BBS Route · Illinois · BCR 22
Columbia Bird Survey Route
A standard 50-stop Breeding Bird Survey route. 114 species recorded across 47 survey years, still active.
114Species Recorded
47Years Surveyed
1966–2024Span
5Observers
Bird Species Found on Illinois Columbia
Top 40 of 114 species by most recent count. Each links to its species trend.
| History | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red-winged Blackbird | Icteridae | 117 | 2024 | -43% | 1968 | |
| European Starling | Sturnidae | 38 | 2024 | -61% | 1968 | |
| Barn Swallow | Hirundinidae | 38 | 2024 | -64% | 1968 | |
| Turkey Vulture | Cathartidae | 31 | 2024 | 17× | 2001 | |
| American Robin | Turdidae | 26 | 2024 | +18% | 1968 | |
| Northern Cardinal | Cardinalidae | 25 | 2024 | +116% | 1968 | |
| Mourning Dove | Columbidae | 23 | 2024 | -25% | 1968 | |
| Indigo Bunting | Cardinalidae | 18 | 2024 | +31% | 1968 | |
| House Sparrow | Passeridae | 18 | 2024 | -88% | 1968 | |
| Eastern Meadowlark | Icteridae | 17 | 2024 | -90% | 1968 | |
| Song Sparrow | Passerellidae | 17 | 2024 | +592% | 1968 | |
| Northern Mockingbird | Mimidae | 15 | 2024 | -13% | 1968 | |
| Chimney Swift | Apodidae | 10 | 2023 | -78% | 1968 | |
| Horned Lark | Alaudidae | 9 | 2024 | -59% | 1968 | |
| House Finch | Fringillidae | 9 | 2024 | +300% | 1994 | |
| Dickcissel | Cardinalidae | 8 | 2024 | -28% | 1968 | |
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | Polioptilidae | 8 | 2023 | +233% | 1989 | |
| Eastern Bluebird | Turdidae | 7 | 2024 | -7% | 1968 | |
| Tufted Titmouse | Paridae | 7 | 2024 | +200% | 1969 | |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | Picidae | 6 | 2023 | -54% | 1968 | |
| Purple Martin | Hirundinidae | 6 | 2024 | -59% | 1968 | |
| Chipping Sparrow | Passerellidae | 6 | 2024 | +850% | 1970 | |
| White-breasted Nuthatch | Sittidae | 6 | 2023 | +143% | 1981 | |
| Killdeer | Charadriidae | 5 | 2024 | +488% | 1968 | |
| Northern Bobwhite | Odontophoridae | 5 | 2024 | -90% | 1968 | |
| American Crow | Corvidae | 5 | 2024 | +23% | 1968 | |
| Common Yellowthroat | Parulidae | 5 | 2024 | +53% | 1968 | |
| Great Blue Heron | Ardeidae | 5 | 2023 | +300% | 1987 | |
| Eastern Phoebe | Tyrannidae | 5 | 2024 | +0% | 1970 | |
| Western Cattle-Egret | Ardeidae | 5 | 2018 | -40% | 1991 | |
| Cedar Waxwing | Bombycillidae | 5 | 2024 | +156% | 1993 | |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | Picidae | 4 | 2024 | 14× | 1968 | |
| Field Sparrow | Passerellidae | 4 | 2024 | -81% | 1968 | |
| Yellow-breasted Chat | Icteriidae | 4 | 2023 | +40% | 1968 | |
| Gray Catbird | Mimidae | 4 | 2023 | +200% | 1971 | |
| Lark Sparrow | Passerellidae | 3 | 2023 | +25% | 1971 | |
| Eastern Towhee | Passerellidae | 3 | 2024 | -17% | 1969 | |
| Wood Thrush | Turdidae | 3 | 2024 | +54% | 1969 | |
| Rose-breasted Grosbeak | Cardinalidae | 3 | 2023 | +75% | 1994 | |
| Little Blue Heron | Ardeidae | 3 | 2023 | +157% | 1991 |
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. A route is a sample, not a census.