Learn the birds of Illinois
72 birds in 12 short units, from your backyard to the Lake Michigan shore, prairie remnants and river woodlands. By sight, sound and story, with real photos and recordings.
- Free, no ads
- No sign-up
- Phone, tablet or computer
A few you’ll meet first
Northern CardinalPhoto: The Cosmonaut · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
Downy WoodpeckerPhoto: unknown · CC0 · iNaturalist 
Canada GoosePhoto: Tser · CC BY · iNaturalist 
Wood DuckPhoto: James M. Maley · CC BY · iNaturalist
The course
Each unit is a small group of birds, easiest first, with look-alikes kept apart. Meet them, learn them by sight, sound and story, then finish with a Field test. The units get harder as you go.
Illinois Essentials
- Unit 1: Gentle startNorthern Cardinal, American Goldfinch, American Robin, House Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird and Great Blue Heron
- Unit 2: Gentle startDowny Woodpecker, Mourning Dove, Mallard, Great Egret, Double-crested Cormorant and Black-capped Chickadee
- Unit 3: Gentle startCanada Goose, Blue Jay, Red-bellied Woodpecker, White-breasted Nuthatch, House Finch and European Starling
- Unit 4: Building upWood Duck, Dark-eyed Junco, Common Grackle, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ring-billed Gull, Northern Flicker and Red-tailed Hawk
- Unit 5: Building upBrown-headed Cowbird, White-throated Sparrow, Killdeer, Red-breasted Merganser and Cooper’s Hawk
- Unit 6: Building upSong Sparrow, American Herring Gull, American Crow, Baltimore Oriole, Black-crowned Night Heron and Bald Eagle
Beyond the Basics
- Unit 7: SteadyRuby-throated Hummingbird, Sandhill Crane, Gray Catbird, Eastern Bluebird, Green Heron and American White Pelican
- Unit 8: SteadyRed-headed Woodpecker, American Tree Sparrow, American Coot, Common Goldeneye, Spotted Sandpiper, Indigo Bunting and Eastern Kingbird
- Unit 9: SteadyBlue-winged Teal, Cedar Waxwing, Wild Turkey, White-crowned Sparrow, Northern House Wren and Palm Warbler
- Unit 10: HardestBarn Swallow, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Swainson’s Thrush, American Redstart, Turkey Vulture and American Kestrel
- Unit 11: HardestTree Swallow, Common Yellowthroat, Eastern Phoebe, Great Horned Owl, Golden-crowned Kinglet and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
- Unit 12: HardestEastern Wood-Pewee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Chipping Sparrow, Magnolia Warbler and Northern Rough-winged Swallow