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Wild About Illinois Birds
Grebes, Pigeons, Doves and Cuckoos
Family and Species Gallery
Order Podicipediformes - The grebes are medium-sized aquatic birds with small legs. They have lobed toes and are good divers.
Family Podicipedidae (Grebes) - The grebes are aquatic and duck-sized but with a small head. Both sexes are similar in appearance. They have lobed toes. The neck is slender and hangs loosely when they fly. They appear to jave no tail. The dive from the surface of the water or totally submerge themselves to look for food.
pied-billed grebe (Podilymbus podiceps)
horned grebe (Podiceps auritus)
red-necked grebe (Podiceps grisegena)
eared grebe (Podiceps nigricollis)
western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis)
Order Columbiformes - The pigeons and doves have a short beak, a short neck and short legs.
Family Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves) - Pigeons and doves can be recognized by their cooing call. These birds have a small head and fly fast.
rock pigeon (Columba livia) [nonnative]
Eurasian collared-dove (Streptopelia decaocto) [nonnative]
white-winged dove (Zenaida asiatica)
mourning dove (Zenaida macroura)
Order Cuculiformes - These birds have their toes arranged with two toward the front and twq toward the rear. The outer rear toe is reversible.
Family Cuculidae (Cuckoos, Roadrunners, and Anis) - The cuckoos have a long tail on a thin body. Males and females are similar.
yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)
black-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus erythropthalmus) [state threatened]