Backyard birds in Waukegan, Illinois
Which birds visit Waukegan yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Waukegan's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 42.364°, -87.845°
- Population
- 88,475
- June 21 daylight
- 15 h 17 min
- December 21 daylight
- 9 h 5 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:11 AM / 5:14 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- roughly 3 days later than the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 5a–7b
Nesting timing in Waukegan
The state guides give nesting windows for Illinois as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 41.5°N). Waukegan is at 42.4°N. Going by Hopkins' bioclimatic law, spring events move about four days per degree of latitude, so breeding here starts roughly 3 days later than the state-wide average. Elevation and nearby water also play a part.
Daylight triggers breeding. Waukegan goes from 9 h 5 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 15 h 17 min in June, a 6 h 13 min swing.
- Northern Cardinal — state window April–August
- Eastern Bluebird — state window April–August; box hole 1 1/2 in round (1 9/16 in for Mountain/Western overlap)
- Black-capped Chickadee — state window April–July; box hole 1 1/8 in round
- Carolina Chickadee — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/8 in round
- Purple Martin — state window May–July; box hole 1 3/4–2 1/8 in round, or starling-resistant crescent (3 × 1 3/16 in)
- Downy Woodpecker — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- Hairy Woodpecker — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/2 in round
- American Goldfinch — state window July–September
- Tufted Titmouse — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- White-breasted Nuthatch — state window April–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
Birds you can expect in Waukegan
Year-round residents (42)
Northern Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, Carolina Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, American Goldfinchs, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatchs, Blue Jays, House Finchs, Carolina Wrens, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Song Sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Northern Mockingbirds, Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Screech-Owls, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Eurasian Collared-Doves, American Crows, Cooper's Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Barred Owls, Great Horned Owls, American Kestrels, Wood Ducks, Wild Turkeys, Northern Bobwhites, Mallards, Great Blue Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Eastern Meadowlarks, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Field Sparrows, Hooded Mergansers
Summer breeders (22)
Eastern Bluebirds, Purple Martins, House Wrens, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Chipping Sparrows, Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, Eastern Towhees, Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Eastern Phoebes, Chimney Swifts, Wood Thrushs, Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds, Scarlet Tanagers, Gray Catbirds, Lark Sparrows
Winter visitors (16)
Purple Finchs, Dark-eyed Juncos, White-throated Sparrows, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Pine Siskins, Yellow-rumped Warblers, American Tree Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Winter Wrens, Pine Grosbeaks, Red Crossbills
Cold, windy winters in the north; the southern tip is milder and hosts more wintering species.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Waukegan
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Waukegan, sunrise is around 6:11 AM in mid-April, 5:14 AM at the June solstice and 7:16 AM in late December (local time, America/Chicago). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Waukegan yards
Fat-rich red fall fruit taken by thrushes, bluebirds and woodpeckers.
Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.
Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Nearby cities in Illinois
- Zion — 6 mi away, nesting about the same time as Waukegan
- Mundelein — 11 mi away, nesting about the same time as Waukegan
- Round Lake Beach — 13 mi away, nesting about the same time as Waukegan
- Lake Zurich — 17 mi away, nesting about the same time as Waukegan
- Arlington Heights — 20 mi away, nesting about the same time as Waukegan
- McHenry — 22 mi away, nesting about the same time as Waukegan
Frequently asked
What birds live in Waukegan all year?
Year-round residents across Illinois include Northern Cardinal, Black-capped Chickadee, Carolina Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker. All of them visit backyard feeders in Waukegan.
When do birds start nesting in Waukegan?
Waukegan sits at a different latitude from Illinois's population centre, so nesting runs roughly 3 days later than the state-wide average, going by the rule of about 4 days per degree of latitude.
What time does the dawn chorus start in Waukegan?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Waukegan, sunrise is around 6:11 AM in mid-April and 5:14 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Illinois
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- GeoNames gazetteer (city coordinates & population)
- NOAA Solar Calculator methodology
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.