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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.

408,356
recent observations
30
species listed
11
birds
9
insects & arthropods
6
plants

Naturalists have logged 408,356 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species in Illinois. The most frequently seen is the Common Eastern Bumble Bee, with 26,816 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
26,816 observations
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
23,928 observations
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
20,731 observations
Brown-belted Bumble Bee
Bombus griseocollis
20,055 observations
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
18,986 observations
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
18,621 observations
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
18,281 observations
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
17,262 observations
Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
17,017 observations
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
16,235 observations
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
14,473 observations
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
13,964 observations
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
13,412 observations
Prairie Trillium
Trillium recurvatum
11,012 observations
Mayapple
Podophyllum peltatum
11,000 observations
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
10,783 observations
Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes
10,668 observations
Eastern Cottontail
Sylvilagus floridanus
10,667 observations
Eastern Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa virginica
10,629 observations
Virginia Springbeauty
Claytonia virginica
10,356 observations
Asian Lady Beetle
Harmonia axyridis
10,218 observations
American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis
10,052 observations
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
9,628 observations
Two-spotted Bumble Bee
Bombus bimaculatus
9,498 observations
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
9,329 observations
American Toad
Anaxyrus americanus
9,147 observations
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
9,079 observations
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus
8,988 observations
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
8,819 observations
American Pokeweed
Phytolacca americana
8,702 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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