Uncommon Birds in Illinois
Our list for Illinois has 84 uncommon birds recorded regularly there: 7 residents, 21 summer visitors, 31 winter visitors and 25 passage migrants
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 84, most common first
Greater ScaupAythya marilaWinter visitorUncommon39–56 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Horned LarkEremophila alpestrisWinter visitorUncommon16–20 cmRecorded all year
Northern WaterthrushParkesia noveboracensisPassage migrantUncommon12–15 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaSummer visitorUncommon15–18 cmRegularly May–Sep
Scarlet TanagerPiranga olivaceaSummer visitorUncommon16–19 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Snow GooseAnser caerulescensWinter visitorUncommon69–84 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisWinter visitorUncommon35–43 cmRegularly Oct–May
Pectoral SandpiperCalidris melanotosPassage migrantUncommon19–23 cmRegularly Mar–Oct
Orange-crowned WarblerLeiothlypis celataPassage migrantUncommon11–14 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Lincoln's SparrowMelospiza lincolniiPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Horned GrebePodiceps auritusWinter visitorUncommon31–38 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Cape May WarblerSetophaga tigrinaPassage migrantUncommon12–14 cmRegularly May–Oct
OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapillaPassage migrantUncommon12–15 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatusResidentUncommon40–49 cmRecorded all year
Mute SwanCygnus olorWinter visitorUncommon140–160 cmRecorded all year
Sand MartinRiparia ripariaSummer visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatusSummer visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly May–Sep
Great Horned OwlBubo virginianusWinter visitorUncommon46–63 cmRecorded all year
VeeryCatharus fuscescensPassage migrantUncommon16–19 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
American Black DuckAnas rubripesWinter visitorUncommon54–59 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Marsh WrenCistothorus palustrisSummer visitorUncommon10–14 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaWinter visitorUncommon12–14 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopusWinter visitorUncommon46–59 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
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