise, be very judicious in using this technique – frequent, constant audio playback is known to be disruptive to many species, common and rare.

While birding alone, I saw what I think was a Bohemian Waxwing, mixed in with some Cedar Waxwings. It appeared to be grayer, looked a little bigger, but it was pretty far away, and I never saw the undertail. Can I count it? Do what you can to get a better look, call your birding friends to get other sets of eyes on the bird, etc. But if you’re still not sure, there’s a simple mnemonic – When in doubt, leave it out!

Why do I have to document rare or unusual birds? Documentation records sent to the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee form an important part of the scientific literature of bird occurrence in Illinois. Documenting a bird adds to that literature, even if your documentation is not accepted by the IORC. Within this broad question, there are several subcategories, such as the look-alike species problem, or addressing a sighting of a dramatically out-of-season species; for example, a Yellow Warbler in January, or a Black Vulture in Stephenson County, far north of its normal range. Both definitely should be documented. Common sense is the best screener in your decision to document. Is the species itself, or the date/place where you saw it unlikely or unexpected? Then documentation is appropriate – a diagnostic photo helps a lot! If you have a question along these lines, don’t hesitate to contact the Listers Corner Committee.

2023 IOS Lister’s Corner
Illinois Life Lists (PDF)	Total Tick Lists (PDF)
Big Year Lists (PDF)	Total Counties per Species List (PDF)
Big Month Lists (PDF)	Total Counties per Species List (Northern) (PDF)
Big Day Lists (PDF)	Total Counties per Species List (Central) (PDF)
Species Category Big Day Lists (PDF)	Total Counties per Species List (Southern) (PDF)
County Lists (PDF)
Miscellaneous Lists (PDF)	Illinois Regional Map (JPG)
Site Lists (PDF)	Historical Big Year Lists (PDF)
Yard Lists (PDF)	Submitted Lists (HTML)

Lister’s Corner Archives…

Plan your team now!

Friday, September 20 – Sunday, September 22, 2024

Artwork by Evan Smith

About the IOS 2024 Big Sit

Stay put. Count birds. Raise money! IOS invites you to join other birders throughout Illinois on the weekend of September 20-22 for the annual IOS 2024 Big Sit Competition and Fundraiser. Sign up below and pick a day on the weekend to sit in one spot and count as many species of birds as possible, whether in your yard or your favorite park or preserve. You can count as an individual or family or teams of up to five (additional participants can come and go from your count circle as long as no more than five people are in the circle at one time and social distancing and state guidelines are followed). Teams are also invited to help solicit donations for their team and use the event as a fun way to help us raise funds for IOS. The 2024 IOS Big Sit funds will go towards supporting IOS and IOS initiatives like the Illinois Young Birders and the IOS Grants program.

What is a Big Sit?

A Big Sit, similar to a Big Day, is a competition where a team of birders counts as many species as possible within a 24 hour period.  While the Big Day involves moving around from spot to spot to maximize species sightings, a Big Sit is precisely as it sounds. You stay in one location, a 17 foot diameter circle called a “count circle”, and only species seen or heard from that circle count for the final tally.  Count wherever you want and as long as you want during your chosen count day. The Big Sit is all about slowing down and enjoying good company, great birds, and, in this case, supporting a good cause! Full rules can be read here.

Steps to Participate

1. Click the “Start a Team” button below and then click on “Start a Fundraiser” to create your fundraising team and find up to 5 people to join your Big Sit.

To start a fundraiser, you will need to create a Donately account if you do not already have one. It is very straightforward. Don’t forget a creative name for your team! And, set a fundraising goal for yourself/your team!

2. Add a description which includes 1) Your teammates  2) Where you will be conducting your Big Sit 3) the date of your Big Sit.

3. Have each team member “join” by donating $10 (or more!) to your team.

4. Share, share, share! Reach out to friends and family to donate to your Big Sit by sharing your donation page. 

Donors can do a 1-time donation, or they can pledge to donate an amount “per species” and complete their donation after you announce your final species total to them.  NOTE: Your team is responsible for keeping track of “per species” donors and reminding them to donate afterwards!  Encourage donors that they can donate both ways!

5. Have Fun!

On your competition day, sit back, relax, and have fun counting birds. Share your highlights as the day progresses in the new IOS Facebook Group. (A submission form will be posted closer to the event date to submit your final species total and any highlights you want to share from your day).

6. Join Us for the Results and After Party

Anyone interested is invited to join us for a virtual after party online as we share highlights with one another and announce winners. Prizes will be awarded for the team that counts the most birds and for the team that raises the most in donations (details to be announced).

How to Donate

If you are supporting a specific team, you can donate via the link to their team page or search for the team below.

If you are not supporting a specific team, feel free to pick one that you would like to support.

We invite donors to follow along during the event in the IOS Facebook Group and join ys for the results and after party. Thank you in advance for your support of IOS!

Ways to Promote the Big Sit with Friends and Bird Clubs

Invite others to learn more at https://www.illinoisbirds.org/bigsit/

Questions

Aerin Tedesco and Evan Smith
IOS Big Sit Event Coordinators

 

This is this official Illinois State List of Birds. The list 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 it by observers and others. 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 65th supplement, Chesser et al 2024, issued July 2024).

A total of 457 species and one species group have been officially recorded in the state as of July 2024. The species group is California/Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay. Represented on the list are 62 families and 21 orders of birds.

Literature Cited

American Ornithologists’ Union. 1998. Check-list of North American Birds. 7th edition. American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C.

Chesser, R.T., S.M. Billerman, K.J. Burns, C. Cicero, J.L. Dunn, B.E. Hernández-Baños, R.A. Jiménez, O. Johnson, A.W. Kratter, N.A. Mason, P.C. Rasmussen, and J.V. Remsen, Jr. 2024. Sixty-fifth supplement to the American Ornithological Society’s Check-list of North American Birds. Ornithology 141.

IOS Field Checklist (PDF)

KEY:

Evidence Type

• • photo = photograph
  • audio = audio recording
  • spec = specimen
  • doc = written documentation

Status Information

• • Regular = Recorded within the state with at least eight records in the previous 10 years and thought to be probable to maintain that rate of records, including those species that are very local and those that cannot be located reliably anywhere in the state. Most species in this category are expected within the state annually.
  • Casual = Not meeting the requirements for Regular status, with at least six records in the state and at least three records in the previous ten years.
  • Accidental = Either less than six records in the state, or less than three records in the past ten years.
  • Accidental (provisional) = Having accepted records, none of which are based on specimen or physical evidence and all of which are documented by no more than one observer.
  • Extirpated = Formerly Regular in Illinois but which have not been recorded in the state in the previous 50 years.
  • Extinct = Has occurred in the state but no longer exists.

Breeding Information

• • For species that have bred in Illinois, an additional notation appears in the entry, following a slash (“/”). Where breeding is restricted to a region of the state, this is indicated by enclosed in parentheses a letter(s) indicated the region (e.g. N for north, NE for northeast, etc.)
  • 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.

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Recent Additions: Barnacle Goose, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Limpkin, Common Ringed Plover, Little Stint, Wandering Tattler, Brown Booby, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Red-naped Sapsucker, Crested Caracara, Western Flycatcher, Small-billed Elaenia, Great Kiskadee, Cassin’s Kingbird, Cassin’s Vireo, Plumbeous Vireo, European Goldfinch, Lesser Goldfinch, Painted Redstart

Recent Removals: Western Gull

Recent Removal due to Taxonomy Changes in the 65th AOS Check-list Supplement: Hoary Redpoll (lumped with Common Redpoll, Redpoll)

Recent Removal due to Taxonomy Changes in the 58th AOS Check-list Supplement: Thayer’s Gull (lumped with Iceland Gull)

Recent Additions/Removals due to Taxonomy Changes in the 57th AOU Check-list Supplement: Green Violetear replaced with Mexican Violetear, Western Scrub-Jay replaced with California/Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay

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Order: Anseriformes

Family: Anatidae (Ducks, Geese, and Swans)

• Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis) (spec) Regular / b
• Fulvous Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna bicolor) (photo) Accidental
• Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens) (spec) Regular / b (cross-breeding)
• Ross’s Goose (Anser rossii) (spec) Regular
• Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) (spec) Regular
• Brant (Branta bernicla) (spec) Casual
• Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis) (photo) Accidental
• Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii) (spec) Regular
• Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) (spec) Regular / B
• Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) (spec) Regular (introduced) / B
• Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) (spec) Regular (reintroduced, established) / B
• Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) (spec) Regular
• Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) (spec) Regular / B
• Garganey (Spatula querquedula) (photo) Accidental
• Blue-winged Teal (Spatula discors) (spec) Regular / B
• Cinnamon Teal (Spatula cyanoptera) (photo) Regular
• Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata) (spec) Regular / b
• Gadwall (Mareca strepera) (spec) Regular / b
• Eurasian Wigeon (Mareca penelope) (spec) Casual
• American Wigeon (Mareca americana) (spec) Regular
• Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) (spec) Regular / B
• American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) (spec) Regular / b
• Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula) (photo) Casual
• Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) (spec) Regular / b
• Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) (spec) Regular / b
• Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) (spec) Regular / b (NE)
• Redhead (Aythya americana) (spec) Regular / b
• Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) (spec) Regular
• Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) (photo) Accidental
• Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) (spec) Regular
• Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) (spec) Regular / b
• King Eider (Somateria spectabilis) (spec) Accidental
• Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) (photo) Accidental
• Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) (photo) Regular
• Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata) (spec) Regular
• White-winged Scoter (Melanitta deglandi) (spec) Regular
• Black Scoter (Melanitta americana) (spec) Regular
• Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis) (spec) Regular
• Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) (spec) Regular
• Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) (spec) Regular
• Barrow’s Goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) (spec) Casual
• Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) (spec) Regular / B
• Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) (spec) Regular
• Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) (spec) Regular / b (NE)
• Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) (spec) Regular / B

Order: Galliformes

Family: Odontophoridae (New World Quail)

• Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) (spec) Regular / B

Family: Phasianidae (Partridges, Grouse, Turkeys, and Old World Quail)

• Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) (spec) Regular / B ³
• Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) (spec) Extirpated / (B) ¹
• Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) (spec) Extirpated / (b) (N)
• Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido) (spec) Regular (SE, local) / B (endangered) ²
• Gray Partridge (Perdix perdix) (spec) Accidental (N, introduced) / b
• Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) (spec) Regular (introduced) / B

Order: Podicipediformes

Family: Podicipedidae (Grebes)

• Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) (spec) Regular / B
• Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus) (spec) Regular / (b)
• Red-necked Grebe (Podiceps grisegena) (spec) Regular
• Eared Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) (spec) Regular / b (NE)
• Western Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) (spec) Regular
• Clark’s Grebe (Aechmophorus clarkii) (doc) Accidental

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 ⁴
• Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) (spec) Extinct / (B)
• Inca Dove (Columbina inca) (photo) Accidental
• Common Ground-Dove (Columbina passerina) (spec) Accidental
• White-winged Dove (Zenaida asiatica) (spec) Regular
• Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) (spec) Regular / B

Order: Cuculiformes

Family: Cuculidae (Cuckoos, Roadrunners, and Anis)

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

Order: Caprimulgiformes

Family: Caprimulgidae (Nightjars)

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

Order: Apodiformes

Family: Apodidae (Swifts)

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

Family: Trochilidae (Hummingbirds)

• Mexican Violetear (Colibri thallasinus) (photo) Accidental
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) (spec) Regular / B
• Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) (photo) Accidental
• Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) (spec) Regular
• Allen’s Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) (spec) Accidental ⁵
• Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) (photo) Accidental
• Broad-billed Hummingbird (Cynanthus latirostris) (spec) Accidental ⁶

Order: Gruiformes

Family: Rallidae (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots)

• King Rail (Rallus elegans) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)
• Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola) (spec) Regular / B
• Sora (Porzana carolina) (spec) Regular / B
• Common Gallinule (Gallinula galeata) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)
• American Coot (Fulica americana) (spec) Regular / B
• Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinicus) (spec) Casual / b (S)
• Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis) (spec) Regular / (b) (N)
• Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis) (spec) Casual / b (endangered)

Family: Aramidae (Limpkins)

• Limpkin (Aramus guarauna) (spec) Accidental

Family: Gruidae (Cranes)

• Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) (spec) Regular / B
• Whooping Crane (Grus americana) (spec) Accidental

Order: Charadriiformes

Family: Recurvirostridae (Stilts and Avocets)

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

Family: Charadriidae (Lapwings and Plovers)

• Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola) (spec) Regular
• American Golden-Plover (Pluvialis dominica) (spec) Regular
• Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) (spec) Regular / B
• Common Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) (photo, audio) Accidental
• Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) (spec) Regular
• Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) (spec) Regular / b (endangered, State and Federal)
• Wilson’s Plover (Anarhynchus wilsonia) (photo) Accidental
• Mountain Plover (Anarhynchus montanus) (photo) Accidental
• Snowy Plover (Anarhynchus nivosus) (photo) Casual

Family: Scolopacidae (Sandpipers)

• Upland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)
• Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) (spec) Regular
• Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis) (spec) Extinct
• 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 (rufa subspecies threatened)
• Ruff (Calidris pugnax) (photo) Regular
• 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) Casual
• Baird’s Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii) (spec) Regular
• Little Stint (Calidris minuta) (photo) Accidental
• Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) (spec) Regular
• White-rumped Sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) (spec) Regular
• Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Calidris 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
• American Woodcock (Scolopax minor) (spec) Regular / B
• Wilson’s Snipe (Gallinago delicata) (spec) Regular / B
• Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) (spec) Regular / B
• Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) (spec) Regular
• Wandering Tattler (Tringa incana) (photo) Accidental
• Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) (spec) Regular
• Willet (Tringa semipalmata) (spec) Regular
• Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) (spec) Regular
• 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 (Skuas and Jaegers)

• Pomarine Jaeger (Stercorarius pomarinus) (photo) Accidental ⁸
• Parasitic Jaeger (Stercorarius parasiticus) (spec) Regular ⁸
• Long-tailed Jaeger (Stercorarius longicaudus) (photo) Casual ⁸

Family: Alcidae (Auks, Murres, and Puffins)

• 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
• Short-billed Gull (Larus brachyrhynchus) (photo) Casual
• Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) (spec) Regular / B
• California Gull (Larus californicus) (photo) Regular
• Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) (spec) Regular / B
• 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) (spec) Accidental
• Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)
• 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) Casual
• Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) (photo) Accidental
• Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger) (photo) Accidental

Order: Gaviiformes

Family: Gaviidae (Loons)

• Red-throated Loon (Gavia stellata) (spec) Regular
• Pacific Loon (Gavia pacifica) (photo) Regular
• Common Loon (Gavia immer) (spec) Regular / (b) (N)
• Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii) (spec) Accidental

Order: Ciconiiformes

Family: Ciconiidae (Storks)

• Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) (spec) Casual

Order: Suliformes

Family: Fregatidae (Frigatebirds)

• Magnificent Frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) (photo) Accidental

Family: Sulidae (Boobies and Gannets)

• Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) (photo) Accidental
• Northern Gannet (Morus bassanus) (doc) Accidental

Family: Anhingidae (Darters)

• Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) (photo) Regular / b

Family: Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants)

• Double-crested Cormorant (Nannopterum auritum) (spec) Regular / B
• Neotropic Cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum) (spec) Regular

Order: Pelecaniformes

Family: Pelecanidae (Pelicans)

• American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) (spec) Regular / B
• Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) (spec) Casual

Family: Ardeidae (Bitterns, Herons, and Allies)

• Least Bittern (Botaurus exilis) (spec) Regular / B (threatened)
• American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) (spec) Regular / b (endangered)
• Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)
• Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) (photo) Casual
• Reddish Egret (Egretta rufescens) (photo) Accidental
• Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)
• Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)
• Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)
• Green Heron (Butorides virescens) (spec) Regular / B
• Great Egret (Ardea alba) (spec) Regular / B
• Western Cattle-Egret (Bubulcus ibis) (spec) Regular / B
• Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) (spec) Regular / B

Family: Threskiornithidae (Ibises and Spoonbills)

• White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) (spec) Regular
• Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) (photo) Regular
• White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) (photo) Regular
• Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) (photo) Casual

Order: Cathartiformes

Family: Cathartidae (New World Vultures)

• Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) (photo) Regular / B (S) (local)
• Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) (spec) Regular / B

Order: Accipitriformes

Family: Pandionidae (Ospreys)

• Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)

Family: Accipitridae (Hawks, Kites, Eagles, and Allies)

• White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) (photo) Accidental
• Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) (spec) Regular / (b)
• Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) (spec) Regular
• Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius) (spec) Regular / B (endangered)
• Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) (spec) Regular / b
• Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) (spec) Regular / B
• American Goshawk (Accipiter atricapillus) (spec) Regular
• Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) (spec) Regular / B
• Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) (spec) Regular / B (S, local) (threatened)
• Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) (spec) Regular / B
• Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) (spec) Regular / B
• Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) (spec) Regular / B (NE, local) (endangered)
• Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) (spec) Regular / B
• Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) (spec) Regular
• Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) (spec) Accidental

Drawing above of Red-breasted Nuthatch by Jason Mullins.

Meadowlark Page Index

The Meadowlark Page Index is a full index of every issue of Meadowlark including a quick view of every cover and quick links to specific pages in the journal.

Meadowlark Species Index

Use the Meadowlark Species Index to search for and display every page in Meadowlark with a reference to a specific species.

Index of Published Articles

The following is a list of articles published in Meadowlark over the past 24 years. The latest issue is at the bottom of this list.

Volume 1

#1 – Premiere issue The Des Plaines River Wetlands Demonstration Project; A bird finding guide to shorebirds in southern Illinois.
#2 – Where, when, and how to watch hawks.
#3 – Snowy Owl invasion; The rare wintering Ivory Gull.
#4 – Spring Bird Count; bird rehabilitation.

Volume 2

#1 – Grassland bird population changes in Illinois and neotropical migrants studies.
#2 – The status of Chicago’s Peregrine Release and Restoration Project.
#3 – The status of Bald Eagles in Illinois.
#4 – The Greater Prairie-Chicken in Illinois; The first confirmed state record of the Painted Bunting.

Volume 3

#1 – The changing role of bird banding in Illinois and the nation.
#2 – Rufous Hummingbird records and gull identification.
#3 – Christmas Bird Counts, how useful are they?
#4 – How many birds die due to skyscrapers and other urban death traps?

Volume 4

#1 – The relationship between songbird breeding success and small mammal abundance, and an exciting new breeding bird hotspot.
#2 – Illinois’ endangered and threatened birds.
#3 – A Christmas Bird Count compiler goes on nine CBC’s in less than two weeks.
#4 – The biology and ecology of heronries.

Volume 5

#1 – The status of the House Finch in Illinois and how its presence affects the House Sparrow.
#2 – Chicago Lakefront Birding.
#3 – The role of habitat in the breeding and migratory success of wetland birds, plus a look at a rare ephemeral wetland in central Illinois.
#4 – The average arrival dates of all your favorite migrants in eastern Illinois and three other Midwestern sites.

Volume 6

#1 – Our fifth anniversary issue helps you update your field guides and life lists to reflect the current changes in species designations in North American birds.
#2 – Details on birds parasitized by the Brown-headed Cowbird.
#3 – Christmas Bird Count and Band-tailed Pigeon records.
#4 – Illinois Spring Bird Count results are featured plus an article on the state’s first Gull-billed Tern (Sterna nilotica).

Volume 7

#1 – Sabine’s Gull in the Middlewestern Prairie Region
#2 – Are Breeding Herons and Egrets Deserting the Central Illinois River Floodplain?
#3 – Featured article on Eastern Bird Populations in Dupage County and the 1997 Christmas Bird Count.
#4 – The 1998 Spring Bird Count results and the first of the series on Avian Studies in Illinois.

Volume 8

#1 – A series of featured articles on various species of interest breeding in Illinois including: Monk Parakeet, Osprey, Mississippi Kite, Bewick’s Wren, Purple Gallinule, and Common Terns.
#2 – A series of featured articles on the first Illinois Records of the Black Skimmer, Allen’s Hummingbird, and White-winged Dove.
#3 – Potential effects of increased predation risk on nestling House Wren quality and survival.
#4 – A series of articles on state records for the following species: Gray Kingbird, Tropical/Couch’s Kingbird, Garganey, Painted Bunting.

Volume 9

#1 – An excellent series of sight and nesting records for a variety of species including such species as Black-necked Stilt and Western Kingbird.
#2 – A look at the historical and rare birding in the state.
#3 – Explore some Illinois “firsts” and the widespread invasion of Northern Shrikes.
#4 – Highlights include the 2000 spring bird count and migrations records.

Volume 10

#1 – For the first time in history, the Painted Bunting has become a confirmed breeder in Illinois.
#2 – Dr. Steven Havera looks at the effects of land practices on waterfowl in Illinois, and the federally endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker visits Illinois Beach State Park.
#3 – Learn about Illinois’ first confirmed records of Long-tailed Jaeger, and the interesting behaviors this bird exhibited for many observers.
#4 – This issue features the 2001 spring bird count as well as the status of jaegers in Illinois.

Volume 11

#1 – Our tenth anniversary issue features articles on Illinois’ first reported Scissor-tailed Flycatcher nest as well as an Arctic Tern attempt at breeding with a Common Tern and the first documented record of nesting Ring-billed Gulls on a rooftop in Illinois.
#2 – White-throated Sparrows have been documented for the first time as nesting in Illinois. Plus, read about the new hawk watch at Illinois Beach State Park.
#3 – Illinois volunteers work to save habitat and document avian population trends, an American Robin nests in Chicago in December, and the Illinois 2001 Christmas Bird Counts.
#4 – Report on Chicagoland’s first spring migration bird banding station, the population decline of the Red-headed Wodpecker in Wisconsin and Illinois, and a pair of Cinnamon Teal in Clinton County.

Volume 12

#1 – Whooping Cranes over Illinois, the status of the Common Tern in Illinois, and introducing children to birding.
#2 – An estimate of shorebird numbers in Illinois, the status of the Whimbrel in the Middlewestern prairie region, and the status of the Piping Plover on the Great Lakes. Also, a guide to birding sod fields.
#3 – Winter bird population changes during a 38-year period in an urbanizing region, Illinois’ first Hermit Warbler, the 2002/2003 Illinois Christmas Bird Count, and a bird finding guide to the Paul Douglas Forest Preserve.
#4 – The effect of temperature and food choice of birds at feeders in northeastern Illinois, Burrowing Owl in Chaimpaign County, and the 2003 Illinois Spring Bird Count.

Volume 13

#1 – The potential impact of climate change on the summer distribution of Illinois’ nongame birds, first Illinois record of Roseate Spoonbill, Eurasian Collared-Doves in a River Forest backyard, and nesting Lark Sparrows in DuPage County.
#2 – This issue features the status of wintering Bald Eagles in central Illinois, a wonderful photo gallery of shorebirds and an account of the
first Illinois and second inland North American record of Black-tailed Gull.
#3 – Features Extreme birding by Kelly McKay, the 20023/2004 Christmas Bird Count and photos from the Gull Frolic and the Rough-legged Hawk invasion.
#4 – Mottled Duck at Lake Springfield, first state record by H. Davd Bohlen, plus an article about Audubon’s Washington Eagle — did it really exist —
written by Scott Maruna.

Volume 14

#1 – Features Monk Parakeets in Illinois – their history, the present and the future, written by Walter Marcisz and stories about interesting nesting
occurrences in the state last summer.
#2 – Nesting Swainson’s Hawks in Illinois, observations of a Hairy Woodpecker pair in a River Forest backyard, and a variety of rarities from around the state.
#3 – The Illinois prairie-chicken recovery plan, hawkwatching at Illinois Beach State Park, the Kane County Lark Bunting, and the 2004/2005 Christmas Bird Count. Corrected charts for the article on hawkwatching at Illinois Beach State Park can be found here.
#4 – Illinois’ important bird areas, Illinois’ first Fork-tailed Flycatcher, and the statewide Spring Bird Count.

Volume 15

#1 – Arrival dates and recapture patterns of spring migrant songbirds in northeasten Illinois, Bald Eagles attempting to nest in Kane County, and Field Notes for the 2005 breeding season.
#2 – First state record of Inca Dove, a Sooty Tern specimen from Illinois, Lost Mound Unit of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, and the twelth report of the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee.
#3 – The love song of Catharus guttatus, a juvenile Hermit Thrush in Chicago, the 1978 Chicago Ross’s Gull, a photo essay of Bald Eagles in winter, the 2005/2006 Illinois Christmas Bird Count, and Field Notes for the 2005/2006 winter season.
#4 – A second state record of MacGillivray’s Warbler in Kane County, a Yellow-throated Warbler at a Vermilion County feeder, reflections on backyard birding throughout Illinois, and the 2006 Illinois spring bird count.

Volume 16

#1 – Trumpeter Swans in Illinois, observations of nesting Red-headed Woodpeckers in Cook County, reflections on backyard birding throughout Illinois, and the 2006 breeding season.
#2 – Late Chimney Swifts, Swainson’s Hawks at the Illinois Beach State Park Hawkwatch, In Memorium, the Thirteenth report of the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee, and more.
#3 – A Barnacle Goose in LaSalle County, little-known birding spots in Jackson County, Black-headed Gull at Montrose, the 2006/2007 Christmas bird count, and Field Notes for the 2006/2007 winter season.
#4 – Census methods to better understand the nightly passage of songbird migrants through the Chicago region during May, a Summer Tanager visits a jelly feeder in DuPage County, the 2007 Illinois Statewide Spring Bird count, and Field Notes for the 2007 spring migration season.

Volume 17

#1 – On the hunt for Sprague’s Pipit, IOS research grants, reflections on backyard birding throughout Illinois, and the 2007 breeding season field notes.

#2 – The Plover Project, the Fourteenth Report of the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee, reflections on backyard birding throughout Illinois, and Field Notes for the 2007 fall migration.
#3 – Carlyle Lake gulls, a potential “Kamchatka” Mew Gull, sea ducks in central Illinois, the 2007/2008 Illinois Christmas Bird Count, 2007/2008 winter field notes, and more.
#4 – Illinois breeding bird population trends, a bird finding guide to Boone County, the 2008 Illinois Spring Bird Count, and Field Notes for the 2008 spring migration season.

Volume 18

#1 – Birdnotes from a bygone era, Mississippi Kites nesting in Rockford, and field notes for the 2008 breeding season.
#2 – IOS research grant awards, changes to the list of threatened and endangered Illinois birds, Yellow-breasted Chat study, backyard birding throughout Illinois, and the 2008 fall migration field notes.
#3 – Winter gull identification challenges, the fifteenth report of the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee, the 2008/2009 CBC season, remembering Laurence Binford and L. Barrie Hunt, and field notes for the 2008/2009 winter season.
#4 – Sandhill Crane colt survival in northeastern Illinois, aggressive interaction between a Sora and Virginia Rail during spring migration, the 2009 Illinois Statewide Spring Bird Count, and field notes for the 2009 spring migration.

Volume 19

#1 – Potential nesting Swainson’s Warbler in southern Illinois; First documented nesting record for Anhinga in Illinois; Northern Rough-winged Swallow builds nest in air-conditioning ducts, and more.
#2 – Effects of linear, woody vegetation removal of grassland birds at Bartle Grasslands; IOS awards six research grants; and more
#3 – Golden Eagle attacks white tailed deer at Nachusa Grasslands: Rat predation by a Black-crowned Night-Heron; and more
#4 – Chickamouse: Probable hybridization between Tufted Titmouse and Black-capped Chickadee in DeWitt County; Brown Creeper’s migratory route fidelity and urban fatality; the 2010 Illinois Statewide Spring Bird Count; Field Notes: Spring migration 2010

Volume 20

#1 – Status of the Barn Owl in Illinois; Social behavior in Red-headed Woodpeckers; Field Notes: The 2010 Breeding Season
#2 – Impacts of habitat restoration on songbirds in Chicago area forest preserves: Preliminary results from the 2010 breeding season; Red-eyed Vireo’s migratory route fidelity in an urban environment; The 2010/2011 Illinois Christmas Bird Count; Field Notes: The 2010 fall migration
#3 – Anna’s Hummingbird: Illinois’ first record; Inbreeding of Illinois Peregrine Falcons; IOS awards seven research grants; The 2011 Illinois Spring Bird Count Report; Field Notes: The 2010/2011 winter season
#4 – Illinois Ornithological Society celebrates 20 years; an avian census of Lowell Park

Volume 21

#1 -The Bobolinking Project: Experiments in Field Ornithology, Bohm Woods and the SIUE Nature Preserve: Valuable conservation assets for southwestern Illinois; Birding the Jane Addams Trail in Northwestern Illinois; Photo Essays: Peregrine Falcons nest at St. Michael Church; Sandhill Cranes attempt nesting in central Illinois; Field Notes: The 2011 breeding season
#2 -Does body condition explain patterns of songbird density in response to urbanization; Seventeenth report of the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee; Field Notes: The 2001 fall migration;Photo Gallery: Fall Birds of Illinois
#3 – A sampling of Snowy Owl pellet contents’ Illinois’ record irruption of Snowy Owls during the winter of 2011/2012 with notes on historical distribution; Gallery: A Snowy Owl extravaganza; The 20122/2012 Christmas Bird Count; Field Notes: Witner season 2011/2012
#4 – Elaeniamania; Illinois’ first winter record of the Black-throated Blue Warbler at sapsucker wells with notes on other Midwest and Mid-Canada records;Photo Gallery: Spring Birds; The 2012 Illinois Statewide Spring Bird Count; Field Notes: The 2012 spring migration

Volume 22

#1 – An integrative approach in testing density effects in a migratory songbird; The Prothonotary Warbler; Photo Gallery: Summer Color and Nesting Behavior; Field Notes: The 2012 breeding season
#2 – The 2012 Illinois and Mississippi River Fall waterbird and wetland habitat report; First Illinois record: The Wandering Tattler; Eighteenth report of the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee; Photo Gallery: Fall Migration; Field Notes: The 2012 fall migration
#3 – How to have a GR-EIGHT owling day (and night) by Jeff Smith; In Memoriam: Illinois birding community mourns the loss of three influential birders; 2013 IOS grants program sets records; The 2012/2013 Christmas Bird Count by Paul Sweet; Photo Gallery: Winter Beauties; Field Notes: The 2012/2013 Winter Season by Kelly McKay and Steven D. Bailey
#4 – Mute Swans: Potential impacts to wetlands and waterfowl in Illinois by Mike Eicholz; An invasion of Chipping Sparrows in spring by David B. Johnson; A Book Review: “Silent Spring Revisited” by Conor Mark Jameson by Stacia Novy; The 2013 Illinois Statewide Spring Bird Count; Field Notes: The 2013 spring migration

Volume 23

#1 – Lead shot ingestion rate and effects in Mourning Doves by Stephanice C. Plautz, Richard S. Halbook and Donald W. Sparling; In Memoriam: Jack Pomatto and Muriel Smith; Field Notes: The 2013 Breeding Season by Steven D. Bailey; Photo Gallery: Illinois Breeding Birds & Young
#2 – Characteristics of recently used or reused Red-headed Woodpecker cavity nests in Cook County, IL by Elsa C. Anderson and Jalene M. L Montagne; Museum sleuthing reveals the first Western Flycatcher for Illinois by Joshua I. Engle and Dave Willard; Illinois’ Second Gray Kingbird by Bob Shelby and Leroy Harrison; Nineteenth Report of the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee by Paul Sweet and Geoffrey Williamson; The 2013 Fall Migration Season by David B. Johnson
#3 – An unusual winter roosting shelter constructed by a Carolina Wren in central Illinios with commentary on winter survival on the edge by Lauren E. Brown and Evan S. Brown; Wintering first-cycle California Gull moves between two southern Illinois reservoirs by Dan Kassebaum; IOS supports birding lessons at Camp Casper by Christie Trifone Simon; The 2013/2014 Christmas Bird Count by Paul Sweet; Photo Galleries: Winter Gulls and Another Snowy Owl Invasion; Field Notes; The 2013/2014 Winter Season by Michael Hogg and David B. Johnson
#4 – Occupancy and turnover dynamics of grassland birds on private lands of Illinois as affected by habitat and field management by Justin J. Shew, Clayton K. Nielsen and Donald W. Sparling; The 2014 Illinois Spring Bird Count Report by Michael P. Ward and Tara Beveroth; Field Notes: The 2014 Spring Migration by Geoffrey A. Williamson; Photo Gallery: Spring Colors

Volume 24

#1 – Curve-billed Thrasher visits Montrose: Illinois’ second record by Luis Munoz; The value of urban grasslands for grassland birds in Northeast Illinois by Valerie L. Buxton and Thomas J. Benson; Breeding Season 2014 Field Notes by Steven D. Bailey; Photo Galleries Avian Colors of Summer Evidence of Illinois Breeders
#2 – Video cameras reveal diverse nest predator communities within Illinois’ shrublands by Scott J. Chiavacci, Thomas J. Benson and Michael P. Ward; The Diet of Chicago’s Celebrity South Loop Owls by Nandu Dubey and Josh Engel; the Twentieth Report of the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee by Paul W. Sweet and Geoffrey A. Williamson; The 2014 Fall Migration Season by David B. Johnson
#3 – The diet of Chicago’s celebrity south loop owls by Nandu Dubey and Joshua I. Engel; White Diamond in Quincy: states’ first well-documented adult Ivory Gull by Jason Mullins: Examining the role of migratory songbirds in the spread of Lyme disease in Illinios, Sarah Schneider, Christine Parker and James Miller.
#4 – Lincoln Land Community College bird banding station report and results by Vernon Kleen; the 2015 Illinois statewide spring bird count by Michael P. Ward and Tara Beveroth

Volume 25

#1 – Effects of added social information on habitat selection for grassland birds in central Illinois by John E. Andrews; Concealment of a nest and roosting shelter of the Carolina Wren by Evan S. Brown and Lauren E. Brown; Sora breeds successfully in Coles County agricultural field by Tyler D. Funk
#2 –
#3 –
#4 –

Volume 26

#1-#2 – Daily call patterns of King Rails in northeastern Illinois revealed by autonomous recording units by Daniel L. Goldberg and Toby A. Bassingthwaite; Twenty-Second Report of the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee by Geoffrey A. Williamson; Field Notes: The Summer 2016 Breeding Season by Steven D. Bailey, introduction by Jill S. Anderson; Field Notes: The Fall 2016 Migration Season by David B. Johnson
#3-#4 – 2016 Illinois Christmas Bird Count report by Paul Sweet; 2017 Illinois Spring Bird Count report by Michael P. Ward and Tara Beveroth; Field Notes: The Winter 2016-2017 Season by Daniel T. Williams Jr.; Field Notes: The Spring 2017 Migration Season by Geoffrey A. Williamson

Volume 27

#1-#2 – Twenty-Third Report of the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee by Geoffrey A. Williamson; Photo Gallery: 2017 Photo Highlights; Prairie Falcons of Coles County, Illinois by Tyler D. Funk; Field Notes: The Summer 2017 Breeding Season by Matt Hayes, assistant editing by Laura Reisse, Eric Secker, Tamima Itani, Adam Sell; Field Notes: The Fall 2017 Migration Season by Jill S. Anderson, assistant editing by David B. Johnson
#3-#4 – 2018 Illinois Spring Bird Count report by Tara Beveroth and Michael P. Ward; 2017 Illinois Christmas Bird Count report by Paul Sweet; Field Notes: The Winter 2017-2018
Season by Dan Williams; Field Notes: The Spring 2018 Migration Season by Tyler D. Funk and Geoffrey A. Williamson

Volume 28

#1-#2 – Twenty-Fourth Report of the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee by Geoffrey A. Williamson; Photo Gallery: 2018 Photo Highlights; Successful Nesting by Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks in Fayette County, Illinois in 2018 by Charley Marbut; Spacial Profiling of Avian Mortality at Illinois Communication Towers by Rachel DiPietro; Field Notes: The Summer 2018 Breeding Season by Matt Hayes, assistant editing by John Leonard, Laura Reisse, Eric Secker; Field Notes: The Fall 2018 Migration Season by Jill S. Anderson, assistant editing by David B. Johnson
#3-#4 – 2019 Illinois Spring Bird Count report by Tara Beveroth and Michael P. Ward; 2018 Illinois Christmas Bird Count report by Paul Sweet; Field Notes: The Winter 2018-2019
Season by Dan Williams; Field Notes: The Spring 2019 Migration Season by Tyler D. Funk and Geoffrey A. Williamson

Volume 29

#1-#2 – Twenty-Fifth Report of the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee by Geoffrey A. Williamson; Photo Gallery: 2019 Photo Highlights; Tool-Use in the American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) in an Illinois Suburb by Sean C. Lyon; The Long-awaited Return of the Piping Plover as a Breeding Species in Chicago and Cook County by Tamima F. Itani, Emma England, Leslie Borns, Brad Semel, and Francesca Cuthbert; Field Notes: The Summer 2019 Breeding Season by Andy Gilbert; Field Notes: The Fall 2019 Migration Season by Jill S. Anderson
#3 – 2019 Illinois Christmas Bird Count report by Eric Secker; Why the Name “Ancient Murrelet”? by Paul R. Clyne; Bird Behavior and Mortality During the 2019 Polar Vortex by Eric Secker; Avian community composition and behavior around a novel object by Jesse G. Hacker, Lydia Hopper, Seth Magle, Jalene M. LaMontagne; Field Notes: The Winter 2019-2020 Season by Dan Williams
#4 – 2020 Illinois Spring Bird Count report by Tara Beveroth and Michael P. Ward; Calls and Duets of Virginia Rails at Lake Calumet, Illinois in relation to Breeding Status by Daniel L. Goldberg, Toby A. Bassingthwaite; Depredation of Golden-crowned Kinglet by a presumed American Bullfrog in an urban park by Jacob C. Cooper; Field Notes: The Spring 2020 Migration Season by Geoffrey A. Williamson

Volume 30

#1 – Loggerhead Shrikes in Edwards County, Illinois by Bob Shelby; Two Surprisingly Exceptional Days: 720 Hummingbirds by Vernon M. Kleen; Water-level manipulations and predation risk at marsh bird nests in Illinois by Stephanie M. Schmidt, Thomas J. Benson, Auriel M.V. Fournier, Joshua M. Osborn; Nesting marsh birds at Emiquon Preserve by Devin R. Jen, Heath M. Hagy, Max Laurreur, Mike Wood, Benjamin J. O’Neal; Field Notes: The Summer 2020 Breeding Season by Paul Senner
#2 – A Year for Evening Grosbeaks in Illinois by Eric Secker; Twenty-Sixth Report of the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee by Geoffrey A. Williamson; Field Notes: The Fall 2020 Migration Season by Andy Gilbert
#3 – Front Street Great Kiskadee: A First State Record for Illinois by Steve Huggins and Nathan Goldberg; Illinois 2020 Christmas Bird Count Report by Eric Secker; Field Notes: The Winter 2020-2021 Season by Eric Secker; Acoustic Detection of Nocturnal Migrant Great Blue Herons at Central Illinois Farms by Daniel L. Goldberg and Ashley M. Tauber
#4 – The LaBagh Woods Broad-billed Hummingbird: Fourth State Record by Nathan Goldberg; 2021 Illinois Spring Bird Count report by Tara Beveroth and Michael P. Ward; Field Notes: The Spring 2021 Migration Season by Eric Secker and Matt Igleski

Volume 31

#1 –  The Origin of Bird Migration by John H. Rappole; Northern Cardinals can use non-visual cues to determine the carotenoid content of a potential food source by Abigail L. Danner; Hummingbirds: So Many Returns by Vernon M. Kleen; Those Amazing Hummingbirds: What Are the Odds by Vernon M. Kleen; Field Notes: The Summer 2021 Breeding Season by Paul Senner
#2 –  Second Illinois Record of Mexican Violetear with Notes on Midwest Records by Jason Cristino; Twenty-Seventh Report of the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee by Geoffrey A. Williamson; Field Notes: The Fall 2021 Migration Season by Andy Gilbert
#3 –  Redpoll Irruption by David B. Johnson; Illinois 2022 Christmas Bird Count Report by Jarod Hitchings and Bob Dolgan; Seasonal Summary by Andrea Tolzmann
#4 – The First Illinois  Record Sagawau Lesser Goldfinch by Leslie DeCourcey; 2022 Illinois Spring Bird Count by Tara Beveroth and Michael P. Ward; Seasonal Summary by Andy Gilbert

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 in 2004 to support this objective with grants awarded to projects relating to birds and/or birding in Illinois. A total of 131 grants totaling $117,610 have been awarded since the program’s inception, through 2023.

Review the list of Current and Past Recipients.

Grants are available to students, professionals, and organizations seeking funding for bird or birding related projects. Applicants must meet the following requirements.

Requirements:

• Applicants must be an IOS member. If not, join IOS today.
• Qualifying projects can be for research, education, accessibility, equity, or any other project intended to promote birds and birding in Illinois.
• Applicants should submit an application and upload a project proposal of up to but not exceeding five pages (supported file types: .doc or .pdf). A project proposal should include the following components:
  • Abstract: 200 words or less summarizing the project.
  • Introduction: Clearly state the objectives, the purpose and goals of the project and, if applicable, what hypotheses and associated predictions are to be tested.
  • Background information: Summarize relevant work by yourself and others, published or unpublished.
  • Significance: Describe the uniqueness of your project.
  • Methods or Plans: Describe and carefully reference methodology to be used. Write this section for reviewers who may know little about the specific methodological details in your narrow field of investigation. Research projects should outline their experimental design in this section. Other projects should outline how and what they are planning to do to complete the project.
  • Timetable: Dates for completion of project phases, graduation (if applicable), and publication of results (if applicable).
  • Budget: Summary of project costs that outline how grant money would be spent.
• Applicants agree to write an article about their project to be published in the IOS journal, The Meadowlark.

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2024 IOS GRANTS PROGRAM
IOS is pleased to announce we are now accepting applications for the 2024 Illinois Ornithological Society Grant Program. Awards of up to $2,500 are available to applicants conducting projects relating to birds and/or birding in Illinois.

Important Dates:

• Deadline for submission: April 21, 2024
• Announcement of awards: on or before May 19, 2024

To apply for an IOS Grant, complete the following application and upload your project proposal as a separate document (supported file types: docx or pdf). Please ensure your proposal includes all required elements. See requirements above.

Click here for IOS GRANT APPLICATION

Saturday, February 17, 2024

Start Time – 9:30 a.m.

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”.

Whenever you need a break from the cold, retreat indoors to the Winthrop Harbor Yacht Club that’s just a few feet away from the shore. Birders from all corners of our state come to mingle, relax and drive away the winter doldrums. Coffee, tea and hot-chocolate will be available all day to help us warm up. There will be a presentation in the conference room that’s offered twice (Session A & Session B).

Speaker: Geoffrey Williamson, Third Coast Birding will be presenting “Changes in Illinois’s Avifauna: a Records Committee Perspective”.

Presentation summary
The status and distribution of birdlife in Illinois is always shifting, though generally quite slowly. In the last several decades, however, birders have seen instances of very rapid changes. We’ll look at some of what is going on from the viewpoint of the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee, or IORC, by focusing on rarities. IORC maintains a “Review List” of species sufficiently rare to warrant evaluation of observational evidence of their occurrence. The stories behind movement of species on and off the Review List provide insight into how their status and distribution – or the nature of the birding community – is changing.

Speaker Bio
For decades Geoff Williamson has been active in local, state, and national birding organizations. Currently he heads the Illinois Ornithological Records Committee of the Illinois Ornithological Society and is co-compiler of the Illinois-Indiana region’s seasonal reports for North American Birds, the journal of ornithological record published by the American Birding Association. He is a recipient of the American Birding Association’s Ludlow Griscom Award, given for outstanding contributions in regional ornithology. He founded Third Coast Birding to foster an appreciation for and connection to the birds of the Great Lakes region and beyond.

REGISTRATION:

The $35 registration fee / $25 for IOS members: includes a continental breakfast, lunch, and more. Any surplus raised will go to the IOS Grant Program, which provides money to local researchers and projects that benefit Illinois birds and birding.

Tickets Now on Sale to the general public

Click Here for 22nd Annual Gull Frolic Registration

SPONSORS:  The Gull Frolic is hosted by the Illinois Ornithological Society, with sponsorship help from many local bird clubs, organizations and individuals.  If your organization or club is interested in sponsoring, please contact Amar.  There are a limited number of information tables for sponsoring organizations.

DIRECTIONS:  To reach the Winthrop Harbor Yacht Club take the I-94 toll road north toward Milwaukee. Exit east (turn right) at Route 173. Continue east and turn left on Sheridan Road (Rt. 137). Proceed north and turn right on 7th Street. Follow the North Point Marina signs to the yacht club. There is plenty of parking and parking is always free!
Registration fills fast, so don’t delay. All are invited. We look forward to seeing you at this fun and enjoyable annual event!