Illinois is home to a numerous bird types, in different colors, sizes and so on. In this article I’ll be going over 7 unique orange birds that consider the state of Illinois home so continue reading to learn more about them.

• American Robin
• American Kestrel
• Eastern Towhee
• Baltimore Oriole
• Orchard Oriole
• Red Breasted Nuthatch
• Cooper’s Hawk

7 Orange Birds In Illinois

1. American Robin (Turdus Migratorius)

• Size: 12.5 – 14cm
• Weight: 16 – 22 grams
• Wingspan: 20 – 22cm

American robins can be found in all of Illinois year round.

These robins are recognised by their gray wings, back and tail, black head, yellow beak and orange belly/breast. Females have a far duller color scheme where the plumage that is black is mostly gray whilst the breast is a lighter orange tint.

American robins are often seen around woodlands, suburban backyards, parks, and grasslands with shrubs.

As for what they eat, it includes fruits, seeds, suet, crushed peanuts, sunflower hearts, raisins and a variety of insects like beetles, flies, worms, etc.

American robins have a lifespans of around 2 years on average, though some have been known to live up to 5 or 6 years.

2. American Kestrel (Falco Sparverius)

• Size: 20 – 24cm
• Weight: 115 – 125 grams
• Wingspan: 50 – 60cm

These kestrels can be found in most of Illinois year round but will stay in the northern border of the state when breeding.

American kestrels are recognised by their spotted orange, gray, black and white plumage with their back orange with a black horizontal pattern, their wings a gray color, black tail feathers and orange sides with a gray and white head that has 2 black lines drawn vertically near both eyes. Females are mostly light brown.

American kestrels can be found in a variety of open or semi-open habitats from forest clearings, farmland and deserts. 

As for what they eat, it includes small mammals such as woodmice and shrews, small birds, insects, earthworms with voles being their go to food source.

Wild Ameican kestrels are known to live for around 5 years but, captive variants have been known to hit 17+ years.

3. Eastern Towhee (Pipilo Erythrophthalmus)

• Size: 17 – 23cm
• Weight: 35 – 45 grams
• Wingspan: 20 – 30cm

Eastern towhees are year round residents in southern Illinois but, will remain in central and northern Illinois when breeding.

Towhees are recognised by their black, white and orange feathers with their back, head and wings black in color, their side chest orange in color with the underside of the breast white in color. Females follow a similar plumage color scheme but their back is a duller gray color with the breast a mixture of orange and white.

These avians will spend the majority of their time staying at open woods, undergrowth, brushy edges where they prefer being around ground cover to  forage for food. 

Eastern Towhee consume a unique amount of different food sources such as insects like beetles, caterpillars, moths, true bugs, ants, spiders, snails, and millipedes, smaller reptiles like salamanders, lizards, or snakes, seeds, acorns, berries, and smaller fruits.

Eastern Towhees are known to live for around 12 years in the wild.

4. Baltimore Oriole (Icterus Galbula)

• Size: 15 – 20cm
• Weight: 38 – 43 grams
• Wingspan: 23 – 30cm

You’ll find baltimore orioles in Illinois throughout their spring and summer breeding periods. 

Baltimore orioles are recognised by their orange/yellow, black and white plumage, where their head and wings are black in color, their breast and underside of the tail orange/yellow, with a beak that’s black in color. Females are very similar in color besides their head which isn’t black like the males.

Baltimore orioles can be found living around open deciduous woodlands where they will build their nests within American elms, cottonwoods, and maples. 

In regards to what these orange and black birds feed on, it includes a variety of small insects like ants, wasps, beetles, grasshoppers, flies among others, flower nectar and smaller fruits like berries. They also feed on sugar water found within feeders.

A baltimore oriole can have a lifespan of around 11 years in wild.

5. Orchard Oriole (Icterus Spurious)

• Size: 15 – 18cm
• Weight: 16 – 28 grams
• Wingspan: 23 – 27cm

You’ll often find orchard orioles in Illinois throughout the spring and summer months when they breed and raise their fledgings to become independent. 

Orchard orioles tend have an orange breast and belly with their neck, head and a back black in color. Females are almost completely yellow with elements of of gray throughout their body.

They will often be located around semi-open habitats with deciduous trees and open space, including riverside trees, orchards, suburbs, forest edges, forest clearings and prairie groves. 

Orchard orioles also eat a bunch of different food sources such as insects, nectar from flowers, sugar water from feeders and a number of other smaller berries and fruits.

Orchard orioles tend to live for around 11 years in the wild.

6. Red Breasted Nuthatch (Sitta Canadensis)

• Size: 11 – 13cm
• Weight: 9 – 13 grams
• Wingspan: 18 – 22cm

Red breasted nuthatches can be found all across illinois throughout their non-breeding fall and winter seasons. 

These Nuthatches have rusty orange colored breast feathers, gray wings and back, with a vertical black and white striped pattern on their head. Females are very similar in color scheme but, their plumage does look duller and more washed out.

You can find a red breasted nuthatch around coniferous forests of spruce, fir, pine, hemlock, larch, and western red cedar.

As for what they eat, it includes insects and seeds where they mostly eat spiders in the summer whilst around winter they chow down on a variety of different seeds, especially seeds in conifers.

The lifespan of red breasted nuthatch is around 6 years on average.

7. Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter Cooperii)

• Size: 35 – 51cm
• Weight: 400 – 700 grams
• Wingspan: 73 – 94cm

You’ll find cooper’s hawks all throughout Illinois on a year round basis.

Cooper’s hawks are recognised by their gray back and upper head with a orange and white patterned breast, legs and underside of the wing. The females and males look very much the same but, the females are around 30% larger than the opposite gender.

You’ll often find a cooper’s hawk around pines, oaks, Douglas-firs, beeches, spruces, and other tree species, often on flat ground rather than hillsides, and in dense woods.

As for what they eat, it includes mainly medium-sized birds including robins, jays, flickers, among other smaller and even larger birds. Small mammals like chipmunks, tree squirrels, ground squirrels, mice, bats, etc. are included in their diet too.

Cooper’s hawks tend to live for around 10 – 12 years on average whilst the oldest recorded hawk surpassed the 20 year mark.