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Wildlife in Illinois

Here’s what naturalists are spotting in Illinois right now - pulled live from recent research-grade observations. Browse by group, explore the map, and identify what you find with Huck.

404,574
recent observations
30
species listed
11
birds
9
insects & arthropods
6
plants

Naturalists have logged 404,574 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species in Illinois. The most frequently seen is the Common Eastern Bumble Bee, with 26,472 recorded sightings.

Birds account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (11 of the species listed here), followed by insects & arthropods (9).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species in Illinois

Common Eastern Bumble Bee
Bombus impatiens
26,472 observations
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
23,782 observations
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
20,129 observations
Brown-belted Bumble Bee
Bombus griseocollis
19,923 observations
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
18,906 observations
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
18,478 observations
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
18,170 observations
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
16,999 observations
Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
16,897 observations
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
16,159 observations
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
14,439 observations
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
13,873 observations
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
13,319 observations
Prairie Trillium
Trillium recurvatum
11,011 observations
Mayapple
Podophyllum peltatum
10,996 observations
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
10,597 observations
Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes
10,591 observations
Eastern Cottontail
Sylvilagus floridanus
10,573 observations
Eastern Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa virginica
10,551 observations
Virginia Springbeauty
Claytonia virginica
10,355 observations
Asian Lady Beetle
Harmonia axyridis
10,087 observations
American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis
9,978 observations
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
9,531 observations
Two-spotted Bumble Bee
Bombus bimaculatus
9,461 observations
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
9,233 observations
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
9,077 observations
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus
8,961 observations
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
8,756 observations
American Toad
Anaxyrus americanus
8,659 observations
American Pokeweed
Phytolacca americana
8,611 observations

Built from recent research-grade iNaturalist observations. Identifications are community-sourced and may occasionally be wrong, and the ranking reflects where people record and photograph wildlife, so a species seen often here is not necessarily rare elsewhere. Some plants and animals are only out in certain seasons. Treat this as a lively snapshot of what people are finding, not a formal checklist.

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