Order Gruiformes
Family Rallidae
Yellow Rail Coturnicops noveboracensis
Status and abundance: Very rare migrant.
Habitat: Grassy meadows with some standing water (in spring) and hayfields (in fall).
Records and remarks: Very difficult to locate perhaps not only because of its rarity, but also because of its relative unwillingness to fly when approached. During fall, birds may use dry hay fields and flush in advance of approaching farm machinery during harvest. One found in Apr 1987 was in the middle of a field several hundred acres in size. It was using grassy vegetation 17 to 22 centimeters tall in 2 to 6 centimeters of standing water.
At least seven records.
1, Cypress Creek NWR, 13 Apr 2003 (FB)
1, 18-19 Apr 1987, near Paulton, Williamson Co. (WDR, TF)
1, Williamson Co., 3-4 May 1994 (LS)
1, East Cape Girardeau, Alexander Co., 18 Sep 2020 (C. Taylor)
1, Cypress Creek NWR, 10 Oct 1998 (FB)
1, Franklin Co., 18 Oct 2000 (LS)
1, Oakwood Bottoms, 26 Oct 2002 (LS)
1, sw. Franklin Co., 30 Oct 1999 (LS)
Documentation: Written description—1, near Paulton, Williamson Co., 18-19 Apr 1987.
Black Rail Laterallus jamaicensis
Status and abundance: Very rare migrant.
Habitat: May occur in large, grassy fields with some standing water. May also use alfalfa or winter wheat fields. The 1994 bird used the periphery of a cattail marsh.
Records and remarks: One calling from a marsh just after midnight on 4 May 1994, near Harrisburg, Saline Co., was tape recorded (TF, KM, JD, MS).
Other reports:
1, Massac Co., 29 Apr 2007 (FB)
1, near West Frankfort, 30 Apr 2000 (LS)
1, Pulaski Co., 13 and 20 May 2000 (KM, FB)
1, Rend Lake, 28 Aug 2009 (LS)
1, Crab Orchard NWR, 7 Oct 1954 (CONWR refuge office)
1, Crab Orchard NWR, 15 Oct 1949 (CONWR refuge office)
2, Crab Orchard NWR, 7 Nov 1952 (CONWR refuge office)
Documentation: Voice recording—1, near Harrisburg, Saline Co., 4 May 1994 (SIU uncatalogued).
King Rail Rallus elegans
Mid-April - Late July
Status and abundance: Occasional migrant. Rare summer resident. Very rare winter visitor.
Habitat: Cattail marshes and tall-sedge meadows.
Records and remarks: Formerly more numerous, but destruction of marshes and other wetlands has greatly reduced appropriate habitat. Use of recorded lure calls or extensive walking in marshes is required to see this species.
SPRING—First arrivals typically begin appearing about 15 Apr. Migration may continue until mid-May, but the thin breeding population obscures departure dates of migrants.
1, Harrisburg, 3 Apr 1995 (JD)
1, Oakwood Bottoms, Jackson Co., 15 Mar 1994 (CS)
1, Oakwood Bottoms, Jackson Co., 14 Apr 1985 (JCR)
1, Crab Orchard NWR, 23 Apr 2006 (KM)
2, Oakwood Bottoms, Jackson Co., 24 Apr 1976 (BP)
1, Crab Orchard NWR, 5 May 2017 (WDR, T. Hallman, J. Curtis)
2, Mermet Lake, 7 May 1988 (WDR)
SUMMER—Localized nesting in remaining patches of excellent habitat across the region.
Nesting, Grassy Slough, Johnson Co., 28 Apr-25 Jun 2006 (SB, SD, KM, m.ob.)
2, Oakwood Bottoms, Jackson Co., 28 May 1976 (BP)
ad. & yg., e. of Vienna, Johnson Co., 7 June 1971 (VK)
yg., Shawneetown, 17 Jun 1909 (Cooke 1914)
3, Pyramid SP, 22 Jun 2014 (NG)
imm., West Frankfort, 17 Jul 1995 (LS)
pair with 5 yg., e. Perry Co., 20 Jul 1999 (LS)
ad. & yg., East Cape Girardeau, Alexander Co., 27 July 1974 (VK)
AUTUMN—Very difficult to detect during fall without intentionally searching for them or stumbling across them by accident.
1, s. Alexander Co., 12-19 July 1986 (TF, WDR)
1, Mermet Lake, 26 Sep 1999 (FB)
ad. and imm., Mermet Lake, 3 Oct 1998 (FB)
WINTER—male specimen, near Creal Springs, Williamson Co., 26 Feb 1957 (SIU)
Documentation: Specimen—male, 2 miles n. of Creal Springs, Williamson Co., 26 Feb 1957 (SIU A-140).
Virginia Rail Rallus limicola
Early April – Early May
Mid-September - Early November
Status and abundance: Uncommon migrant. Very rare summer visitor and winter visitor.
Habitat: Cattail marshes, sedge meadows, and, especially in fall, hayfields.
Records and remarks: Inconspicuous, this rail is easily overlooked. Surveys may require judicious use of call playbacks. They will respond to playbacks of their calls any time of year, including winter.
SPRING—First spring migrants typically appear near 1 Apr. Daily high counts are normally of just one or a few birds. Most have departed by 10 May.
1, Mermet Lake, 16 Mar 2012 and 16 Mar 2013 (FB)
1, Oakwood Bottoms, Jackson Co., 23 Mar 2003 (KM)
SUMMER—Breeding has not been confirmed for the region, but is possible in excellent habitat in some years. Mid-summer records are suggestive of breeding:
1, Mermet Lake, 11 Jun 2016 (B. Schaefer)
1, Eighteen Bottoms, Franklin Co., 25 Jun 2014 (LS)
4, Oakwood Bottoms, Jackson Co., 9 July 1973 (D. Hayward)
1, Caveness Rd, Union Co., 31 Jul 2015 (JT)
AUTUMN—Even more difficult to locate in fall, Virginia Rails undoubtedly go undetected most of the time.
1, Crab Orchard NWR, 10 Aug 1996 (DMi)
1, Mt. Vernon, Jefferson Co., 3 Sep 1987 (TF)
1, Mermet Lake, 4 Oct 1998 (FB)
male specimen, Bald Knob, Union Co., 12 Nov 1983 (SIU)
1, Oakwood Bottoms, Jackson Co., 14 Nov 1972 (M. Swayne)
WINTER—May be more numerous than expected in cattail marshes. Playbacks of calls may be required to detect them.
1, Rend Lake, 16 Dec 2006 (KM)
2, near Wolf Lake, 29 Dec 2008 (SB, PM)
3, Union Co., 29 Dec 2011 (SB, PM)
1, near Unity, Alexander Co., 3 Jan 1976 (HDB, BP)
1, Oakwood Bottoms, Jackson Co., 17-18 Jan 1994 (CS)
Documentation: Specimen—male, Bald Knob, Union Co., 12 Nov 1983 (SIU uncatalogued).
Sora Porzana carolina
Early April - Early May
Mid-August - Mid-October
Status and abundance: Fairly common migrant. Very rare winter visitor.
Habitat: Marshes, wet grassy fields, sedge meadows, and hayfields.
Records and remarks: The commonest of the rails, Soras sometimes gather in numbers in good habitat. They readily flush when approached, first running, then taking flight. They also respond to playback recordings, including recordings of other rail species.
SPRING—Migrants are often vocal and easy to flush. They will often call in response to an imitation of their whistle, or a rock being tossed into the marsh.
1, Mermet Lake, 14 Mar 2014 (FB)
1, Rend Lake, Jefferson Co., 27 Mar 1987 (TF)
15, Pulaski Co., 18 Apr 1995 (TF)
15, Franklin Co., 21 Apr 2001 (LS)
1, Dutchman's Lake, Johnson Co., 27 May 1986 (WDR)
SUMMER—George (1968) said Soras were rare summer residents, but he provided no records. Fall migration can begin very early. Late summer records could be early migrants from elsewhere.
5, East Cape Girardeau, 19 Jul 2008 (DK, MS)
AUTUMN—Soras tend to be found in drier fields more during fall, which is probably just a reflection of habitat availability. They do not call as much during fall.
imm., Oakwood Bottoms, Jackson Co., 10 Aug 1973 (D. Hayward)
1, Rend Lake, Jefferson Co., 20 Aug 1988 (TF, WDR)
1, Pulaski Co., 1 Nov 1999 (FB)
1, West Frankfort, Franklin Co., 29 Nov 1993 (LS)
WINTER—May stay late into the fall if conditions permit. Using call playbacks (conservatively) can increase the chances of detecting them.
1, Crab Orchard NWR, 17 Dec 1988 (SO)
1, near Ware, 29 Dec 2008 (SB, PM)
1, Union Co., 29 Dec 2011 (SB, PM)
Documentation: Specimen—female, Carbondale, Jackson Co., 9 Apr 1988 (SIU uncatalogued).
Purple Gallinule Porphyrio martinicus
Early May – Late August
Status and abundance: Very rare migrant and summer resident.
Habitat: Marshes and swamps with dense emergent vegetation, especially cattails and Lotus.
Records and remarks: Occurs irregularly, but has been noted often at Mermet Lake, the only site in southern Illinois where it has bred. Because it frequents dense marshy vegetation, it is difficult to detect and could conceivably be overlooked.
SPRING—1, Heron Pond, Johnson Co., 1 May 1987 (SO et al.)
1, Mermet Lake, 5 May 2007 (FB)
1, Pine Hills, Union Co., 9 May 1974 (R. Madding)
SUMMER—1, Mermet Lake CA, 26 May 1985 (LH)
1, Oakwood Bottoms, Jackson Co., 2 June 1976 (BP)
1, Mermet Lake, 2-26 Jun 2006 (DK)
1-2, Mermet Lake, 9-26 Jun 1999 (M. Retter, KM, m.ob.)
nest with 8 eggs, Mermet Lake CA, 19 June 1973 (M. Homoya, M. Swayne)
1, Union Co. CA, 11-18 July 1987 (TF, WDR)
4 ad. and 2 broods, Mermet Lake, 11 Jul-9 Aug 1998 (FB, DK, m.ob.)
ad. & 2 yg., Mermet Lake CA, 20 July 1963 (Waldbauer and Hays 1964)
4, Horseshoe Lake CA, 5 Aug 1976 (BP)
Documentation: Photograph—Mermet Lake, 9 Jun 2006 (DK).
Common Gallinule Gallinula galeata
Mid-April – Early October
Status and abundance: Rare migrant and summer resident.
Habitat: Cattail marshes and swamps.
Records and remarks: Moorhens stay in or at the edge of dense vegetation and can be difficult to see. They swim into the open infrequently, and are not especially vocal. They resemble coots, but are smaller, have a white horizontal stripe on the sides, and a reddish bill. Numbers seem to be increasing over time, especially at reliable locations such as Mermet Lake. Essentially detected annually now whereas before 1995 they were often missed or absent.
SPRING—Migrants arrive during mid-April, and have been detected into the third week of May. The majority of records involve single individuals.
1, Mermet Lake, 11 Apr 1986 (WDR)
1, Pine Hills, Union Co., 19 Apr 1975 (BP)
2-4, Sparta, Randolph Co., 5-21 May 1986 (TF)
1, Crab Orchard NWR, 12-20 May 1954 (LB)
2, Mermet Lake, 27 May 2017 (DK)
SUMMER—Known breeding and summering sites are primarily at Mermet Lake and reclaimed strip mine ponds that have extensive emergent vegetation.
1, Harrisburg, 29 May 1995 (JD)
3, Mermet Lake, 3 Jun 2006 (DK)
2 ad. & 5 yg., n. Randolph Co., 16 Jun 1985 (JCR)
9, Mermet Lake, late Jun 1990 (TF et al.)
12, including 4 nests that all failed, sw. Jackson Co., Jun 1996 (BD)
2, Rend Lake, Franklin Co., 10 Jul 1971 (VK et al.)
pair with 7 yg., Mermet Lake, 14 Jul 2014 (J. Schwegman)
1 ad. & 2 juvs., Willisville, Perry Co., 24 July 1990 (TF)
1, Crab Orchard NWR, 26 Jul 2015 (WDR)
2 families, Levee Rd, Union Co., 30 Jul-6 Aug 2011 (LS, m.ob.)
AUTUMN—Very few autumn records are available, but this shy species may simply be overlooked.
8, Mermet Lake, 18 Aug 2013 (JG)
1, Rend Lake, Jefferson Co., 30 Sep 1976 (BP)
6, Marion, Williamson Co., 1 Oct 1950 (RB)
Documentation: Specimen—female, Alto Pass, Union Co., 2-3 May 1974 (SIU uncatalogued).
American Coot Fulica americana
Late September - Early May
Status and abundance: Common migrant. Fairly common winter resident. Rare summer resident.
Habitat: Marshes, lakes, and flooded fields.
Records and remarks: Coots are highly gregarious birds. Flocks seem to be present in every cove of a lake during peak migration. They usually forage in shallow water for submerged vegetable matter, invertebrates, and fish. Similar to diving ducks, they require a running start to become airborne.
AUTUMN—Early migrants begin arriving during late summer, but migration is not in full swing until late Sep. Coots can be abundant at times on shallow lakes. They will linger late into winter as long as open water is available.
3, Randolph Co., 13 Aug 1983 (JCR)
1, Saline Co., 18 Aug 1987 (WDR)
1, Rend Lake, Franklin Co., 10 Sep 1988 (TF, WDR)
1,100, Carbondale, 23 Nov 1986 (WDR)
WINTER—Large numbers are sometimes recorded during mild winters. Even in severe winters at least a few try to over-winter on warm-water lakes.
10,000, Arklands, 25 Dec 2005 (KMc)
725, Crab Orchard NWR, 13 Jan 1989 (WDR)
600, Crab Orchard NWR, 31 Jan 1987 (WDR)
SPRING—Northward migration begins as soon as open water is available. Coots can be even more numerous in spring than fall.
25, Baldwin Lake, 17 Feb 1984 (TF)
2, Rend Lake, 4 Mar 1988 (TF)
2,480, Rend Lake, 19 Mar 2009 (LS)
2,400, Mermet Lake, 11 Apr 2014 (KM)
SUMMER—Coots are opportunistic breeders, taking advantage of flooded fields during very wet summers. They also breed in cattail marshes along lake fringes and strip mine ponds. Some late summer records may represent very early fall migrants.
nest with eggs, Crab Orchard NWR, Apr 1950 (Bennett 1952)
39 young, Crab Orchard NWR, summers 1949-1952 (Bennett 1957)
38 nests in flooded wheat field, s.w. Jackson Co., summer 1973 (D. Hayward, VK)
6, sw. Jackson Co., 18 Jun 2002 (DK)
16, Mermet Lake CA, 22 July 1976 (BP)
1, Crab Orchard NWR, 4 Aug 1972 (VK)
Documentation: Specimen—Carbondale, Jackson Co., 2 Apr 1884 (SIU A-152).
Family Gruidae
Sandhill Crane Antigone canadensis
Late November - Early April
Status and abundance: Rare migrant and winter resident.
Habitat: Mudflats, marshes, plowed fields, and lake edges.
Records and remarks: Cranes are charismatic and distinctive birds, yet some confusion with Great Blue Herons occurs. Cranes fly with their necks outstretched whereas herons tuck their necks into an “S” shape, except right after take off and during landing. The large bustle at the backside of standing cranes is also unique.
The subspecies recorded in Illinois is G. c. tabida (Bohlen 1989), but skeletal records of G. c. canadensis were found at an archaeological excavation in Jackson County (Baker 1937). Southern Illinois is not in a heavily-used migration path for cranes so numbers vary quite a lot from year to year.
AUTUMN—Records formerly clustered from late October through November, but now seem to be concentrated in very late fall and winter.
1, w. Jackson Co., 9 Sep 1993 (CS, BD)
1, Crab Orchard NWR, 24 Oct 1959 (LB)
1, near Shawneetown on the Ohio River, 6 Nov 1820 (Audubon 1929)
7, Crab Orchard NWR, 7 Nov 1952 (LB)
5, Cypress Creek NWR, 17 Nov 1992 (TF)
ad., Rend Lake, Jefferson Co., 25 Nov 1988 (TF, WDR)
WINTER—Winter records are mostly at waterfowl refuges.
3, Rend Lake, Jefferson Co., 29 Nov 1987-mid Jan 1988 (TF, WDR)
2, Rend Lake, Jefferson Co., 17 Dec 2005 (KM)
7, Pulaski Co., 17 Dec 2006 (SB)
1, Union Co., 24 Jan 1999 (DK)
imm., Crab Orchard NWR, 8 Jan-12 Mar 1985 (JCR)
imm., Baldwin Lake, 2 Feb-14 Mar 1984 (TF, m.ob.)
1, Baldwin Lake, 15-24 Jan 2017 (D. Hewett, m.ob.)
SPRING—Formerly very rare in spring, but recently almost regular and even occurring in some large flocks.
2, Round Knob, Massac Co., 6 Feb 1999 (FB)
75, New Columbia, Massac Co., 20 Feb 2010 (FB)
330, Williamson Co., 12 Mar 2015 (JG)
2,250, Mermet Lake, 15 Mar 2015 (KM)
1, Anna, Union Co., 5-6 Apr 1986 (RP, m.ob.)
1, s.w. Jackson Co., 14 Apr 1945 (JWH)
ad., near Vienna, Johnson Co., 29 May 1993 (TF)
Documentation: Photograph—3, Rend Lake, Jefferson Co., 5 Jan 1988 (IBB 4:68).
Whooping Crane Grus americana
Status and abundance: Very rare visitor.
Habitat: Wide open agricultural landscapes and shallow wetlands.
Records and remarks: Whooping Crane was a North American species many thought would never appear in southern Illinois. Yet, a conservation program directed to initiate a population breeding in Wisconsin and wintering in Florida produced birds that wandered into our region on several occasions. A group of 4 spent many months on Kaskaskia Island, Randolph Co., occasionally wandering off the island into nearby parts of Missouri and elsewhere.
6, Massac Co., 9 May 2011 (FB)
2, Union Co. CA, 22 Jan – 10 Feb, 2013 (A. Gathman, m.ob.)
5, Crab Orchard NWR, 24 Apr – 1 May 2015 (JG, m.ob.)
4, Kaskaskia Island, Randolph Co., 15 Jan 2016 – 1 Apr 2016 and 26 Jun 2016 – Mar 2017 (m.ob.)
2, southeast of Pankeyville, Saline Co., 26 - 31 Mar 2018 (C. DeNeal, T. DeNeal, m.ob.; https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S43997889).
Documentation: Photograph—4, Kaskaskia Island, 16 Feb 2016 (http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S27637125).