BirdAnalyst
State · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Illinois Breeding Birds

184 species recorded across 105 survey routes, 1966 to 2024. Browse by family or guild below.

Illinois Bird Population Trends

long arc declinecomputed index

Western Meadowlark has collapsed in Illinois: down 98% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Loggerhead Shrike has collapsed in Illinois: down 97% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Bobolink has collapsed in Illinois: down 97% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

long arc declinecomputed index

Gray Partridge has collapsed in Illinois: down 96% on the route-weighted index since 1971.

long arc declinecomputed index

American Coot has collapsed in Illinois: down 96% on the route-weighted index since 1971.

long arc declinecomputed index

Bank Swallow has collapsed in Illinois: down 95% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

How Bird Guilds Are Faring in Illinois

-84%

Game birds

4 species
-70%

Generalists

12 species
-66%

Grassland birds

13 species
-53%

Wetland birds

16 species
+24%

Aerial insectivores

17 species
+28%

Forest birds

58 species
+109%

Birds of prey

15 species
+245%

Shorebirds

3 species
12×

Waterfowl

5 species

Illinois Bird Survey Routes

Browse Illinois Birds By Family

Each species links to its trend in Illinois.

Hawks, Eagles & Kites Accipitridae

Bald Eagle 18×Broad-winged Hawk -29%Cooper's Hawk +982%Mississippi Kite +348%Northern Harrier -70%Red-shouldered Hawk 21×Red-tailed Hawk +178%Sharp-shinned Hawk -75%

Larks Alaudidae

Horned Lark -71%

Kingfishers Alcedinidae

Belted Kingfisher -18%

Ducks, Geese & Waterfowl Anatidae

Blue-winged Teal -80%Canada Goose 19×Hooded Merganser -77%Mallard +249%Wood Duck +26%

Swifts Apodidae

Chimney Swift -66%

Herons, Egrets & Bitterns Ardeidae

Black-crowned Night Heron -34%Great Blue Heron +257%Great Egret +33%Green Heron -27%Little Blue Heron -86%Western Cattle-Egret -94%Yellow-crowned Night Heron -69%

Waxwings Bombycillidae

Cedar Waxwing +633%

Nightjars & Nighthawks Caprimulgidae

Chuck-will's-widow -77%Common Nighthawk -27%Eastern Whip-poor-will -68%

Cardinals & Grosbeaks Cardinalidae

Blue Grosbeak 46×Dickcissel -37%Indigo Bunting +88%Northern Cardinal +75%Rose-breasted Grosbeak +97%Scarlet Tanager +98%Summer Tanager 29×

New World Vultures Cathartidae

Black Vulture +112%Turkey Vulture 52×

Plovers & Lapwings Charadriidae

Killdeer +656%

Pigeons & Doves Columbidae

Eurasian Collared-Dove 37×Mourning Dove +19%Rock Pigeon -71%

Crows, Jays & Magpies Corvidae

American Crow +15%Blue Jay -54%Fish Crow +824%

Cuckoos, Roadrunners & Anis Cuculidae

Black-billed Cuckoo -91%Yellow-billed Cuckoo -29%

Falcons & Caracaras Falconidae

American Kestrel -19%

Finches Fringillidae

American Goldfinch -1%House Finch 26×

Cranes Gruidae

Sandhill Crane +15%

Swallows & Martins Hirundinidae

Bank Swallow -95%Barn Swallow +10%Cliff Swallow 179×Northern Rough-winged Swallow +458%Purple Martin -44%Tree Swallow +140%

Blackbirds & Orioles Icteridae

Baltimore Oriole -5%Bobolink -97%Brown-headed Cowbird +155%Common Grackle -75%Eastern Meadowlark -73%Orchard Oriole +86%Red-winged Blackbird -25%Western Meadowlark -98%

Yellow-breasted Chat Icteriidae

Yellow-breasted Chat +179%

Shrikes Laniidae

Loggerhead Shrike -97%

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers Laridae

Herring Gull +120%Ring-billed Gull +283%

Mockingbirds & Thrashers Mimidae

Brown Thrasher -67%Gray Catbird +57%Northern Mockingbird -51%

New World Quail Odontophoridae

Northern Bobwhite -80%

Osprey Pandionidae

Osprey +316%

Chickadees & Titmice Paridae

Black-capped Chickadee +28%Carolina Chickadee +411%Tufted Titmouse +154%

Wood-Warblers Parulidae

American Redstart +74%Black-and-white Warbler -83%Blue-winged Warbler +37%Cerulean Warbler -41%Common Yellowthroat +122%Hooded Warbler +34%Kentucky Warbler +224%Louisiana Waterthrush +239%Northern Parula 27×Ovenbird -41%Pine Warbler -19%Prairie Warbler +194%Prothonotary Warbler +234%Worm-eating Warbler +63%Yellow Warbler +114%Yellow-throated Warbler +267%

New World Sparrows Passerellidae

Chipping Sparrow 13×Eastern Towhee +34%Field Sparrow -57%Grasshopper Sparrow -94%Henslow's Sparrow +51%Lark Sparrow -77%Savannah Sparrow -86%Song Sparrow -17%Swamp Sparrow -39%Vesper Sparrow -44%

Old World Sparrows Passeridae

Eurasian Tree Sparrow +294%House Sparrow -82%

Cormorants Phalacrocoracidae

Double-crested Cormorant +721%

Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys Phasianidae

Gray Partridge -96%Ring-necked Pheasant -80%Wild Turkey 25×

Woodpeckers Picidae

Downy Woodpecker +92%Hairy Woodpecker +136%Pileated Woodpecker +145%Red-bellied Woodpecker +257%Red-headed Woodpecker -56%

Grebes Podicipedidae

Pied-billed Grebe -83%

Gnatcatchers Polioptilidae

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 18×

Rails, Gallinules & Coots Rallidae

American Coot -96%

Sandpipers & Allies Scolopacidae

American Woodcock +17%Spotted Sandpiper -33%Upland Sandpiper -47%

Nuthatches Sittidae

White-breasted Nuthatch +688%

Owls Strigidae

Barred Owl +379%Eastern Screech-Owl -28%Great Horned Owl -27%

Starlings & Mynas Sturnidae

European Starling -43%

Hummingbirds Trochilidae

Ruby-throated Hummingbird 14×

Wrens Troglodytidae

Carolina Wren +196%Marsh Wren -76%Northern House Wren +46%Sedge Wren -55%

Thrushes Turdidae

American Robin +84%Eastern Bluebird +81%Wood Thrush +183%

Tyrant Flycatchers Tyrannidae

Acadian Flycatcher +447%Eastern Kingbird -8%Eastern Phoebe +378%Eastern Wood-Pewee +203%Great Crested Flycatcher +122%Least Flycatcher -82%Willow Flycatcher +5%

Vireos Vireonidae

Bell's Vireo +9%Red-eyed Vireo +131%Warbling Vireo +155%White-eyed Vireo +554%Yellow-throated Vireo +619%

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22.