Illinois adopted the Northern Cardinal as state bird in 1929, the second state in the nation to do so (Kentucky was first in 1926). The choice was the result of a state-wide schoolchildren’s vote. The cardinal won decisively. He has been on the state’s wildlife brand for nearly a century since.

Geographically Illinois is more varied than its reputation suggests. The state runs about 600 km north to south, from the Chicago lakeshore to the Shawnee National Forest in the Mississippi River bottomlands. It includes one of the largest remaining stretches of tallgrass prairie in North America (Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie), the southernmost glaciated farmland in the Midwest, and the only patch of unglaciated terrain south of the Wisconsin glacial limit in the Shawnee Hills.

This range supports an unusually long bird list. The Illinois Ornithological Society currently lists over 450 species recorded in the state, more than most eastern states and reflecting the migration corridor along the Mississippi River.

The state’s signature species

Beyond the cardinal:

Prothonotary Warbler is the state’s southern speciality, a brilliant golden-yellow swamp warbler that breeds in the bottomland forests along the Cache River and the Mississippi confluence in southern Illinois. The species nests in tree cavities over standing water and is one of the more reliable wow-factor birds for visitors to the Cache River State Natural Area in May and June.

Greater Prairie-Chicken is the state’s most poignant bird story. The species was once abundant across the Illinois prairies. By the 1990s the population had fallen to roughly 50 birds at two remnant sites. An aggressive breeding and translocation programme since 2000 has stabilised the population at around 200 birds, all on protected grassland. Illinois holds one of the southernmost surviving Greater Prairie-Chicken populations in the United States.

Henslow’s Sparrow has recovered on restored prairies in central and southern Illinois. The bird’s quiet two-note insect-like song is one of the easier “rare” prairie species to find in summer at Goose Lake Prairie or Nachusa Grasslands.

Cerulean Warbler breeds in the mature hardwood forests of the Shawnee. Same canopy-blue specialist that ranges through Ohio’s southeast.

Mississippi Kite has been expanding north and now breeds in scattered colonies in southern Illinois towns. The species’ tree-roosting habit and elegant flight have made it a local favourite.

Sandhill Crane stops in massive numbers at Jasper-Pulaski Wildlife Area in northwest Indiana every November, and the staging extends across the Illinois border. The flocks can exceed 20,000 birds at peak.

Top backyard species

A typical Illinois suburban garden:

• Northern Cardinal (state bird, year-round)
• American Robin (year-round, abundant)
• Blue Jay (year-round)
• Black-capped Chickadee (Chicago suburbs and north) or Carolina Chickadee (south of Springfield)
• Tufted Titmouse (year-round)
• House Sparrow (year-round, introduced)
• European Starling (year-round, introduced)
• Mourning Dove (year-round)
• American Goldfinch (year-round)
• House Finch (year-round)
• Northern Flicker (year-round)
• Downy Woodpecker (year-round)
• Red-bellied Woodpecker (year-round, expanding north)
• Eastern Bluebird (year-round in most of the state)

Seasonal calendar

Season	What is happening
Spring (Mar-May)	Cardinal first broods in March; Sandhill Crane northbound through northern Illinois in March; warbler migration peaks in early May along the Mississippi and Lake Michigan corridors
Summer (Jun-Aug)	Breeding season; Greater Prairie-Chicken booming at remnant prairie sites in April-May
Autumn (Sep-Nov)	Hawk migration in central Illinois; Sandhill Crane staging at Jasper-Pulaski IN spilling into adjacent IL counties
Winter (Dec-Feb)	Snowy Owl irruptions in some years on the Lake Michigan shoreline (Chicago lakefront in particular); Bald Eagles concentrating along the unfrozen Illinois and Mississippi River; Dark-eyed Juncos at every feeder

Where to watch

• Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary (Chicago lakefront) - the urban migrant trap, world-class spring and autumn birding within Chicago city limits.
• Cache River State Natural Area (southern Illinois) - Prothonotary Warblers, breeding warblers, river-bottom species.
• Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie (Will County) - grassland breeding birds including Bobolink, Henslow’s Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark.
• Goose Lake Prairie State Park (Grundy County) - the largest remnant prairie in northeastern Illinois.
• Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge (southern Illinois) - wintering waterfowl, Bald Eagles, year-round residents.
• Pere Marquette State Park (Mississippi River, Calhoun County) - Bald Eagle concentration in winter, scenic overlooks of the river.
• Illinois Beach State Park (Lake Michigan, Zion) - Lake Michigan migrant trap, autumn hawk migration.