Spring draws a lot of critters and wildlife back after winter shooed them away. For birds, specifically, the warming season invites hundreds of millions of the winged creatures to return to Illinois for a while. Here are some of the species traveling to or through Illinois.
Hummingbirds
Ruby-throated hummingbirds typically arrive in northern Illinois in late April and early May. Many of the tiny birds will settle in northern Illinois and others will keep pushing north as far as Canada.
Waterfowl
In March, waterfowl are heading north to their breeding grounds, according to
Bird Watcher’s Digest . Waterfowl are swimming game birds. Dozens of species of
duck are migrating and can be spotted on large downstate reservoirs, along the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers in northeastern Illinois wetlands, and from the Lake Michigan shoreline, according to BWD. Loons start to migrate north through the state in late March. Loons can be found throughout Illinois on large reservoirs or lakes that afford the birds to feed and become airborne. Loons favor deep, large bodies of water. Loons once nested in Illinois, but disturbance around lakes now keeps them moving northward to quieter lakes for breeding, according to BWD. Wisconsin boasts among highest population of common loons in the U.S. with about 4,000 adults. Minnesota has the largest population with more than 10,000 adults, according to
U.S. Geological Survey .
Sandhill cranes
Migrating sandhill cranes and raptors begin flying over Illinois in March. Raptors are birds of prey like owls, falcons, and osprey.
Herons and egrets
Great Blue Herons began appearing in Illinois in February, and
Green Herons and egrets return to Illinois in April.
Great Egrets are slightly smaller than a Great Blue Heron.
Bluebirds, robins, and blackbirds
These species are traveling north with some of them saying to breed in Illinois and others that will keep going, according to Bird Watcher's Digest.
Swallows
Swallows, including
Purple Martins are also returning to the Land of Lincoln from late March to early April.
(Story continues after the photo gallery.) Sparrows
Many different species of
sparrows migrate through Illinois in March, April, and May. The song sparrow and fox sparrows arrive first and are followed by swamp and vesper sparrows. Song sparrows are the most common and
can be heard singing their "put on the tea kettle-ettle-ettle songs in backyards, suburban parks, and natural areas," according to Bird Watcher's Digest.
Eastern phoebes, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, golden-crowned kinglets, brown creepers, and hermit thrushes
March and April also bring
Eastern Phoebes ,
Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers ,
Golden-crowned Kinglets ,
Brown Creepers , and
Hermit Thrushes to Illinois woodlands.
Longspurs
Longspurs can be found throughout Illinois in a variety of habitats. Central Illinoisans can find Smith’s longspur or the more common Lapland longspur in cornfields as they rest and feed before heading north to the tundra to breed, according to Bird Watcher's Digest.
Rails, grebes, and shorebirds
Rails make up a family of ground-living birds.
Grebes are diving birds that are best known for their striking courtship displays and for the silky plumage of their underparts. Rails, grebes, and many early shorebirds will start migrating through Illinois in April. You might hear the call of the
Pied-billed Grebe or the song of the
Sora at a wetland at dusk.
Who tracks bird migration?
Cornell University's Bird lab hosts a BirdCast Migration Dashboard that gives daily summaries of radar-based nocturnal bird migration. With it,
you can watch the progress of birds as they waft their way across the nation and even
track how many flew over your county the night before.
Some of the best birding is in May
For birders seeking variety and excitement, the best time to bird in Illinois in in May, according to BWD, when "when hoards of neotropical migrants including warblers, vireos, orioles and tanagers pass through the state, some remaining to breed."
Tom Ackerman covers breaking news and trending news along with general news for the Springfield State Journal-Register. He can be reached at [email protected].
