Birds to See in Illinois in February
94 bird species on our list for Illinois are recorded regularly in February
Of these, the most often recorded are Northern Cardinal, Canada Goose, House Sparrow, Downy Woodpecker and Common Starling. New this month: Fish Crow and Surf Scoter.
On the move in February
GBIF · FebAt their peak
From Illinois’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 94 birds in February
94 birds
Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 5.27% in Feb
Canada GooseBranta canadensisResidentCommon76–110 cmRecorded all year · 4.69% in Feb
House SparrowPasser domesticusResidentCommon14–17 cmRecorded all year · 4.30% in Feb
Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescensResidentCommon14–18 cmRecorded all year · 3.97% in Feb
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 3.38% in Feb
American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchosResidentCommon41–53 cmRecorded all year · 3.36% in Feb
Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinusResidentCommon23–26 cmRecorded all year · 3.30% in Feb
Mourning DoveZenaida macrouraResidentCommon23–34 cmRecorded all year · 3.20% in Feb
House FinchHaemorhous mexicanusResidentCommon13–15 cmRecorded all year · 2.96% in Feb
White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensisResidentCommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 2.89% in Feb
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.88% in Feb
Blue JayCyanocitta cristataResidentCommon25–30 cmRecorded all year · 2.85% in Feb
American RobinTurdus migratoriusResidentCommon20–28 cmRecorded all year · 2.65% in Feb
Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensisResidentCommon45–65 cmRecorded all year · 2.10% in Feb
Red-winged BlackbirdAgelaius phoeniceusSummer visitorCommon17–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.05% in Feb
American Tree SparrowSpizelloides arboreaWinter visitorCommon14–17 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 1.90% in Feb
Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensisResidentCommon43–54 cmRecorded all year · 1.88% in Feb
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorCommon40–51 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 1.65% in Feb
American Herring GullLarus smithsonianusWinter visitorCommon53–65 cmRecorded all year · 1.48% in Feb
Tufted TitmouseBaeolophus bicolorResidentCommon14–16 cmRecorded all year · 1.43% in Feb
Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalusWinter visitorCommon70–102 cmRecorded all year · 1.40% in Feb
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 1.32% in Feb
Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosusResidentCommon18–26 cmRecorded all year · 1.30% in Feb
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon29–37 cmRecorded all year · 0.99% in Feb
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorWinter visitorCommon52–58 cmRegularly Nov–Apr · 0.94% in Feb
Song SparrowMelospiza melodiaResidentCommon12–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.93% in Feb
Northern FlickerColaptes auratusResidentCommon28–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.76% in Feb
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsWinter visitorCommon64–81 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.59% in Feb
Eastern BluebirdSialia sialisResidentCommon16–21 cmRecorded all year · 0.55% in Feb
Common GrackleQuiscalus quisculaSummer visitorCommon28–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.55% in Feb
Turkey VultureCathartes auraSummer visitorCommon62–81 cmRecorded all year · 0.50% in Feb
Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatusWinter visitorCommon40–49 cmRegularly Oct–Jul · 0.50% in Feb
Great Blue HeronArdea herodiasResidentCommon91–137 cmRecorded all year · 0.49% in Feb
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.49% in Feb
Horned LarkEremophila alpestrisWinter visitorUncommon16–20 cmRecorded all year · 0.49% in Feb
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensWinter visitorUncommon69–84 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.46% in Feb
GadwallMareca streperaWinter visitorCommon46–56 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.45% in Feb
Mute SwanCygnus olorWinter visitorUncommon140–160 cmRecorded all year · 0.40% in Feb
Sandhill CraneAntigone canadensisWinter visitorCommon80–122 cmRecorded all year · 0.36% in Feb
Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalusResidentCommon19–23 cmRecorded all year · 0.34% in Feb
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaWinter visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.33% in Feb
Pine SiskinSpinus pinusWinter visitorCommon11–14 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.32% in Feb
Trumpeter SwanCygnus buccinatorWinter visitorUncommon139–157 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Feb
Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatusResidentUncommon40–49 cmRecorded all year · 0.29% in Feb
Eurasian Tree SparrowPasser montanusResidentUncommon13–14 cmRecorded all year · 0.25% in Feb
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisWinter visitorUncommon35–43 cmRegularly Oct–May · 0.25% in Feb
Fox SparrowPasserella iliacaWinter visitorCommon15–19 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.24% in Feb
American Black DuckAnas rubripesWinter visitorUncommon54–59 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.23% in Feb
White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrysWinter visitorCommon15–16 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.23% in Feb
Great Horned OwlBubo virginianusWinter visitorUncommon46–63 cmRecorded all year · 0.22% in Feb
Northern PintailAnas acutaWinter visitorUncommon59–76 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.21% in Feb
Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopusWinter visitorUncommon46–59 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.21% in Feb
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataWinter visitorCommon44–51 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.21% in Feb
Barred OwlStrix variaResidentUncommon43–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Feb
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentUncommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in Feb
Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsiiWinter visitorUncommon53–76 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.16% in Feb
Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottosResidentUncommon21–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in Feb
Eurasian TealAnas creccaWinter visitorCommon34–38 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.15% in Feb
Yellow-rumped WarblerSetophaga coronataWinter visitorCommon12–15 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.15% in Feb
Iceland GullLarus glaucoidesWinter visitorUncommon52–60 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.15% in Feb
Wood DuckAix sponsaSummer visitorCommon47–54 cmRecorded all year · 0.14% in Feb
Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorumSummer visitorCommon15–18 cmRecorded all year · 0.13% in Feb
Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicusWinter visitorUncommon15–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.13% in Feb
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoResidentUncommon100–125 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Feb
Swamp SparrowMelospiza georgianaSummer visitorCommon12–15 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Feb
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusWinter visitorUncommon52–64 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.11% in Feb
Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatusWinter visitorUncommon24–34 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.10% in Feb
Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus variusWinter visitorCommon19–22 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.10% in Feb
Tundra SwanCygnus columbianusWinter visitorUncommon120–150 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.10% in Feb
Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinusWinter visitorUncommon34–58 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Feb
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusWinter visitorUncommon64–79 cmRegularly Sep–Mar · 0.08% in Feb
Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podicepsWinter visitorCommon31–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Feb
Ross's GooseAnser rossiiWinter visitorUncommon57–64 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.07% in Feb
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.07% in Feb
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentUncommon50–90 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Feb
MerlinFalco columbariusWinter visitorUncommon24–33 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.06% in Feb
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusWinter visitorUncommon34–43 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.06% in Feb
Horned GrebePodiceps auritusWinter visitorUncommon31–38 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.06% in Feb
Hermit ThrushCatharus guttatusWinter visitorCommon14–18 cmRegularly Sep–May · 0.06% in Feb
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusWinter visitorUncommon62–68 cmRegularly Dec–Mar · 0.05% in Feb
Eastern Screech-owlMegascops asioWinter visitorUncommon16–25 cmRecorded all year · 0.05% in Feb
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisWinter visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.04% in Feb
Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphiaWinter visitorUncommon28–38 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.04% in Feb
Snowy OwlBubo scandiacusWinter visitorUncommon52–71 cmRegularly Nov–Mar · 0.04% in Feb
European GoldfinchCarduelis carduelisResidentRare12–13 cmRecorded all year · 0.03% in Feb
Northern Saw-whet OwlAegolius acadicusWinter visitorUncommon17–21 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.03% in Feb
Monk ParakeetMyiopsitta monachusResidentRare29–31 cmRecorded all year · 0.02% in Feb
Golden EagleAquila chrysaetosWinter visitorRare66–102 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.02% in Feb
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataPassage migrantUncommon48–60 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.02% in Feb
Fish CrowCorvus ossifragusSummer visitorUncommon36–41 cmRegularly Feb–Oct · 0.01% in Feb
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraWinter visitorRare15–17 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.01% in Feb
Western MeadowlarkSturnella neglectaResidentRare16–26 cmRecorded all year · 0.01% in Feb
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataWinter visitorUncommon53–69 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.01% in Feb
Greylag GooseAnser anserWinter visitorRare75–90 cmRegularly Jun–Apr · 0.00% in Feb
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made