Loons and storks
Order Gaviiformes
Family Gaviidae
Red-throated Loon Gavia stellata
Late October - Late November
Status and abundance: Rare migrant. Very rare winter visitor.
Habitat: Large reservoirs.
Records and remarks: Tends to stay in deeper water near the center of reservoirs. A recent run of records may indicate a change in status.
1, Crab Orchard NWR, 6-13 Mar 2017 (DM, JT, m.ob.)
1, Saline Co. State FWA, 9-15 Mar 2015 (MS, m.ob.)
1, Crab Orchard NWR, 12 Mar 2016 (KM)
1, Mermet Lake, 10 Apr 2015 (KM)
2, Crab Orchard NWR, 19 Apr 2015 (DM)
1, Rend Lake, 27 Oct 1985 (LH)
1, Crab Orchard NWR, 10-11 Nov 1984 (TF et al.)
1, Carbondale, 16 Nov 1989 (BD)
2 imm., Crab Orchard NWR, 19-23 Nov 1990 (BD et al.)
1, Rend Lake, 15 Dec 1991 (WDR)
1, Crab Orchard NWR, 22-25 Dec 2015 (DM, JG, m.ob.)
1, Crab Orchard NWR, 8-14 Jan 2016 (KM, DM)
1, Rend Lake, 29 Jan 2000 (KM, DK, FB)
Documentation: Photograph—1, Crab Orchard NWR, 22 Dec 2015 (http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S26414730).
Pacific Loon Gavia pacifica
Status and abundance: Very rare visitor.
Habitat: Large reservoirs.
Records and remarks: Pacific Loons are different in shape and color pattern from Red-throated and Common Loons even in winter plumage, which is what we see in our region. Not seen every year, they are even more rarely documented thoroughly. Observers are encouraged to archive photos in eBird.
1, Crab Orchard NWR, 15 Apr 2005 (KM)
1, Union Co. CA, 18 Apr 2004 (KM)
1, Rend Lake, Franklin Co., 25-26 Nov 1992 (TF, JD)
1, Lyerla Lake, Union Co., 14-15 Dec 2019 (A. Sigler, m.ob.)
1, Rend Lake, Franklin Co., 14 Dec 2002 (DK, LH)
1, Rend Lake, Franklin Co., 24-27 Dec 1991 (TF, WDR)
1, Crab Orchard NWR, 25 Dec 1996 (BD)
Documentation: Photographic--https://ebird.org/checklist/S62382367.
Common Loon Gavia immer
Early March - Mid-May
Late October - Mid-December
Status and abundance: Uncommon spring migrant. Rare summer visitor. Fairly common fall migrant. Rare winter resident.
Habitat: Large reservoirs and rivers.
Records and remarks: The most common loon in the region. Usually stays in the middle of large reservoirs, though sometimes will enter bays and feed near the shore. Sometimes loons land on small ponds and become stranded there because they do not have sufficient room to gain the running speed necessary to allow take-off.
AUTUMN—Loons return in numbers by late October, but a few may arrive as soon as early October. Maximum single day counts are normally 15-25 birds, but occasionally large concentrations occur at Rend Lake or Crab Orchard Lake.
3, Crab Orchard NWR, 19 Oct 1985 (TF)
113, Rend Lake, 28 Oct 1985 (TF)
37, Rend Lake, 19 Nov 1998 (LS)
5, Rend Lake, 1 Jan 1992 (TF, JD)
WINTER—Some loons will linger late into winter until freezing water forces them south. In some years, a few may attempt to over-winter. Feb records may represent birds that have initiated spring migration early in response to warming spells.
1, Crab Orchard NWR, 18 Jan 1985 (JCR)
19, Rend Lake, Franklin Co., 29 Jan 2000 (KM, DK, FB)
3, Baldwin Lake, 17 Feb 1985 (JCR)
SPRING—Most birds are still in non-breeding plumage during spring migration, but the majority of individuals seen in late Apr and May have molted into breeding plumage. Concentrations are much smaller than during autumn. Maximum daily counts rarely exceed 15 birds.
1, Crab Orchard NWR, 7 Mar 1976 (BP)
1, Crab Orchard NWR, 12 Mar 1986 (WDR)
1, Ferne Clyffe SP, Johnson Co., 24 May 1981 (M. Swan)
1, Rend Lake, Franklin Co., 29 May 2007 (DK)
SUMMER—Individuals present during summer are probably very late migrants or wandering non-breeding birds; most are in non-breeding plumage.
1, Baldwin Lake, 10 Jun 1977 (MMo)
1, Crab Orchard NWR, 13 Jun 1983 (JCR)
1, Lake of Egypt, Williamson Co., 30 Jun 1985 (JCR)
1, Mermet Lake, 4 Jul 2011 (DK)
1, Rend Lake, 8 Jul 1985 (KM)
Documentation: Photograph—Crab Orchard NWR, Williamson Co., Nov 1985 (SIU AP-1).
Order Ciconiiformes
Family Ciconiidae
Wood Stork Mycteria americana
Status and abundance: Very rare visitor.
Habitat: Sloughs and marshes. Oxbow swamps along the Mississippi River should be ideal habitat.
Records and remarks: Wood Storks, like some other large wading birds, may wander widely to the north after breeding in swamps of the southern United States. Nelson (1877) reported Wood Storks occurred at Cairo, Alexander County, 1 Aug - 30 Sep 1875, being "numerous" 11 August to 4 September. We have very few records in the 20th and 21st centuries.
AUTUMN—1, Nason Observation Deck, Rend Lake, Jefferson Co., 6-20 Jul 2017 (W. Gregg, LH, T. Ward, C. Dobson, DK)
1, Mermet Lake, 19 Jul - early Aug 2021 (B. Gilmour, m.ob.)
50, Jefferson Co., 30 July-23 Aug 1925 (Carson 1926)
1, Sexton Creek Wetlands, Alexander Co., 5 Aug 2017 (A. Gathman)
12, Neunert, Jackson Co., 3 Sep 1949 (JWH)
1, Horseshoe Lake CA, Sep 1941 (George 1968)
1, DuQuoin, Perry Co., early fall 1945 (George 1968)
40, Union Co., fall 1960 (Comfort 1961)
5, Joppa, Massac Co., 20 Sep 2000 (FB)
Documentation: Photograph—Alexander Co., 5 Aug 2017 (A. Gathman; https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S38486081). In addition, Nelson (1877) collected some from sandbars in the Ohio River near Mound City, Pulaski County, but the disposition of the specimens is unknown.