Carolina Wren

Status:  common permanent resident in Southern Illinois, decreasing northward. Northern populations often decimated in hard winters and take several years to recover.

Distribution:   woodlands and residential areas, in vines and thickets.

Field Marks:   a large wren, rusty-colored above and buffy below with prominent white eye- stripe. Bill long and slightly decurved.

Voice:  loud, rolicking call, often described as "tea kettle- tea kettle- tea kettle-tea" or "chippity- chippity-chippity-chirp" sometimes two syllabled, or a loud, scolding note.

Behavioral Clues:   likes to hop about amid roots, tangles and vines in search of insects; holds tail erect and may switch it from side to side when aggitated.

Nest:  chooses a variety of sites, from natural cavities to man-made structures (garages, sheds) and equipment (barbecue grills, hanging baskets, etc.) Nest is bulky. Usually two broods a season.

Mourning Dove

Status:  abundant migrant and summer resident, but also common in winter in most of Illinois.

Distribution:  statewide in both urban and rural areas.

Field Marks:  plump, 12" long bird with smallish head; brownish-gray in color, and having a pointed tail with large white spots; bluish ring around eye.

Voice:  a mournful, hollow-sounding "coo coo coo."

Behavioral Clues:  usually feeds on the ground, especially in agricultural fields where there is waste grain. Walks rather than hopping. Very fast fliers; wings make whistling sound when bird takes off.

Nest:  makes flimsy, platform nest in trees or thick shrubs and vines; often blown to ground in windstorm. May also use vacant nests of robins or other large birds. Usually has several broods each year, from March through September, each consisting of two young.

Purple Finch

Status:  common migrant, and uncommon winter resident.

Distribution:  state-wide in woodlands, especially along rivers; also in parks and urban areas, often seen at bird feeders.

Field Marks:  adult males are bright rosy or raspberry over most of body except for a white, unstreaked belly; wings and tails are dark. (Sometimes confused with male house finches, which have a dark head with rosy eyestripe and forehead; back is brown rather than rosy, and sides and belly are streaked.) Adult female and immature purple finches are heavily striped, brown, and sparrow-like with broad white stripes on the face. (Female house finches are gray-brown and finely streaked, with no face markings.)

Voice:  a fast, cheery-sounding warble; also a dull "tick" alarm note.

Behavioral Clues:  usually in small groups; feed on tree seeds such as ash and sycamore.

Nest:   in northern forests in the United States and Canada; also in Appalachian Mountains.

Song Sparrow

Status:  common migrant; common summer resident, especially northerly; common winter resident in south.

Distribution:  found in many habitats, both rural and urban. In winter, it favors grasslands and wetlands.

Field Marks:  a rather long-tailed sparrow with heavily streaked breast. In adult birds, the streaks form a dark spot in the center of the breast.

Voice:  a musical song of several notes followed by a trill; extremely variable; male will often sing dozens of variations on a central theme; also has a distinctive "chimp" alarm note.

Behavioral Clues:  pumps its tail in flight; usually found singly or in small groups.

Nest:   built low in shrubs and thickets. Nests frequently parasitized by cowbirds.

Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker

Status:   common migrant; fairly common winter resident, especially in Southern Illinois; rare summer resident.

Distribution:  deciduous and coniferous woodlands, and in wooded parks and residential areas (especially in winter.)

Field Marks:   barred, brownish back, yellowish underparts. Red cap, long white vertical wing patch; throat is red in males, white in females. Immature birds are brown without a face patch, but have the distinctive vertical wing patch.

Voice:   a nasal "churr" which slurs downward.

Behavioral Clues:  drills neat rows of small holes in trees to reach the sap.

Nest:  in cavities of large trees, especially birches, in its northern forest habitat in the U.S. and Canada.

American Goldfinch

Status:  common in all seasons throughout state, but also migrates and wanders from place to place; birds seen in one season are not necessarily those present at other times of year.

Distribution:  found in all kinds of habitats, from forests and fields to shrubby edges and suburban yards. Common at bird feeders, where they relish thistle seed and sunflower hearts.

Field Marks:  In summer, males are bright yellow with black caps, wings and tails. Females are duller yellow and have no black on the head. In winter, both sexes appear grayish-olive, and retain the black wings and tail and whitish rump.

Voice:  canary-like; give their "per-chick-o-ree" call when in flight.

Behavioral Clues:  flight pattern is undulating, resembling a roller-coaster, with birds singing in flight. Often seen clinging to sunflowers or other seed-bearing plants, or feeding on dandelion seeds. Usually travel in small flocks.

Nest:  late in season, after most other species have finished; usually nest in small trees in shrubby areas, and the nests are lined with thistledown.

Prothonotary Warbler

Status:  summer resident, esp. in southern counties in proper habitat, decreasing northward.

Distribution:  wetlands, swamps and bottomland forests. During migration, may be found along river valleys.

Field Marks:  small, thin-billed; bright golden-yellow on head and chest, olive back, bluish wings.

Voice:  loud, ringing call all on one pitch; five or six "Zweet" notes.

Behavioral Clues:  prefers to feed low in foliage, esp. trees overhanging water, and floating logs.

Nest:  chooses old woodpecker holes in trees standing in water, esp. willows; will also use man- made nestboxes or other aritifical sites.

Yellow-breasted Chat

Status:  summer resident in Southern Illinois, decreasing northward in state.

Distribution:  thickets, briar patches, forest edges throughout range.

Field Marks:  largest of the warblers, bright yellow on throat and chest; white spectacles on face; olive brown on head, back, wings and tail; white stomach and underparts; long tail.

Voice:  A mixture of whistles, grunts, cackles, etc.; sings while fluttering in the air in courtship; also sings at night, especially in bright moonlight.

Behavioral Clues:  likes to skulk in underbrush and briars, feeding and acting more like a thrasher than a warbler.

Nest:  in thick briars or shrubs, from ground level to 3 feet or so; often parasitized by cowbirds.

Pine Siskin

Status:  erratic migrant and winter resident; rare summer resident.

Distribution:  woodlands, parklands and residential areas throughout the state, where they prefer conifers, alders, birch, sweet gum; also occur in sunflower fields and weed patches; often come to bird feeders, esp. for thistle seeds.

Field Marks:  small, thin-billed, streaked bird with notched tail; yellowish wing bars and yellow in tail not always obvious.

Voice:  a high-pitched buzzy call resembling goldfinch; "zzrreeee".

Behavioral Clues:  usually travel in flocks; often seen with goldfinches, which they resemble in size and feeding behavior.

Nest:  nest in conifers in northern U.S. and Canada; rarely breed in Illinois.

Indigo Bunting

Status:  abundant summer resident.

Distribution:  woodlands, open areas, edges and scrub habitat throughout range.

Field Marks:  males may appear greenish-blue to blue-black depending on light in which they are viewed, darker wings and tail; females are brown with no obvious markings.

Voice:  a pleasant, warbling song which can be heard throughout the breeding season, even on hot, humid days.

Behavioral Clues:  males like to perch and sing in the open on exposed perches where they are easy to observe; sometimes also sing in flight.

Nest:  : build low to the ground in dense vegetation; often parasitized by cowbirds.

Swainson's Thrush

Status:  common migrant throughout state.

Distribution:  found in woodlands of all types.

Field Marks:  olive to brown head and back, most have buffy eye-ring; spotted breast.

Voice:  call note is a single "bot"; may also sing a beautiful song of rising breezy flute-like notes.

Behavioral Clues:  forages on ground, or in shrubs and vines; eats mostly insects in spring, but berries and fruits in fall.

Nest:  northern U.S., Canada and Alaska, and in western mountains; winters in Mexico, Central and South America.

Northern Flicker

Status:  common resident in most of state; some are migratory, and there are fewer in northern parts of the state in winter.

Distribution:  woodlands, suburban and residential areas. Almost all Illinois flickers are the "yellow-shafted form," while western birds are "red-shafted."

Field Marks:  large woodpecker which is mostly brown on head, wings, and back; chest is spotted and has conspicuous black "V"; in flight, bird shows white rump patch and yellow underwings; males have mustache mark on face.

Voice:  a loud "wick, wick, wick".

Behavioral Clues:  likes to forage on ground for ants, beetles and other insects; also likes to drum on a gutter, antenna, or other metal object when advertising territory.

Nest:  cavities in dead trees or branches; woodlands, edges, or residential areas.

Turkey Vulture

Status:  common migrant; in south, common summer resident and uncommon winter resident; rarer in northern Illinois in all seasons.

Distribution:  roosts in wooded areas, but hunts over open countryside throughout range.

Field Marks:  adults have red, naked head and black feathers over the rest of the body; viewed from underneath, wings appear two-toned gray and black; juveniles have dark heads.

Voice:  young may hiss to scare off would-be predators if disturbed in nest.

Behavioral Clues:  likes to soar on thermals, and can stay aloft for hours with little flapping of wings; in early morning, will perch with wings extended to capture sunlight; attracted to roadkills and other carrion on which they feed.

Nest:  on ground in hollow log, or in hollow trees, rock crevices, or even abandoned buildings; adults will regurgitate on any visitor disturbing nest or young.

Short-billed Dowitcher

Status:  migratory, nests in southern Alaska, Canada; winters from southern U.S. coast to Guatemala.

Distribution:  mudflats, flooded fields throughout the state.

Field Marks:  very long bill; light line through eye; breast rusty in summer, gray in winter; sides of breast spotted, belly white; 10.5-12.5 inches tall.

Voice:  a staccato "tu-tu-tu." similar to yellowlegs, but softer.

Behavioral Clues:  Bill moves rapidly up and down in mud with a sewing machine motion while feeding.

Nest:  in grass on tundra or muskeg habitat of the north country.

American Avocet

Status:  migratory.

Distribution:  Found throughout the state at large mudflats, lake edges, marshy pools.

Field Marks:  Breeding birds have orange heads and striking black-and-white plumage; young and winter birds have gray heads; long, slender bill is upturned.

Voice:  a loud, sharp "wheek" or "kleek" when excited.

Behavioral Clues:  Sweeps bill back and forth like a scythe when feeding.

Nest:  on ground at edge of marshes, sun-baked flats in western states.

Eastern Screech Owl

Status in Illinois:  Year-'round resident.

Distribution:  Statewide in wooded habitats and urban residential areas.

Field Marks:  Small (7-10") with ear tufts. May be bright red-brown or gray in color.

Voice:  A mournful, tremulous whinny on descending notes, sometimes alternating with a single, tremoring note.

Behavioral Clues:  May be observed sitting in a tree cavity or next to the trunk of a tree, where it may be very well camouflaged.

Nest:  Cavity nester, using old woodpecker holes that have been enlarged. Will also use nest boxes, including those designed for wood ducks or flickers.

White-breasted Nuthatch

Status in Illinois:  Year-'round resident.

Distribution:  Throughout the state in wooded habitats, including urban residential areas where it commonly visits feeders.

Field Marks:  Slate-gray back, wings and tail; white underparts except for chestnut undertail; male has black cap.

Voice:  Nasal notes mostly on one tone; often described as "yank yank yank."

Behavioral Clues:  Gleens insects from bark of trees, usually climbing head-first down the trunk. Often calls while actively feeding. In winter, may feed in loose flocks with chickadees and titmice.

Nest:  Cavity nester, using old woodpecker holes.

Red-headed Woodpecker

Status in Illinois:  Summer resident, with some wintering in southern Illinois and along the Illinois and Mississippi River valleys.

Distribution:  Throughout the state in wooded habitats, especially woodland edges or even isolated woodlots with mature trees.

Field Marks:  Full red head, solid black back, large white patches in wings and white rump. Immature birds have a dark head and grayish-black back.

Voice:  Loud "queeah" that is higher pitched and louder than the "churr" of red-bellied woodpecker; may be loud and quarrelsome in chasing each other or other birds.

Behavioral Clues:  Likes to "flycatch" insects in mid-air; summer food includes moths and beetles. In fall, will store acorns to eat during winter months. Also will feed on waste grain in farm fields in winter; frequents telephone poles in open country.

Nest:  Cavity nester, excavating holes in dead trees or snags.

Red-tailed Hawk

Status in Illinois:  Common to fairly common year 'round; many more seen in migration.

Distribution:  Throughout the state in woodlands, semi-open areas and woodlots.

Field Marks:  Broad wings and tail typical of buteos; plumage is highly variable; typical adult has dark head and upper parts, rufous-colored tail, and white underparts with dark "belly band." White chest usually quite visible. Dark phases are sometimes seen, and some red-tails lack a belly band. Immature birds are quite variable, with most being dark above with a banded tail and a white chest.

Voice:  Wheezy, descending "keeeer".

Behavioral Clues:  Likes to soar over open areas; commonly perches on poles or trees along roadsides.

Nest:  Fairly large, constructed of sticks, and built in mature trees where available; resident hawks may use same nests more than one year.