ILLINOISDEPARTMENTOF NATURAL RESOURCES

J.B. Pritzker,
Governor|illinois.gov

Wildlife

Filter by Tags:  

A black woodpecker with a red crest and white stripes on its head perches on a fallen log in a forest.

The Pileated Woodpecker: An iconic bottomland forest inhabitant

August 1, 2025 by Kathy Andrews Wright

Wildlife | Birds

A tan, brown, black and white snake basks curled up in a spot of sunlight on the forest floor. In the background is the edge of a rock outcropping.

The Enigmatic Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)

August 1, 2025 by Scott A. Eckert, Andrew Jesper

Wildlife | Reptiles | Research

A gray and white bird with black feathers on its head with an orange beak flys in a gray sky.

A Captivating Sight – Caspian Terns Swooping Over Chicago

August 1, 2025 by Michael Kamp

Wildlife | Birds

A blue bird with a reddish bib and chest perches on a tree branch.

A Cohort of Sorts

August 1, 2025 by Patty Gillespie

Wildlife | Wildlife Health

On the edge of a woodland, a gray adult male white-tailed deer with large antlers surveys its surroundings. The woodland is filled with white flowers.

EHD in Illinois—Summer 2025

August 1, 2025 by Laura Kammin

Wildlife | Deer | Disease Managment | Wildlife Health

A close up of a brown and tan cottontail rabbit in short green grass.

Tularemia in Illinois

August 1, 2025 by Nelda A. Rivera, Nohra Mateus-Pinilla

Wildlife | Mammals | Wildlife Health

Two dogs lay down on the edge of a tall-grass prairie. To the right of the two dogs is a toddler exploring.

Tick-borne Diseases Can Affect Humans, Wildlife and Pets

August 1, 2025 by Nelda A. Rivera, Nohra Mateus-Pinilla

Wildlife | Ticks | Wildlife Health

A brown mink with a white patch under its chin pauses while foraging. The mink is surrounded by green grasses.

Get to Know the Weasel Family

August 1, 2025 by Kathy Andrews Wright

Wildlife | Mammals

A piping plover sits on a sandy beach.

Putting Piping Plovers Back on the Map

August 1, 2025 by Laura Kammin

Wildlife | Birds | Habitat Management or Enhancement | Piping Plover

An endangered piping plover rests on a beach in Illinois.

Imani and Searocket: A Story of Sand and Storms

May 1, 2025 by Laura Kammin, Brad Semel

Wildlife | Birds | Natural Heritage Pick | Piping Plover

A brown and white speckled hawk perches on a tree limb. In the background is a green leafy tree canopy.

Let’s Make This Perfectly Clear

May 1, 2025 by Patty Gillespie

Wildlife | Amphibians | Birds | Fish | Mammals | Plants | Reptiles

A brown, tan, and white owl perches on a sign.

Signs

May 1, 2025 by Patty Gillespie

Wildlife | Regulations

A bright yellow bird engrossed in singing is perched on a tree branch at the top of a sapling.

Ten Ways You Can Help Migrating Birds This Spring

May 1, 2025 by Carla Rich Montez

Wildlife | Birds | Habitat Management or Enhancement | Migration

A brown adult male deer with velvet on its antlers stands in front of a woodland edge.

IDNR Announces New Detection of CWD in Four Additional Illinois Counties

May 1, 2025 by IDNR

Research | Wildlife | Chronic Wasting Disease | Deer | Disease Managment | Diseases | Wildlife Health

A family with three small children stand in front of a wooden barn with successfully harvested geese hanging on the wall behind the family. Several geese are displayed in front of the family too. Overlaying the photo on the top right is the 100th anniversary logo celebrating the 100 years of the founding of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

A Century of Hunting and Trapping in Illinois

May 1, 2025 by Kathy Andrews Wright

Wildlife | 100th Anniversary | Regulations

A gray non-banded armadillo stands at the bast of a tree. Green vegetation is in the background.

On the Move: Nine-banded armadillos and their range expansion in Illinois

May 1, 2025 by Nathan Proudman

Wildlife | Mammals | Research

A close-up of a brown muskrat eating a green plant stalk.

Mighty Muskrats: Natural bird conservationists?

May 1, 2025 by Leo Chan Gaskins

Wildlife | Mammals | Research | Wetland | Wildlife Pick

A gray bird bright reddish orange tuft on top of its head. The bird's back, wings, and tail are olive with streaks of bright yellow and bars of black and white.

Kinglets: Tiny native songbirds with colorful crowns

May 1, 2025 by Sheryl DeVore

Wildlife | Birds

A brown and white bald eagle soars on a sunny winter day. In the background are tree branches. On the top right, a logo celebrating Illinois Department of Natural Resources being established for 100 years overlays the image of the eagle.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Centennial as a State Agency: 1925–2025

February 3, 2025 by Chris Young

Aquatic Organisms | Land | People | Wildlife | 100th Anniversary | History of Conservation

A puddle of water is all that remains to a pond that dried up. Tall grasses make up the pond shoreline against a few trees in the background. A bright blue partly cloudy sky is overhead.

Tales From Beneath the Surface

February 3, 2025 by Kathy Andrews Wright

Aquatic Organisms | Wildlife | Mammals | Rivers and Lakes

Explore Our Family of Websites

A link the Wildlife Illinois web site with advertisements for its four sections: Help, Sightings, Wildlife Identification, and Prevent Problems.
A link the Hunt Illinois web site.
A link the CICADA web site.
A link the Living with White-tailed Deer web site with advertisements for its three sections: ecology, management, and history.