60 birds were recorded seen in Illinois in May in our iNaturalist sample; 28 of the top 50 are at their peak this month. The list is ranked by number of research-grade observations.
Top birds in May
Red-winged Blackbird
American Robin
Canada Goose
Mallard
Baltimore Oriole
House Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Gray Catbird
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Great Blue Heron
Indigo Bunting
White-crowned Sparrow
All birds seen in Illinois in May
| # | Species | Scientific name | Family | Obs. | Peak in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red-winged Blackbird | Agelaius phoeniceus | New World Blackbirds and Orioles | 3,333 | Apr (past peak) |
| 2 | American Robin | Turdus migratorius | Thrushes | 3,117 | Apr (past peak) |
| 3 | Canada Goose | Branta canadensis | Ducks, Geese, and Swans | 2,706 | Apr (past peak) |
| 4 | Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | Ducks, Geese, and Swans | 2,420 | Apr (past peak) |
| 5 | Baltimore Oriole | Icterus galbula | New World Blackbirds and Orioles | 2,383 | May (peak) |
| 6 | House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | Old World Sparrows | 1,834 | Apr (past peak) |
| 7 | Northern Cardinal | Cardinalis cardinalis | Cardinals and Allies | 1,726 | Apr (past peak) |
| 8 | Gray Catbird | Dumetella carolinensis | Mockingbirds and Thrashers | 1,529 | May (peak) |
| 9 | Rose-breasted Grosbeak | Pheucticus ludovicianus | Cardinals and Allies | 1,307 | May (peak) |
| 10 | Great Blue Heron | Ardea herodias | Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns | 1,286 | Aug (rising) |
| 11 | Indigo Bunting | Passerina cyanea | Cardinals and Allies | 1,262 | May (peak) |
| 12 | White-crowned Sparrow | Zonotrichia leucophrys | New World Sparrows | 1,204 | May (peak) |
| 13 | Brown-headed Cowbird | Molothrus ater | New World Blackbirds and Orioles | 1,201 | Apr (past peak) |
| 14 | American Goldfinch | Spinus tristis | Finches, Euphonias, and Allies | 1,201 | Aug (rising) |
| 15 | Common Grackle | Quiscalus quiscula | New World Blackbirds and Orioles | 1,188 | Apr (past peak) |
| 16 | American Redstart | Setophaga ruticilla | New World Warblers | 1,188 | May (peak) |
| 17 | Eastern Kingbird | Tyrannus tyrannus | Tyrant Flycatchers | 1,155 | May (peak) |
| 18 | Common Yellowthroat | Geothlypis trichas | New World Warblers | 1,059 | May (peak) |
| 19 | Palm Warbler | Setophaga palmarum | New World Warblers | 1,047 | May (peak) |
| 20 | Mourning Dove | Zenaida macroura | Pigeons and Doves | 1,008 | Apr (past peak) |
| 21 | Northern Yellow Warbler | Setophaga aestiva | New World Warblers | 984 | May (peak) |
| 22 | Swainson's Thrush | Catharus ustulatus | Thrushes | 932 | May (peak) |
| 23 | Tree Swallow | Tachycineta bicolor | Swallows and Martins | 926 | Apr (past peak) |
| 24 | House Finch | Haemorhous mexicanus | Finches, Euphonias, and Allies | 871 | Apr (past peak) |
| 25 | Black-crowned Night Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns | 823 | May (peak) |
| 26 | Song Sparrow | Melospiza melodia | New World Sparrows | 806 | Apr (past peak) |
| 27 | Magnolia Warbler | Setophaga magnolia | New World Warblers | 801 | May (peak) |
| 28 | Downy Woodpecker | Dryobates pubescens | Woodpeckers | 790 | Apr (past peak) |
| 29 | Green Heron | Butorides virescens | Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns | 776 | May (peak) |
| 30 | Scarlet Tanager | Piranga olivacea | Cardinals and Allies | 763 | May (peak) |
| 31 | Red-bellied Woodpecker | Melanerpes carolinus | Woodpeckers | 760 | Apr (past peak) |
| 32 | Blue Jay | Cyanocitta cristata | Crows, Jays, and Magpies | 741 | May (peak) |
| 33 | Killdeer | Charadrius vociferus | Plovers and Lapwings | 739 | May (peak) |
| 34 | European Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | Starlings | 718 | Apr (past peak) |
| 35 | Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | Swallows and Martins | 716 | May (peak) |
| 36 | Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | Polioptila caerulea | Gnatcatchers and Gnatwrens | 713 | May (peak) |
| 37 | Red-headed Woodpecker | Melanerpes erythrocephalus | Woodpeckers | 708 | May (peak) |
| 38 | Eastern Wood-Pewee | Contopus virens | Tyrant Flycatchers | 696 | May (peak) |
| 39 | Spotted Sandpiper | Actitis macularius | Sandpipers and Allies | 694 | May (peak) |
| 40 | Wood Duck | Aix sponsa | Ducks, Geese, and Swans | 656 | Apr (past peak) |
| 41 | Northern House Wren | Troglodytes aedon | Wrens | 634 | May (peak) |
| 42 | Great Egret | Ardea alba | Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns | 634 | Aug (rising) |
| 43 | Yellow-rumped Warbler | Setophaga coronata | New World Warblers | 633 | Oct (rising) |
| 44 | Northern Rough-winged Swallow | Stelgidopteryx serripennis | Swallows and Martins | 624 | May (peak) |
| 45 | Black-and-white Warbler | Mniotilta varia | New World Warblers | 615 | May (peak) |
| 46 | Chestnut-sided Warbler | Setophaga pensylvanica | New World Warblers | 615 | May (peak) |
| 47 | Eastern Bluebird | Sialia sialis | Thrushes | 595 | May (peak) |
| 48 | Ring-billed Gull | Larus delawarensis | Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers | 584 | Mar (past peak) |
| 49 | Eastern Warbling Vireo | Vireo gilvus | Vireos, Shrike-Babblers, and Erpornis | 562 | May (peak) |
| 50 | White-throated Sparrow | Zonotrichia albicollis | New World Sparrows | 543 | Apr (past peak) |