Birds of Chicago, Illinois

The birds most often spotted near Chicago, ranked by recent research-grade observations.

Most-observed birds near Chicago

Turdus migratorius

7,235 observations

Anas platyrhynchos

6,510 observations

Branta canadensis

6,449 observations

Red-winged Blackbird

Agelaius phoeniceus

6,124 observations

Passer domesticus

5,681 observations

Northern Cardinal

Cardinalis cardinalis

5,061 observations

Great Blue Heron

3,772 observations

Ring-billed Gull

Larus delawarensis

3,692 observations

American Goldfinch

3,212 observations

Downy Woodpecker

Dryobates pubescens

3,113 observations

Red-tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensis

3,086 observations

Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

3,075 observations

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serrator

2,862 observations

2,855 observations

Dark-eyed Junco

2,625 observations

Zenaida macroura

2,430 observations

2,422 observations · iNaturalist

American Herring Gull

Larus smithsonianus

2,414 observations · iNaturalist

Quiscalus quiscula

2,382 observations

2,283 observations

Melospiza melodia

2,146 observations

Double-crested Cormorant

Nannopterum auritum

2,081 observations

Black-capped Chickadee

Poecile atricapillus

2,077 observations

European Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

2,037 observations

Haemorhous mexicanus

1,884 observations

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Setophaga coronata

1,873 observations

White-throated Sparrow

Zonotrichia albicollis

1,830 observations

Northern Flicker

Colaptes auratus

1,793 observations

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Melanerpes carolinus

1,717 observations

Common Goldeneye

Bucephala clangula

1,645 observations

Setophaga palmarum

1,642 observations

Baltimore Oriole

Icterus galbula

1,585 observations

Butorides virescens

1,573 observations

Brown-headed Cowbird

1,458 observations

Charadrius vociferus

1,443 observations

Corvus brachyrhynchos

1,442 observations

Dumetella carolinensis

1,402 observations

1,349 observations

White-crowned Sparrow

Zonotrichia leucophrys

1,287 observations

American Redstart

Setophaga ruticilla

1,239 observations

Cyanocitta cristata

1,224 observations

Swainson's Thrush

Catharus ustulatus

1,170 observations

Hirundo rustica

1,156 observations

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Regulus satrapa

1,156 observations

Eastern Kingbird

Tyrannus tyrannus

1,151 observations

American Tree Sparrow

Spizelloides arborea

1,134 observations · iNaturalist

White-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta carolinensis

1,119 observations

Hydroprogne caspia

1,100 observations

Catharus guttatus

1,094 observations

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Corthylio calendula

1,086 observations