Our Illinois Spring Bird Count Results
Thorn Creek Audubon birders headed out on May 6 to count birds in eastern Will County for the annual Illinois Spring Bird Count. TCAS count coordinator Al Thomas reports that collectively our 30 volunteers spent 78 hours birding, walking 33 miles and driving 208 miles. In all, our teams tallied 114 species of birds and 6,249 total individuals.
This statewide event is organized by county. Thorn Creek Audubon is responsible for surveying birds throughout the eastern portion of Will County, from approx. Highway 45 to the Indiana border.
This was Thorn Creek Audubon's 51st year supporting this statewide bird survey, which was launched in 1972. Year-to-year comparisons of the data help researchers assess the health of bird populations and guide conservation action.
THANK YOU to all our long-time and first-time volunteers for making our 2023 count a success!
* Top 10 Species *
Red-winged Blackbird 1062
American Robin 1017
Ring-billed Gull 611
European Starling 510
Canada Goose 368
Common Grackle 231
American Goldfinch 173
Brown-headed Cowbird 170
Northern Cardinal 148
House Sparrow 102
* Our Total Tally *
Canada Goose 368
Wood Duck 22
Blue-winged Teal 11
Mallard 64
Hooded Merganser 1
Ring-necked Pheasant 3
Wild Turkey 11
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Rock Pigeon 54
Eurasian Collared-Dove 1
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Mourning Dove 97
Chimney Swift 27
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2
Sora 4
Sandhill Crane 2
Killdeer 59
Least Sandpiper 10
Wilson’s Snipe 1
Spotted Sandpiper 13
Solitary Sandpiper 17
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Greater Yellowlegs 8
Lesser Yellowlegs 1
Ring-billed Gull 611
Caspian Tern 16
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 93
Great Egret 18
Green Heron 10
Turkey Vulture 63
Osprey 1
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Cooper’s Hawk 2
Bald Eagle 3
Broad-winged Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 24
Great Horned Owl 4
Belted Kingfisher 3
Red-headed Woodpecker 21
Red-bellied Woodpecker 40
Downy Woodpecker 36
Hairy Woodpecker 5
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Pileated Woodpecker 3
Northern Flicker 23
American Kestrel 2
Least Flycatcher 3
Eastern Phoebe 13
Great Crested Flycatcher 6
Eastern Kingbird 5
White-eyed Vireo 2
Yellow-throated Vireo 1
Warbling Vireo 22
Red-eyed Vireo 2
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Blue Jay 81
American Crow 57
Black-capped Chickadee 32
Tufted Titmouse 24
Horned Lark 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 4
Purple Martin 10
Tree Swallow 69
Barn Swallow 40
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 23
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 28
House Wren 84
Carolina Wren 10
European Starling 510
Gray Catbird 24
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Brown Thrasher 8
Northern Mockingbird 1
Eastern Bluebird 24
Veery 1
Gray-cheeked Thrush 5
Swainson’s Thrush 3
Hermit Thrush 1
Wood Thrush 9
American Robin 1017
House Sparrow 102
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American Pipit 4
House Finch 38
American Goldfinch 173
Chipping Sparrow 23
Field Sparrow 25
White-crowned Sparrow 21
White-throated Sparrow 33
Vesper Sparrow 1
Savannah Sparrow 12
Song Sparrow 61
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Eastern Towhee 13
Bobolink 5
Eastern Meadowlark 12
Baltimore Oriole 30
Red-winged Blackbird 1062
Brown-headed Cowbird 170
Common Grackle 231
Louisiana Waterthrush 3
Northern Waterthrush 2
Blue-winged Warbler 1
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Black-and-white Warbler 5
Prothonotary Warbler 2
Nashville Warbler 10
Common Yellowthroat 15
Cape May Warbler 1
Northern Parula 4
Yellow Warbler 37
Chestnut-sided Warbler 1
Blackpoll Warbler 1
Palm Warbler 26
Yellow-rumped Warbler 19
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Prairie Warbler 1
Black-throated Green Warbler 4
Scarlet Tanager 6
Northern Cardinal 148
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 21
Indigo Bunting 4
May 24, 2023