Geese and swans are some of the largest birds you will find in Illinois!
Assuming you’re near a large body of water, it shouldn’t be too hard to find at least a few different species. They are fairly coarse in most lakes, estuaries, wetlands, lagoons, bays, or anywhere else they can find food. Most types of goose and swans are besides regularly spotted in grow fields during the winter months, eating leftover crops .
Today, you will learn about 8 types of swans and geese that live in Illinois!
For each species, I provide some fun facts along with how to identify them by sight OR sound. Make sure to pay attention to the range maps to see which of these birds live near you!
#1. Canada Goose
Identifying Characteristics:
- Large goose with a long black neck and a distinctive white cheek patch.
- Brown body with a pale white chest and underparts.
- Black feet and legs.
Canada Geese are extremely common inIllinois
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I ’ thousand indisputable you probably recognize these birds, as they are very comfortable support around people and development. Look for them wherever there are grasses or grains to eat, such as lawns, parks, farm fields, and golf courses. I know I have been guilty of stepping in their “ droppings ” at least a few times in my own backyard as they come to eat corn from my feeding post. ?
Canada Goose Range Map
In fact, these geese are now so abundant, many people consider them pests for the amount of waste they produce! If you have a manicured lawn that is maintained all the manner to the water ’ sulfur border, you have an loose invitation for these birds to visit .
The Canada Goose is also easy to identify while flying overhead. If you see a troop of large birds in a V-formation, then it ’ s most likely them. Flying this way helps conserve energy, and different birds take turns leading the way .
Canada Geese are often heard inIllinois
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Listen for a wide variety of forte honks and cackles. Listen above! I have flush been hissed at by them for unintentionally approaching a nest besides close .
Interestingly, these geese can live a long time! Their life ranges from 10 to 24 years, but one individual banded in 1969 was found again in 2001, 32 years by and by !
If you’re interested, you may be able to see a Canada Goose at my bird feeding station right now! I have a LIVE high-definition camera watching my feeders 24/7. ? Look for them on the grind eating corn .
#2. Snow Goose
Identifying Characteristics:
- Most of these birds are all white with black tail feathers. But some individuals display a “blue morph,” whose heads are still white but bodies are sooty gray.
- Pink legs.
- Pink bill, which has a black patch on each side.
During the breeding season, Snow Geese spend their time in the continent’s northernmost areas, away from human civilization. Most people lone get the pleasure of seeing this goose in Illinois when they migrate south in drop and winter .
Snow Goose Range Map
Look for these birds in large fields and bodies of water. If they are around, it ’ s normally not hard to find them, as they are about always seen in huge flocks accompanied by a lot of honking !
In fact, one of the most impressive things you will watch today is the below video, which shows an ENORMOUS flock of Snow Geese. It ’ s hard to fathom how many birds are traveling together !
And as you can probably hear from the video above, Snow Geese are one of the noisiest waterfowl you will encounter in Illinois. Their nasally, one-syllable honk can be heard at any meter of day or night, at any time of the year !
And last, hera is a fun fact that my kids loved to learn. Snow Geese are prolific at pooping, and they defecate between 6 – 15 times per hour. ?
#3. Ross’s Goose
Identifying Characteristics:
- Small, stocky goose that is completely white, except for black wingtips. They are slightly larger than a Mallard duck.
- A stubby red-orange bill that has a gray base.
- Legs and feet are also red-orange.
Ross’s Goose looks very similar to the Snow Goose, except they are smaller and have a shorter neck and stubbier bill. It ’ sulfur common for these two species to travel together in the lapp large flocks !
Ross’s Goose Range Map
Populations of Ross ’ s Goose have been increasing due to climate change. As their summer engender grounds in the Arctic are warming, the snow cover has been reduced, which increases plant emergence. More plants mean more food for Ross’s Goose, which in turn leads to more babies being born and surviving!
During migration and the non-breeding season, these geese can be seen in Illinois in marshes, lakes, and farm fields, where they enjoy eating leftover crops .
If you see a flock of white geese flying overhead, listen for Ross’s Goose, which gives a distinctive “keekkeek keek” call. It will sound higher in lurch than a Snow Goose .
#4. Cackling Goose
At first glance, the Cackling Goose looks identical to a Canada Goose! In fact, the feather is about precisely the like, and these two birds used to be classified as the same species .
But upon further investigation, you will find that the Cackling Goose is smaller, has a stubbier bill, shorter necks (most apparent when in flight), and a more rounded head.
Cackling Goose Range Map
Cackling goose can be found breeding in small lakes and marshes in the arctic tundra. During migration and in winter, they are most commonly seen in agricultural fields during the day. At night, they return to boastfully lakes or wetlands to roost .
Another way that this species can be identified from Canada Geese is by reasoned. Listen for the higher-pitched honking of the Cackling Goose.
Read more : Do Seagulls Eat Pigeons? – Pigeonpedia
#5. Greater White-fronted Goose
Identifying Characteristics:
- Mostly brown, with black barring on their belly and a white undertail.
- Pink-orange bill with a white patch of feathers at the base.
- Orange legs.
These birds breed in the arctic tundra but then migrate south for winter. Look for these geese in Illinois in large flocks in wetlands, lakes, and farm fields.
Greater White-fronted Goose Range Map
Greater White-fronted Geese have INCREDIBLY strong family bonds. Mated pairs migrate with each other and stay in concert for many years. Their offspring even stick around for longer than most other species, and it ’ s not unusual to see the young with their parents through the next breeding season .
Their flight call is relatively easy to identify. Listen for a two to three-syllable sound that resembles laughing.
#6. Tundra Swan
Identifying Characteristics:
- Large, entirely white bird with a long white neck.
- Entirely black bill.
- Look for a yellow patch on their black facial skin, located just below the eye, to correctly identify.
- Smaller than Trumpeter Swans.
During summer, you will not see Tundra Swans in Illinois, as they spend the breed season in the remote control arctic. Look for them in winter and migration, where they are visitors to many large bodies of water. They besides visit farm fields in large flocks looking for food .
Tundra Swans imprint long-run, give relationships. typically by the prison term they are 2 or 3, they have found a partner. Once that happens, these two birds will breed, feed, roost, and travel together year-round.
The most common sound these birds make is a “ hoo-ho-hoo ” bugle, with the second syllable being emphasized. (Listen below)
Another typical sound associated with Tundra Swans is the whistling of their wings. In fact, Lewis and Clark initially called them “ whistling swans ” when they foremost encountered them, and many people inactive use this list today .
#7. Trumpeter Swan
Identifying Characteristics:
- A giant, white bird with a long neck.
- Black bill and black facial skin at the base of the bill. It lacks the yellow that appears on the Tundra Swan.
- Black legs.
Trumpeter Swans are the largest bird native to Illinois! They have a wingspan of about 6 feet ( 1.8 thousand ) and weigh around 25 pounds ( 11.3 kilogram ), which is about twice the sum of a Tundra Swan. In fact, they are sol big, about 100 yards of open urine is needed for them to get enough rush to take off !
Trumpeter Swans were once endangered due to overhunting, but luckily their population has recovered, and they are increasing their numbers. Unlike Tundra Swans, this species stays in Illinois in summer to nest and breed. Look for them near ponds, lakes, rivers, and marshes, and the far from people, the better !
These large birds typically nest on an existing structure that is surrounded by water, such as beaver dams, muskrat dens, humble islands, floating masses of vegetation, and artificial platforms. Trumpeter Swans are very sensitive when breeding and will commonly abandon their nest sites and babies due to human disturbance.
Deep, loud trumpets can be heard when they are alarm or defending their territory, which is two syllables with the second one emphasized ( “ oh-OH “ ) .
#8. Mute Swan
Identifying Characteristics:
- A huge white bird with a long white neck.
- Look for the distinctive orange bill that features a black base and knob.
mute Swans are one of the most elegant and beautiful birds you will see in the water. They are besides enormous and are one of the heaviest birds that can actually fly !
But did you know that these swans are NOT native toIllinois
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due to their beauty, Mute Swans were imported from Europe and then released in parks, large estates, and menagerie. Unfortunately, these individuals escaped and have established an invasive wild population.
Don’t be filled by their appearance; these swans can be aggressive, and they regularly attack kayakers and other people who get too close to their nest. They besides displace native ecosystems due to their edacious appetite, which requires up to 8 pounds ( 3.6 kilogram ) of aquatic vegetation per day !
Do you remember the reserve “ The Ugly Duckling ? ” This narrative actually features a young Mute Swan bear among ducks but grows up to be a beautiful affirm .
Despite their name, these swans are not mute!
While it ’ randomness true they are relatively hushed, they make a gruff trumpet sound when defending their district. And if they are threatened, then expect to hear and a kind of barks, hisses, and snorts .
Do you need additional help identifying geese or swans?
here are a few books and resources you can purchase that will assist !
Which of these swans and geese species have you seen in Illinois?
Leave a gossip below !
The range maps above were liberally shared with permission from The Birds of The World, published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I use their site OFTEN to learn new information about birds !
To learn more about other water birds near you, check out these guides!
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
