Great kiskadee: The flycatcher, believed to be an Illinois-first, draws dozens of birders to Channahon

Great kiskadee in Channahon. | Dr. Elizabeth Pector

John Weisgerber reported a great kiskadee, believed to be an Illinois-first, on Wednesday, Dec. 2, on Front Street in Channahon.

Since then, masked birders from all over clustered by the dozens to spot the great kiskadee, a black-masked flycatcher is normally found in the United States in southern Texas. They range more commonly through Central and South America.

“It’s the coolest first-ever find in Illinois I’ll ever witness,” emailed Dr. Elizabeth Pector, who took the cropped photo above and included the photo below for perspective on the difficulty spotting the rare bird.

She noted that you can see a little of its top golden crown, which is usually hidden.

“If you crossed a golden-crowned kinglet, a yellow chat and a fox sparrow together you might get something like this!” she emailed.

It continues a streak of rare bird sightings in Will County, as noted by the Forest Preserve District of Will County.

Perspective on the difficulty of photographing a bird such as the Illinois-first great kiskadee.