Birds in Illinois in February: What to Photograph (60 Species)

60 birds were recorded seen in Illinois in February in our iNaturalist sample; 8 of the top 50 are at their peak this month. The list is ranked by number of research-grade observations.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Top birds in February

Canada Goose1,344 obs.

Northern Cardinal1,105 obs.

American Herring Gull1,019 obs.

Dark-eyed Junco844 obs.

Red-tailed Hawk809 obs.

House Sparrow758 obs.

Mallard742 obs.

Common Goldeneye718 obs.

Downy Woodpecker692 obs.

Red-breasted Merganser678 obs.

Bald Eagle635 obs.

American Tree Sparrow620 obs.

All birds seen in Illinois in February

#	Species	Scientific name	Family	Obs.	Peak in state
1	Canada Goose	Branta canadensis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	1,344	Apr (rising)
2	Northern Cardinal	Cardinalis cardinalis	Cardinals and Allies	1,105	Apr (rising)
3	American Herring Gull	Larus smithsonianus	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	1,019	Feb (peak)
4	Dark-eyed Junco	Junco hyemalis	New World Sparrows	844	Jan (past peak)
5	Red-tailed Hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	809	Feb (peak)
6	House Sparrow	Passer domesticus	Old World Sparrows	758	Apr (rising)
7	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	742	Apr (rising)
8	Common Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	718	Jan (past peak)
9	Downy Woodpecker	Dryobates pubescens	Woodpeckers	692	Apr (rising)
10	Red-breasted Merganser	Mergus serrator	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	678	Mar (rising)
11	Bald Eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	635	Feb (peak)
12	American Tree Sparrow	Spizelloides arborea	New World Sparrows	620	Jan (past peak)
13	Black-capped Chickadee	Poecile atricapillus	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	581	Apr (rising)
14	American Robin	Turdus migratorius	Thrushes	580	Apr (rising)
15	Red-bellied Woodpecker	Melanerpes carolinus	Woodpeckers	486	Apr (rising)
16	Ring-billed Gull	Larus delawarensis	Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers	485	Mar (rising)
17	Common Merganser	Mergus merganser	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	458	Feb (peak)
18	Mourning Dove	Zenaida macroura	Pigeons and Doves	452	Apr (rising)
19	House Finch	Haemorhous mexicanus	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	409	Apr (rising)
20	Red-winged Blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus	New World Blackbirds and Orioles	408	Apr (rising)
21	Greater Scaup	Aythya marila	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	382	Feb (peak)
22	White-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	Nuthatches	377	Mar (rising)
23	American Crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	355	Apr (rising)
24	Cooper's Hawk	Astur cooperii	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	321	Sep (rising)
25	European Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	Starlings	317	Apr (rising)
26	Redhead	Aythya americana	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	304	Feb (peak)
27	American Goldfinch	Spinus tristis	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	279	Aug (rising)
28	Hooded Merganser	Lophodytes cucullatus	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	216	Mar (rising)
29	Mute Swan	Cygnus olor	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	182	Apr (rising)
30	Blue Jay	Cyanocitta cristata	Crows, Jays, and Magpies	181	May (rising)
31	Eastern Bluebird	Sialia sialis	Thrushes	180	May (rising)
32	Bufflehead	Bucephala albeola	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	171	Mar (rising)
33	White-throated Sparrow	Zonotrichia albicollis	New World Sparrows	160	Apr (rising)
34	Lesser Scaup	Aythya affinis	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	155	Mar (rising)
35	Great Blue Heron	Ardea herodias	Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns	144	Aug (rising)
36	Song Sparrow	Melospiza melodia	New World Sparrows	143	Apr (rising)
37	American Kestrel	Falco sparverius	Falcons and Caracaras	139	Mar (rising)
38	Tufted Titmouse	Baeolophus bicolor	Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice	138	Apr (rising)
39	Red-shouldered Hawk	Buteo lineatus	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	130	Sep (rising)
40	Greater White-fronted Goose	Anser albifrons	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	126	Feb (peak)
41	American Coot	Fulica americana	Rails, Gallinules, and Coots	123	Apr (rising)
42	Redpoll	Acanthis flammea	Finches, Euphonias, and Allies	120	Feb (peak)
43	Snow Goose	Anser caerulescens	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	111	Mar (rising)
44	Red-breasted Nuthatch	Sitta canadensis	Nuthatches	110	Sep (rising)
45	Ring-necked Duck	Aythya collaris	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	109	Mar (rising)
46	Sandhill Crane	Antigone canadensis	Cranes	108	Mar (rising)
47	Hairy Woodpecker	Leuconotopicus villosus	Woodpeckers	108	Apr (rising)
48	Red-headed Woodpecker	Melanerpes erythrocephalus	Woodpeckers	107	May (rising)
49	Canvasback	Aythya valisineria	Ducks, Geese, and Swans	101	Mar (rising)
50	Northern Harrier	Circus hudsonius	Hawks, Eagles, and Kites	101	Jan (past peak)

Birds Seen in Illinois in February

Top birds in February

All birds seen in Illinois in February