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
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoResidentUncommon30–32 cmRecorded all year
Piping PloverCharadrius melodusSummer visitorUncommon17–18 cmRegularly Apr–Aug
SanderlingCalidris albaSummer visitorUncommon18–20 cmRegularly May–Oct
Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavoResidentUncommon100–125 cmRecorded all year
Tundra SwanCygnus columbianusWinter visitorUncommon120–150 cmRegularly Oct–Mar
Iceland GullLarus glaucoidesWinter visitorUncommon52–60 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusWinter visitorUncommon34–43 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Fish CrowCorvus ossifragusSummer visitorUncommon36–41 cmRegularly Feb–Oct
Mourning WarblerGeothlypis philadelphiaPassage migrantUncommon10–15 cmRegularly May–Sep
Common PheasantPhasianus colchicusResidentUncommon50–90 cmRecorded all year
Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusPassage migrantUncommon23–32 cmRegularly May–Sep
Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterusSummer visitorUncommon34–44 cmRegularly Apr–Oct
Eastern Screech-owlMegascops asioWinter visitorUncommon16–25 cmRecorded all year
DunlinCalidris alpinaPassage migrantUncommon16–22 cmRegularly Apr–Nov
Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdiiPassage migrantUncommon14–17 cmRegularly Jul–Sep
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusWinter visitorUncommon52–64 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineusSummer visitorUncommon13–17 cmRegularly Mar–Nov
Snowy OwlBubo scandiacusWinter visitorUncommon52–71 cmRegularly Nov–Mar
Yellow-bellied FlycatcherEmpidonax flaviventrisPassage migrantUncommon13–15 cmRegularly May–Sep
Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorumPassage migrantUncommon13–17 cmRegularly May–Sep
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorUncommon37–60 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusWinter visitorUncommon64–79 cmRegularly Sep–Mar
Ross's GooseAnser rossiiWinter visitorUncommon57–64 cmRegularly Oct–Apr
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