IORC Update, 30 January 2022: Records Reviewed

The Illinois Ornithological Records Committee (IORC) recently concluded evaluations of 58 records of the occurrence of rare birds in Illinois. IORC accepted 47 of these records and did not accept another 11.

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.

Illinois’s second Mexican Violetear was present for several days in Mundelein, Lake County. Photo by Junko Yokota.

Records Accepted

  • Eurasian Wigeon, 18 November 2021, Newton Lake, Jasper County (2021-059; C. Leroy Harrison, Bob Shelby).
  • Mexican Violetear, 20-24 August 2021, Mundelein, Lake County (2021-051; Jason Cristino; David B. Johnson, Ryan Jones, Karen Lund, Annette McClellan, William McClellan, Greg Neise, Dan Williams, Geoffrey A. Williamson, Junko Yokota).
  • Limpkin, 10-14 July 2021, Chain-o-Lakes State Park, Lake County (2021-047; Al Nichols; Oliver Burrus, Craig Taylor).
  • Limpkin, 16-28 August 2021, Dixon Waterfowl Refuge, Putnam County (2021-050; Scott Harp; Craig Taylor).
  • Ruff, 19 May 1984, Mississippi River levees, Monroe County (1984-025; Bill Rowe).
  • Purple Sandpiper, 12-13 November 2021, Waukegan, Lake County (2021-061; Henry Meade).
  • Parasitic Jaeger, 18 September 2021, Carlyle Lake, Clinton County (2021-076; Colin Dobson, Steve Zehner).
  • Long-tailed Jaeger, 11 September 2021, Eldon Hazlet State Park, Clinton County (2021-072; Travis Mahan).
  • Little Gull, 25-31 October 2020, Lake Shelbyville, Shelby County (2020-127; Travis Mahan).
  • Little Gull, 26 October 2020, Heidecke Lake, Grundy County (2020-128; Matt Misewicz).
  • Little Gull, 27-28 October 2020, Saganashkee Slough, Cook County (2020-129; Ben Sanders; Nathan Goldberg).
  • Little Gull, 20 March 2021, Lake Township, Clinton County (2021-045; Dan Kassebaum).
  • Little Gull, 9 September 2021, Rend Lake, Jefferson County (2021-071; Aaron Gyllenhaal).
  • Royal Tern, 18 July 2021, Waukegan, Lake County (2021-077; Annette McClellan, William McClellan).
  • Royal Tern, 11-13 August 2021, Carlyle Lake, Clinton County (2021-048; C. Leroy Harrison).
  • Pacific Loon (2), 31 October to 1 November 2020, Carlyle Lake, Clinton County (2020-119; Dan Kassebaum; Trevor Slovick).
  • Pacific Loon, 1-19 November 2020, Downs Township, McLean County (2020-130; Shanin Abreu, Matthew Winks; Joan Campbell, Jake Cvetas, Matthew Cvetas, Colin Dobson, Bonnie Graham, Niklas Klauss, Jayne Leone, Michael McKinley, Matt Misewicz, Pirmin Nietlisbach, Vicky Sroczynski, Andrea Tolzmann, Peter Tolzmann, Simon Tolzmann, Mary Zehner, Steve Zehner).
  • Wood Stork, 19 July to 11 August 2021, Mermet Lake, Massac County (2021-090; Andrew S. Aldrich, Jack Bechtel, Ryan Jones).
  • Brown Pelican, 23 May 2020, Harrisburg Lake, Saline County (2020-132; David Horning).
  • White Ibis (2), 5 & 26 September 2021, Sanganois State Fish and Wildlife Area, Mason County (2021-080; Colin Dobson).
  • White Ibis, 15 October 2021, Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, St. Clair County (2021-081; John C. Sullivan).
  • White-faced Ibis, 28-29 August 2021, Whalon Lake Forest Preserve, Will County (2021-082; Kirk LaGory; Jayne Leone, Michael McNamee, Jeff A. Smith).
  • White-faced Ibis, 1-3 October 2021, Sawmill Lake, Putnam County (2021-054; Steve Huggins; Dan Williams).
  • Roseate Spoonbill, 31 July 2021, Golconda, Pope County (2021-049; Craig Taylor).
  • Roseate Spoonbill, 20 August to 4 September 2021, Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, Williamson County (2021-053; Craig Taylor).
  • Black Vulture, 16 May 2020, Sedge Meadow Forest Preserve, Lake County (2020-120; Richard Biss).
  • Black Vulture, 3 October 2020, Irving, Montgomery County (2020-123; Jarod Hitchings).
  • Black Vulture, 29 June 2021, Skokie, Cook County (2021-069; John Bates).
  • Black Vulture, 13-14 November 2021, Lincoln Park, Chicago, Cook County (2021-055; Geoffrey A. Williamson).
  • White-tailed Kite, 21 June 2021, near Lock & Dam #27, Madison County (2021-044; Frank Holmes, Dan Kassebaum, Craig Taylor).
  • Swallow-tailed Kite, 15 August 2021, east of Plainville, Adams County (2021-078; Jason Mullins).
  • Ferruginous Hawk, 17 November 2021, Illinois Beach State Park, Lake County (2021-058; Vic Berardi).
  • Barn Owl, 23 August to 1 September 2021, Burnham Park, Chicago, Cook County (2021-052; Geoffrey A. Williamson).
  • Northern Flicker (Red-shafted), 12 May 2021, Chicago, Cook County (2021-073; Pamela Karlson).
  • Prairie Falcon, 27 October to 1 November 2021, west of Chenoa, Livingston County and McLean County (2021-064; Taylor Root; Alyssa Rod).
  • Bewick’s Wren (2), 7-13 July 2021, southern Schuyler County (2021-068; Brandon Stehl; Jill Anderson, Jake Cvetas, Matthew Cvetas, Pete Fenner, Ted Hartzler, Steve Zehner).
  • Townsend’s Solitaire, 31 October 2021, Oswego, Kendall County (2021-079; Scott Johnson).
  • Evening Grosbeak, 9 November 2021, Stickney Run Conservation Area, McHenry County (2021-065; Lisa Maier).
  • Hoary Redpoll, 9 December 2020, Burnham Park, Chicago, Cook County (2020-124; Ryan Fuller).
  • White-winged Crossbill, 31 October 2021, Ft. Sheridan Forest Preserve, Lake County (2021-083; Krzysztof Kurylowicz, Henry Meade).
  • White-winged Crossbill, 6 & 17 December 2021, Carol Stream, DuPage County (2021-088; Craig Reges).
  • White-winged Crossbill, 7 December 2021, Waukegan, Lake County (2021-089; Lock Kilpatrick).
  • Lark Bunting, 6 October 2020, Rainbow Beach, Chicago, Cook County (2020-126; Michael McNamee).
  • Swainson’s Warbler, 13 May 2021, Pomona, Jackson County (2021-0066; Rhonda Rothrock).
  • Painted Bunting, 18-28 June 2020, East St. Louis, St. Clair County (2020-131; Tommy Goodwin; Ryan Jones, Jude Vickery).
  • Painted Bunting (3), 29 May to 30 July 2021, East St. Louis, St. Clair County (2021-074; Randy Schiller; Mike Avara, Travis DeNeal, Colin Dobson, Jan Hansen, Ted Hartzler, Ian Souza-Cole, Mike Thelan).
  • Painted Bunting, 30 November to 2 December 2021, Alden Township, McHenry County (2021-062; Randall Schietzelt).

Records Not Accepted

  • Parasitic Jaeger, 22 September 2021, Gillson Park, Wilmette, Cook County (2021-075).
  • Anhinga, 26 June 2021, near the confluence of the Big Muddy River and Mississippi River, Jackson County (2021-067).
  • Glossy Ibis, 19-25 October 2021, Lake Arispie, Bureau County (2021-056).
  • Black Vulture, 16 May 2020, Bowen Park, Waukegan, Lake County (2020-121).
  • Black Vulture, 26 September 2020, Heron County Park, Vermilion County (2020-122).
  • Hoary Redpoll, 6 January 2021, Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area, Grundy County (2021-026).
  • White-winged Crossbill, 3 December 2021, Crystal Lake, Lake County (2021-085).
  • White-winged Crossbill, 4 December 2021, Boone Creek Conservation Area, McHenry County (2021-086).
  • White-winged Crossbill (7 or 8), 4 December 2021, Waukegan, Lake County (2021-087).
  • Kirtland’s Warbler, 15 May 2021, Busey Woods, Urbana, Champaign County (2021-025).
  • Western Tanager, 8 May 2021, LaBagh Woods Forest Preserve, Cook County (2021-035).

IORC Update, 10 December 2021: Records Reviewed

The Illinois Ornithological Records Committee (IORC) recently concluded evaluations of 23 records of the occurrence of rare birds in Illinois. IORC accepted 18 of these records and did not accept another 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.

This Bullock’s Oriole, photographed 25 April 2021 in Morgan County, provided the fifth record for Illinois. Photo by Dan Williams.

Records Accepted

  • Black-bellied Whistling-Duck (2), 10 April 2021, Grand Tower, Jackson County (2021-016; Craig Taylor).
  • Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, 4 Jun 2021, Fairfield, Wayne County (2021-042; Bob Shelby).
  • Broad-billed Hummingbird, 3-14 May 2021, LaBagh Woods Forest Preserve, Cook County (2021-024; Geoffrey A. Williamson, Tony Yee, Steve Zehner).
  • Ruff, 26-30 April 2021, Oswego, Kendall County (2021-033; Woody Goss, Jon Grainger, Steve Huggins, Ryan Jones, Davida Kalina, Jason Newton, Linda Padera, Craig Taylor, Jude Vickery).
  • Ruff, 27-30 April 2021, Salt Creek Marsh Forest Preserve, DuPage County (2021-021; Tony Comerci).
  • Little Gull, 31 March to 1 April 2021, Lake Springfield, Sangamon County (2021-029; Jim Mordacq, Dennis Oehmke).
  • Little Gull, 4 April 2021, Spring Lake unit of Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge, Carroll County (2021-030; Eric Secker).
  • Anhinga, 30 April 2021, Mokena, Will County (2021-022; Eric Secker).
  • Swainson’s Hawk, 21 April 2021, Sycamore, DeKalb County (2021-018; Ken Reinert).
  • Prairie Falcon, 11 January 2021, western Douglas County (2021-028; Steven Lima).
  • Townsend’s Solitaire, 14 May 2021, Gremel Wildlife Sanctuary, Lee County (2021-036; Brendon Lake; Craig Taylor, Eric Walters).
  • Evening Grosbeak (23), 14 April to 4 May 2021, Simpson, Johnson County (2021-017; Craig Taylor).
  • Evening Grosbeak, 8-9 May 2021, Normal, McLean County (2021-039; Tim Lindenbaum; Angelo Capparella).
  • Hoary Redpoll, 7 March 2021, Plano, Kendall County (2021-027; Ryan Jones; Scott Johnson, Charles Shields).
  • Bullock’s Oriole, 24-25 April 2021, east of Murrayville, Morgan County (2021-019; Criag Taylor, Dan Williams).
  • Great-tailed Grackle, 18-23 April 2021, Hodgkins, Cook County (2021-032; Pat Andersen, Steve Huggins, Ted Wolff).
  • Western Tanager, 28 April 2021, Homer Lake State Conservation Area, Champaign County (2021-034; Aerin Tedesco).
  • Painted Bunting, 24 May 2021, Winnemac Park in Chicago, Cook County (2021-037; Terry Walsh).

Records Not Accepted

  • Graylag Goose, 6 April 2021, Princeville, Peoria County (2021-015).
  • Wilson’s Plover, 9 April 2021, northwest of Gorham, Jackson County (2021-031).
  • Swallow-tailed Kite, 27 May 2021, Monticello, Piatt County (2021-038).
  • Gyrfalcon, 6 February 2021, Hudson, McLean County (2021-002).
  • European Goldfinch, 7 June 2021, Waukegan, Lake County (2021-043).

2021 Grants Summary

This year we were able to fund 8 grant proposals submitted! Which brings our total to 121 grants and $108,511 awarded since the program’s inception, through this year.

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 2021 IOS Grants Program received eight requests for funding, representing a notably diverse set of study goals. The IOS review team evaluated each proposal, and determined that all were suitable for funding within the scope of that key objective described above. In addition to money provided directly by IOS, donations by four organizations and many individuals made it possible for all of the 2021 grant requests to be fully funded.

Sponsor Organizations:
DuPage Birding Club
Illinois Audubon Society
Lake-Cook Audubon Society

Thanks to you 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 John Leonard and Scott Meister for reviewing and evaluating all the requests.

Congratulations to the grant recipients! Watch for their project articles in future issues of Meadowlark and watch for short summaries on the IOS website. Here’s a synopsis of the 2021 grants. Where noted, individuals and organizations targeted those grants for their donations.

Recipient Affiliation Project Fully Sponsored by
Julianne Bozzo University of Illinois Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) migration and site fidelity in Illinois Illinois Audubon Society
Blake Baum Southern Illinois University Effects of Habitat Management and Raptor Abundance on Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) Habitat Selection and Population Ecology Lake-Cook Audubon Society
Alex Glass Southern Illinois University The effects of habitat structure on grassland songbird nest success, mediated through predator activity and food availability Individual Sponsors and Illinois Ornithological Society
Chad Cremer University of Illinois Connectivity of Migratory Virginia Rail Using Illinois River Valley Wetlands Illinois Audubon Society
Peggy Simonsen Citizens for Conservation Shrubland Bird Study Illinois Audubon Society
Gracie McMahon Independent Creating Avian Sculptures Out of Found Trash and Recyclables to be Installed Around Winnebago County to Spread Awareness About Bird Conservation Dupage Birding Club & Illinois Ornithological Society
Katie Vogler Illinois Wesleyan University Determining Latitudinal Summer Origins and Subspecies Distribution of Wintering Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) in Illinois Dupage Birding Club
David Hohl DePaul University Urban habitat effects on tree cavity availability & bird population trends Illinois Audubon Society

2020 Grants Summary: Over $100k in Grants

This year we were able to fund 4 grant proposals submitted! Which brings our total to 113 grants and $100,521 awarded since the program’s inception, through this year. That means we hit the 100 thousand mark in grant money awarded to projects related to research and education about birds in Illinois!

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 2020 IOS Grants Program received five requests for funding, representing a notably diverse set of study goals. The IOS review team evaluated each proposal, and determined that all were suitable for funding within the scope of that key objective described above. In addition to money provided directly by IOS, donations by four organizations and many individuals made it possible for all of the 2020 grant requests to be fully funded.

Sponsor Organizations:
Chicago Audubon Society
DuPage Birding Club
Illinois Audubon Society
Lake-Cook Audubon Society

Thanks to you 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 John Andrews and Scott Meister for reviewing and evaluating all the requests.

Congratulations to the grant recipients! Watch for their project articles in future issues of Meadowlark and watch for short summaries on the IOS website. Here’s a synopsis of the 2020 grants. Where noted, individuals and organizations targeted those grants for their donations.

Recipient Affiliation Project Fully Sponsored by
Auriel Fournier University of Illinois Automated radio telemetry to track the migratory movements of wetland birds Lake-Cook Audubon
Stephanie Schmidt Illinois State University Predation Risk at Marsh Bird Nests as a Result of Wetland Management at Emiquon Preserve (Havana, IL) Chicago Audubon Society & Dupage Birding Club
Daniel Goldberg Illinois State University Disentangling the Effects of Visual and Acoustic Cues on Nocturnal Settlement Patterns in Soras Illinois Audubon Society
Rachael Heaton Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville Does the addition of nest boxes to Illinois bottomland forest habitats improve the density of prothonotary warblers, Protonotaria citrea? Illinois Audubon Society

2019 Grants Summary

This year we were able to fund all 6 grant proposals submitted! Which totals 109 grants and $95,521 awarded since the program’s inception, through this year.

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 2019 IOS Grants Program received six requests for funding, representing a notably diverse set of study goals. The IOS review team evaluated each proposal, and determined that all were suitable for funding within the scope of that key objective described above. In addition to money provided directly by IOS, donations by four organizations and many individuals made it possible for all of the 2019 grant requests to be fully funded.

Sponsor Organizations:
DuPage Birding Club

Individual Sponsors:
Margaret Busic
Glenn Gabanski
Davida and Dale Kalina
Scott Meister

Thanks to you 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 John Andrews and Scott Meister for reviewing and evaluating all the requests.

Congratulations to the grant recipients! Watch for their project articles in future issues of Meadowlark and watch for short summaries on the IOS website. Here’s a synopsis of the 2019 grants. Where noted, individuals and organizations targeted those grants for their donations.

Recipient Affiliation Project Fully Sponsored by
Ian Souza-Cole University of Illinois Investigating the Behavior and Habitat Use of Eastern Whip-Poor-Wills (Antrostomus vociferus) in Illinois and Factors Influencing Their Decline Dupage Birding Club
Daniel Goldberg Illinois State University Changes in Calling Behavior as an Antipredator Adaptation: a Test with Illinois Rallids Individual Sponsors and IOS
Rachel DiSciullo Illinois State University Determining Total Sexual Selection on Male Song in Northern House Wrens Individual Sponsors and IOS
Leah Bieniak Illinois State University Determining Species Abundance and Habitat Preferences of Breeding Birds in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois Dupage Birding Club
Andy Gilbert University of Illinois Marsh Bird Monitoring in a Restored Floodplain of the Illinois River Individual Sponsors and IOS
Claire Johnson University of Illinois Unraveling the Mystery of the Black-billed Cuckoo: distribution, habitat use, and behavior Individual Sponsors and IOS

20th Annual Gull Frolic

February 19th, 2022

Start Time – 9:30 a.m.

Back in 2022! 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 to join birders outside the yacht club for a close study of some of our harder-to-find winter gull species, including Iceland (Thayer’s and Kumlien’s), Glaucous, Great Black-backed, and Lesser Black-backed Gulls!  An assortment of waterfowl are also typically in attendance, such scoters, goldeneye, and other diving ducks, along with the occasional raptor, owl, or winter finch. IOS volunteers will be available to help answer questions along the “boardwalk”.

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20th Annual Gull FrolicRead More »

IOS 2023 Big Sit Competition and Fundraiser

Friday, Sep. 22 – Sunday, Sep. 24, 2023

Art by Laurie Kaufmann

About the IOS 2023 Big Sit

Stay put. Count birds. Raise money! IOS invites you to join other birders throughout Illinois on the weekend of September 22-24 for the annual IOS 2023 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 2023 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 20ft 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! Don’t forget to set a fundraising goal for yourself!

Start a 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.

Donate to a Team

If you are not supporting a specific team, feel free to pick one to support or you can submit a general donation to IOS.

We invite donors to follow along during the event in the IOS Facebook Group and Join Us 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
IOS Big Sit Event Coordinator

Palm Warbler. Photo by Adam Sell.

IORC Update, 9 July 2021: Records Reviewed

The Illinois Ornithological Records Committee (IORC) recently concluded evaluations of 25 records of the occurrence of rare birds in Illinois. IORC accepted all 25 of these records.

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

  • Brant, 2-26 January 2021, Winthrop Harbor and Waukegan in Lake County, Montrose Point in Chicago’s Lincoln Park in Cook County (2021-001; Robert D. Hughes, Tamima Itani, Vlad Nevirkovets, Terry Walsh, Geoffrey A. Williamson).
  • White-winged Dove, 22 May 2020, Mendota, LaSalle County (2020-109; Diana Rod).
  • Rufous Hummingbird, 1-10 December 2020, Lisle, DuPage County (2020-108; Tamima Itani, Vernon Kleen).
  • Magnificent Frigatebird, 4 November 2020, southeast of Grafton, Jersey County (2020-104; Bobby Wilcox).
  • Anhinga, 4-17 April 2021, Oakwood Bottoms, Jackson County (2021-013; Craig Taylor).
  • Neotropic Cormorant, 23-25 July 2020, Lock & Dam 13, Whiteside County (2020-030; Ethan Brown).
  • Neotropic Cormorant, 10-15 March 2021, Horseshoe Lake State Park, Madison County (2021-008; Frank Holmes).
  • Swallow-tailed Kite, 19 June 2020, Waukegan, Lake County (2020-107; Dawn Klamut).
  • Barn Owl, 25 August 2016, Pawnee, Sangamon County (2016-107; Alex Patia).
  • Barn Owl (one to 2), 5-31 March 2017, Pawnee, Sangamon County (2017-086; Colin Dobson).
  • Gyrfalcon, 13 January to 4 February 2021, Waukegan, Lake County (2021-007; Josh Engel, Diane Hansen, Tamima Itani, Paul Sweet).
  • Prairie Falcon, 29 October 2020 to 13 February 2021, northern Coles County (2020-116; Colin Dobson, Tyler Funk, Amy Lynch, Trevor Slovick, Aerin Tedesco, Ted Wolff).
  • Mountain Bluebird, 28-31 December 2020, north of DeWitt, DeWitt County (2020-105; Colin Dobson).
  • Evening Grosbeak, 28 October 2020, Normal, McLean County (2020-114; Benjamin Murphy).
  • Evening Grosbeak (6), 6 February 2021, Cave in Rock, Hardin County (2021-004; Craig Taylor).
  • Evening Grosbeak (4), 6 February 2021, Golconda, Pope County (2021-005; Craig Taylor).
  • Evening Grosbeak (4), 21 February 2021, Chambersburg, Pike County (2021-006; Craig Taylor).
  • White-winged Crossbill (2 to 8), 17 November to 22 December 2020, Rockford, Winnebago County (2020-102; John Longhenry).
  • White-winged Crossbill, 29 November 2020, Afton Forest Preserve, DeKalb County (2020-115; John Heneghan).
  • White-winged Crossbill, 17-23 January 2021, Pana, Christian County (2021-009; Tom Colin).
  • White-winged Crossbill, 30 January to 9 February 2021, Galesburg, Knox County (2021-012; Jim Mountjoy).
  • White-winged Crossbill, 8 April 2021, Mesa Lake, Wabash County (2021-011; Bob Shelby).
  • Swainson’s Warbler, 9 May 2020, Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Union County (2020-113; Christopher Gilbert).
  • Common Yellowthroat, 26 December 2020, Skokie Lagoons Forest Preserve, Cook County (2020-103; Jeff Bilsky).
  • Common Yellowthroat, 30 December 2020, Mermet Lake Conservation Area, Massac County (2020-106; Vicki Lang).

IORC Update, 29 May 2021: Changes to Review List

At its annual meeting in February 2021, IORC made the following changes to the Review List.

  • Remove White-winged Dove from the Review List.
  • Remove Neotropic Cormorant from the Review List.

Both of these species now occur regularly in Illinois, and IORC no longer requests documentation of sightings. Because separation of Neotropic Cormorant from Double-crested Cormorant can be difficult, depending on observation conditions, observers are encouraged to take detailed field notes and to include those in submissions to seasonal report editors or in eBird checklist entries.

White-winged Dove, 22 May 2020, Mendota, LaSalle County. IORC record 2020-109. Photo by Diana Rod.
Neotropic Cormorant, 23 June 2020, Pratt’s Wayne Woods Forest Preserve, DuPage County. IORC record 2020-022. Photo by Bonnie Graham.

IORC Update, 29 May 2021: Records Reviewed

The Illinois Ornithological Records Committee (IORC) recently concluded evaluations of 26 records of the occurrence of rare birds in Illinois. Among these, IORC accepted 22 of the records while not accepting four.

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

  • Common Ground-Dove, 23 November 2020, south of Martinsville, Clark County (2020-085; Steven Lima).
  • Snowy Plover, 4-7 May 2020, east of Woodson, Morgan County (2020-086; Colin Dobson).
  • Snowy Plover, 31 May 2020, Chestnut, Logan County (2020-087; Colin Dobson).
  • Purple Sandpiper (1 to 2), 6-19 December 2020, Waukegan, Lake County (2020-093; Dan Williams).
  • Parasitic Jaeger, 17 September 2020, Chicago’s Burnham Park, Cook County (2020-048; Jacob Drucker).
  • Parasitic Jaeger, 18-26 September 2020, Carlyle Lake, Clinton County (2020-089; Colin Dobson).
  • Long-tailed Jaeger, 24-25 October 2020, Carlyle Lake, Clinton County (2020-100; Nathan Goldberg; C. Leroy Harrison, Ted Wolff).
  • Little Gull, 16-29 June 2019, Illinois River floodplain, Woodford County (2019-022; ).
  • California Gull, 19 July 2020 to 10 February 2021, Lake Springfield, Sangamon County (2020-027; Colin Dobson).
  • Neotropic Cormorant, 12 April 2020, Big Lake, Brown County (2020-088; Colin Dobson).
  • White-faced Ibis, 7-18 October 2020, Bailey Wetland, Richland County and Wayne County (2020-099; C. Leroy Harrison).
  • Black Vulture (4), 15 December 2020, east of Sam Parr State Park, Jasper County (2020-095; Bob Shelby).
  • Ash-throated Flycatcher, 30 October 2020, East Fork Lake, Richland County (2020-064; C. Leroy Harrison; Gary Bowman, Nathan Goldberg, Bob Shelby).
  • Great Kiskadee, 29 November to 13 December 2020, near the Widewaters area of the Des Plaines River, Will County (2020-091; John C. Weisgerber; Gioseppe Cesolini, John Heneghan, Tamima Itani, Geoffrey A. Williamson). First state record.
  • Hoary Redpoll, 18 November 2020, Kennekuk Cove County Park, Vermilion County (2020-090; Colin Dobson).
  • Hoary Redpoll, 8 December 2020, Chicago’s Jackson Park, Cook County (2020-094; Randy Shonkwiler).
  • White-winged Crossbill, 23 November 2020, Rockford, Winnebago County (2020-092; Dan Williams).
  • White-winged Crossbill (1 to 10), 10-26 December 2020, Hampton, Rock Island County (2020-098; Steve Freed; Dan Williams).
  • Kentucky Warbler, 13 December 2020, Waukegan, Lake County (2020-101; Peter Weber).
  • Western Tanager, 8-9 May 2019, Buffalo Park Forest Preserve, Kane County (2019-077; Eric Secker).
  • Western Tanager, 9 May 2019, Chicago’s Grant Park, Cook County (2019-076; Ann Haverstock).
  • Western Tanager, 12-17 December 2020, Channahon, Will County and 19-20 December 2020, Minooka, Grundy County (2020-097; Dan Williams, Geoffrey A. Williamson).

Records Not Accepted

  • Barrow’s Goldeneye, 28 November 2020, Dixon Waterfowl Refuge, Putnam County (2020-096).
  • Glossy Ibis, 22-30 September 2020, Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area, Grundy County (2020-059).
  • Palm Warbler (Yellow), 9 November 2020, Hickory Creek Preserve, Will County (2020-071).
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