Rare Birds in Illinois
Our list for Illinois has 46 rare birds recorded regularly there: 8 residents, 12 summer visitors, 3 winter visitors, 17 passage migrants and 6 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · Oct
Share of all bird records in Illinois in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 46, most common first
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopePassage migrantRare42–51 cmRegularly Nov
Sabine's GullXema sabiniPassage migrantRare27–33 cmRegularly Sep–Oct
RuffCalidris pugnaxPassage migrantRare20–32 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
Hudsonian GodwitLimosa haemasticaPassage migrantRare36–42 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Pacific LoonGavia pacificaScarceRare58–74 cm
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaScarceRare20–22 cm
Painted BuntingPasserina cirisSummer visitorRare12–14 cmRegularly May–Jul
Scissor-tailed FlycatcherTyrannus forficatusPassage migrantRare28–38 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
WhimbrelNumenius phaeopusSummer visitorRare40–46 cmRegularly May–Sep
Greylag GooseAnser anserWinter visitorRare75–90 cmRegularly Jun–Apr
Say's PhoebeSayornis sayaPassage migrantRare17–20 cmRegularly Sep
Arctic JaegerStercorarius parasiticusPassage migrantRare41–46 cmRegularly Sep
Black SwanCygnus atratusScarceRare110–142 cm
Grey PhalaropePhalaropus fulicariusResidentRare20–22 cmRegularly Sep
White-winged DoveZenaida asiaticaResidentRare27–30 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
Cinnamon TealSpatula cyanopteraScarceRare36–43 cmRegularly Apr
Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusResidentRare48–66 cmRegularly Apr–May
Little GullHydrocoloeus minutusScarceRare25–30 cm
Long-tailed JaegerStercorarius longicaudusScarceRare48–58 cm
BudgerigarMelopsittacus undulatusSummer visitorRare18–20 cmRegularly May–Dec
Muscovy DuckCairina moschataSummer visitorRare66–84 cmRegularly Mar–Jan
Indian PeafowlPavo cristatusResidentRare86–230 cmRegularly May
ChukarAlectoris chukarResidentRare32–38 cmRegularly May–Sep
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