Kinglets & Gnatcatchers family REGULIDAE Forest preserve hotspots hotspots •
Captain Daniel Wright Woods (Mettawa)
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Des Plaines River Trail
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Grant Woods (Ingleside)
•
Ryerson Conservation Area (Riverwoods)
Woodland
Small
Ruby- crowned kinglet
Blue-gray gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea
Golden-crowned kinglet Regulus satrapa
Ruby-crowned kinglet Corthylio calendula
Bluebirds & Thrushes family Turdidae
Woodland
Small | Medium
Forest preserve hotspots hotspots •
Buffalo Creek (Long Grove)
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Grassy Lake (Lake Barrington)
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Independence Grove (Libertyville)
•
Old School (Mettawa)
•
Ryerson Conservation Area (Riverwoods) American robin
Turdus migratorius
Eastern bluebird Sialis sialis
Gray-cheeked thrush Catharus minimus
Hermit thrush
Catharus guttatus
Swainson’s thrush Catharus ustulatus
Veery
Catharus fuscescens
Wood thrush
Hylocichla mustelina
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Species Showcase • Eastern bluebird The male bluebird’s vibrant feathers are like one of nature’s exclamation points—“spring is here!” These migratory beauties spend winters in the southern U.S. and Mexico. In mild winters, they may stick around in the north if food is plentiful. Bluebirds feast on berries, seeds and insects in open woodlands, meadows, orchards and farmland edges. Watch as they hover to catch insects or “ground-sally”—darting from a perch, landing to grab a snack on the ground, returning to their perch.