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​  *Federally Threatened Species
**Federally Endangered Species

​  †State Threatened Species
††State Endangered Species

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Birds of Nachusa Grasslands

218 bird species breed, land, or fly over Nachusa Grasslands!

Ducks, Geese & Swans

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• Greater white-fronted goose (​Anser albifrons)
• Snow goose (Chen caerulescens)
• Cackling goose (Branta hutchinsii)
• ​Canada goose (Branta canadensi)
• Tundra swan (Cygnus columbian)
• Trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator)
• Mute swan [probably] (Cygnus olor) NON-NATIVE
• Wood duck (Aix sponsa)
• Mallard (Anas platyrhyncho)​
• Gadwall (Anas strepera)
• Green-winged teal (Anas crecca)
• American wigeon (Anas americana)
• Northern shoveler (Anas clypeata)
• Blue-winged teal (Anas discors)
• Canvasback (Aythya valisineria)
• Ring-necked duck (Aythya collaris)
• Lesser scaup (Aythya affinis)
• Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)
• Hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatu)
• Ruddy duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)

Game Birds

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​​​Ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) NON-NATIVE
• Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
• Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus)

Grebes

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​​​Pied–billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)

Pelicans & Cormorants

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• American white pelican (Pelecanus erthrorhynchos)
• Double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)​         

Wading Birds

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​​American bittern (Botaurus lentiginosa)​​
• Least bittern (Ixobrychus exilis)
• Black-crowned night-heron †† (Nycticorax nycticorax)
• Green heron (Butorides virescens)
• Great egret (Ardea alba)
• ​Great blue heron (Ardea herodias)

Diurnal Raptors

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura)
• Osprey †† (Pandion haliaetus)
• Northern harrier †† (Cirdus cyaneus)
• Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)
• Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
• Sharp-shinned hawk (Accipiter striatus)
• Cooper's hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
• Northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
• Broad-winged hawk (Buteo platypterus)
• Red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus)
• Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
• Rough-legged hawk (Buteo lagopus)
• American kestrel (Falco sparverius)
• Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)     

Rails & Cranes

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​​​Virginia rail (Rallus limicola)
• Sora rail (Porzana carolina)
• Common Gallinule [moorhen] (Gallinula galeata)
• American Coot (Fulica americana)
  
• Sandhill crane (Grus canadensis)
• Whooping crane ​** †† (Grus americana)

Shorebirds

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• American Golden-plover (Pluvialis dominica)
• Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)
• Willet (Tringa semipalmata)
• Lesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)
• Greater yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)
• Solitary sandpiper (Tringa solitaria)
• Spotted sandpiper (Actitis macularius)
• Least sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)
• Upland sandpiper †† (Bartramia longicauda)
• Short-billed dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus)
• Wilson's snipe (Gallinago delicata)
• American woodcock (Scolopax minor)
• Ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis)
• Herring gull (Larus argentatus)
  
• Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia)
  
• Forster's tern (Sterna forsteri)
  
• Black tern (Chlidonias niger)
  

Pigeons & Doves

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​Rock pigeon (Columba livia) NON-NATIVE
• Mourning dove​ (Zenaida macroura)

Cuckoos

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​Yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americana)
• Black-billed cuckoo †​ (Coccyzus erythropthalmus)

Owls

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​Short-eared owl †† (Asio flammeus)
• Long-eared owl (Asio otus)
• Great horned owl (Bubo verginianus)
• Barred owl (Strix varia)
• Eastern screech-owl (Megascops asio​)
• Northern saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus)
  

Nightjars

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​Common nighthawk (Chordeiles minor)
• Whip–poor–will (Caprimulgus vociferus)

Swifts

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​Chimney swift (Chaertura pelagica)

Hummingbirds

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​Ruby–throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)

Kingfishers

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​Belted kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon)

Woodpeckers

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​Red–headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erthrocephalus)
• Red–bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus
• Northern flicker (Colaptes auratus)
• Yellow–bellied sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)
• Downy woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)
• Hairy woodpecker (Picoides villosus)
• Pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)

Flycatchers

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​Olive-sided flycatcher (Contopus cooperi)
• Eastern wood–pewee (Contopus virens)
• Yellow-bellied flycatcher (Empidonax flaviventris)
• Alder flycatcher (Empidonax alnorum)
• Willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii)
• Least flycatcher (Empidonax minimus)
• Eastern phoebe (Sayornis phoebe)
• Great crested flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)
• Eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)

Shrikes & Vireos

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​Loggerhead shrike †† (Lanius ludovicianus)
• Northern shrike (Lanius excubitor)
• White-eyed vireo (Vireo griseus)
• Yellow-throated vireo (Vireo flavifrons)
• Bell's vireo (Vireo bellii)
• Blue-headed vireo (Vireo solitarius)
• Red-eyed vireo (Vireo olivaceus)
• Philadelphia vireo (Vireo philadelphicus)
• Warbling vireo (Vireo glivus)

Jays & Crows

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• Blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata)
• American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)​

Larks & Swallows

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​Horned lark (Eremophila alpestris)
• Tree swallow (achycineta bicolor)
• Purple martin (Progne subis)
  
• Bank swallow (Riparia riparia)
• Cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota)
• Northern rough-winged swallow (Stelgidopteryx serripennis)
• Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)​

Titmouse & Chickadees

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​Tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)
• Black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)​      

Nuthatches & Creepers

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​Brown creeper (Certhia americana)
• White-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)
• Red-breasted nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)​

Wrens

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​House wren (Troglodytes aedon)
• Winter wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)
• Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus)
• Marsh wren (Cistothorus palutris)
• Sedge wren (Cistothorus platensis)

Kinglets, Gnatcatchers, & Bluebirds

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​Golden-crowned kinglet (Regulus satrapa)
• Ruby-crowned kinglet (Regulus calendula)
• Blue-gray gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)
• Eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis)

Thrushes

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​Wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina)
• Veery (Catharus fuscenscens)
• Gray-cheeked thrush (Catharus minimus)
• Swainson's thrush (Catharus ustulatus)
• Hermit thrush (Catharus guttatus)
• American robin (Turdus migrantorius)

Mimic Thrushes

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​Gray catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)
• Northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)
• Brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum)

Starlings

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) NON-NATIVE

Pipets

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​American pipet (Anthus rubescens)

Waxwings

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• Cedar waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)

Warblers

COMMON NAME (Genus species)​

• ​Prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea)
• Blue-winged warbler (Vermivora pinus)
• Golden-winged warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera
• Tennessee warbler (Vermivora peregrina)
• Nashville warbler (Vermivora ruficapilla)
• Northern parula (Parula americana)
• Chestnut-sided warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica)
• Cape May warbler (Dendroica tigrina)
• Magnolia warbler (Dendroica magnolia)
• Yellow-rumped warbler (Dendroica coronata)
• Black-and-white warbler (Mniotilta varia)
• Cerulean warbler † (Dendroica cerulea)
• Blackburnian warbler (Dendroica fusca)
• Black-throated green warbler (Dendroica virens)
• Yellow-throated warbler (Dendroica dominica)
• Bay-breasted warbler (Dendroica castanea)
• Blackpoll warbler (Dendroica striata)
• Pine warbler (Dendroica pinus)
• Palm warbler (Dendroica palmarum)
• Yellow warbler (Dendroica petechia)
• Mourning warbler (Oporornis philadelphia)
• Kentucky warbler (Oporonis formosus)
• Canada Warbler (Wilsonia canadensis)
• Wilson's warbler (Wilsonia pusilla)
• Hooded warbler (Wilsonia citrina)
• Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla)
• Louisiana waterthrush (​Seiurus motacilla)
• Northern waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis)
• Common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)
• Yellow-breasted chat (Icteria virens)
• American redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)

Tanagers, Cardinals,
​Grosbeaks, and Allies

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​Summer tanager (Piranga rubra)
• Scarlet tanager (Piranga olivacea)
• Rose-breasted grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)
• Northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)
• Dickcissel (Spiza americana)
• Blue grosbeak (Passerina caerulea)
• Indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea)

Sparrows, Juncos,
​Buntings, and Towhees

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​Eastern towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus)
• ​American tree sparrow (Spizella arborea)
• Field sparrow (Spizella pulsilla)
• Chipping sparrow (Spizella passerina)
• Clay-colored sparrow (Spizella pallida)
• Lark sparrow (Chondestes grammacus)
• Grasshopper sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum)
• Henslow's sparrow (Ammodramus henslowii)
• Le Conte's sparrow (Ammodramus leconteii)
• Nelson's sharp-tailed sparrow (Ammodramus nelsoni)
• Fox sparrow (Passerella iliaca)
• Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)
• Lincoln's sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii)
• Song sparrow (Melospiza melodia)
• Vesper sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus)
• Swamp sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)
• Harris's sparrow (Zonotrichia querula)
• White-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis)
• White-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys)
• Dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis)
• Snow bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis)
• Smith's Longspur (Calcarius pictus)
  
• Lapland longspur (Calcarius lapponicus)                          ​

Meadowlarks, Orioles,
Blackbirds, Bobolinks,
​Grackles, and Cowbirds

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus)
• Eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna)
• Western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)
• Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)
• Common grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)
• Brewer's blackbird (Euphagus cyanocephalus)
• Brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater)
• Orchard oriole (Icterus spurius)
• Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula)

 Finches & Old World Sparrows

COMMON NAME (Genus species)

• ​Purple finch (Carpodacus purpureus)
• House finch (Carpodacus mexicanus)
• Red crossbill (Loxia curvirostra)
• Pine siskin (Carduelis pinus)
• American goldfinch (Carduelis tristis)
• House sparrow (Passer domesticus) NON-NATIVE
• Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus) NON-NATIVE

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Download Birds of Nachusa Grasslands

Fauna of Nachusa Database​​

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UPDATED 5/2020