BBS Route · Illinois · BCR 22
Sterling Bird Survey Route
A standard 50-stop Breeding Bird Survey route. 86 species recorded across 20 survey years, still active.
86Species Recorded
20Years Surveyed
2001–2023Span
5Observers
Bird Species Found on Illinois Sterling
Top 40 of 86 species by most recent count. Each links to its species trend.
| History | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red-winged Blackbird | Icteridae | 170 | 2023 | -8% | 2003 | |
| House Sparrow | Passeridae | 142 | 2023 | -1% | 2003 | |
| American Robin | Turdidae | 90 | 2023 | -5% | 2003 | |
| Mourning Dove | Columbidae | 48 | 2023 | +17% | 2003 | |
| Killdeer | Charadriidae | 38 | 2023 | +112% | 2003 | |
| European Starling | Sturnidae | 35 | 2023 | -53% | 2003 | |
| Eastern Meadowlark | Icteridae | 29 | 2023 | +19% | 2003 | |
| Brown-headed Cowbird | Icteridae | 28 | 2023 | +354% | 2003 | |
| Northern Cardinal | Cardinalidae | 25 | 2023 | +94% | 2003 | |
| Song Sparrow | Passerellidae | 24 | 2023 | +30% | 2003 | |
| Northern House Wren | Troglodytidae | 22 | 2023 | +181% | 2003 | |
| Horned Lark | Alaudidae | 21 | 2023 | +29% | 2003 | |
| Chipping Sparrow | Passerellidae | 20 | 2023 | +2% | 2003 | |
| American Crow | Corvidae | 18 | 2023 | +73% | 2003 | |
| Dickcissel | Cardinalidae | 18 | 2023 | +239% | 2006 | |
| Cliff Swallow | Hirundinidae | 17 | 2023 | +233% | 2007 | |
| Rock Pigeon | Columbidae | 13 | 2023 | -9% | 2003 | |
| Common Grackle | Icteridae | 13 | 2023 | -81% | 2003 | |
| Barn Swallow | Hirundinidae | 13 | 2023 | -46% | 2003 | |
| Chimney Swift | Apodidae | 11 | 2023 | -61% | 2003 | |
| Eastern Kingbird | Tyrannidae | 10 | 2023 | +167% | 2003 | |
| Northern Rough-winged Swallow | Hirundinidae | 10 | 2023 | +77% | 2003 | |
| Common Yellowthroat | Parulidae | 10 | 2023 | +47% | 2003 | |
| Eurasian Collared-Dove | Columbidae | 10 | 2023 | +750% | 2014 | |
| Vesper Sparrow | Passerellidae | 9 | 2023 | -45% | 2007 | |
| Bank Swallow | Hirundinidae | 8 | 2007 | -56% | 2001 | |
| Ring-necked Pheasant | Phasianidae | 7 | 2023 | -55% | 2003 | |
| American Goldfinch | Fringillidae | 6 | 2023 | -36% | 2003 | |
| Indigo Bunting | Cardinalidae | 6 | 2023 | +125% | 2003 | |
| Canada Goose | Anatidae | 4 | 2023 | +257% | 2006 | |
| Red-bellied Woodpecker | Picidae | 4 | 2023 | -14% | 2003 | |
| Warbling Vireo | Vireonidae | 4 | 2023 | +225% | 2003 | |
| Gray Catbird | Mimidae | 4 | 2023 | +100% | 2003 | |
| Eastern Phoebe | Tyrannidae | 3 | 2023 | +100% | 2007 | |
| House Finch | Fringillidae | 3 | 2023 | -30% | 2003 | |
| Eastern Wood-Pewee | Tyrannidae | 3 | 2021 | +100% | 2010 | |
| Downy Woodpecker | Picidae | 3 | 2023 | +150% | 2018 | |
| American Woodcock | Scolopacidae | 3 | 2019 | n/a | n/a | |
| Northern Bobwhite | Odontophoridae | 2 | 2015 | -50% | 2003 | |
| American Kestrel | Falconidae | 2 | 2023 | -10% | 2007 |
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. A route is a sample, not a census.