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EnglishWhat historical bird journals are archived on Illinois Bird Records?
Updated
Illinois Bird Records hosts two historical journal archives: Illinois Birds and Birding (January 1985 – December 1991, covering the 1984 Summer through 1991 Spring seasons) and The Meadowlark (1992 – 2026, covering the 1991 Summer through 2024–2025 Winter seasons). Both are accessible through "Browse Archives" links on the site. If you are looking for seasonal field notes, avian research papers, or joy-of-birding essays from those periods, these archives are the place to start.
The two journal archives
| Journal | Published by | Date range | Seasons covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois Birds and Birding | Illinois Audubon Society (compiled by Vern Kleen) | January 1985 – December 1991 | 1984 Summer – 1991 Spring |
| The Meadowlark | Illinois Ornithological Society | 1992 – 2026 | 1991 Summer – 2024–2025 Winter |
The two journals run back-to-back: Illinois Birds and Birding ends with the 1991 Spring season, and The Meadowlark picks up with the 1991 Summer season. Together they form a continuous seasonal record from 1984 through the 2024–2025 winter.
What is inside each journal
Illinois Birds and Birding
Published by the Illinois Audubon Society and compiled by Vern Kleen, this journal ran for seven years. The site describes it as covering the 1984 Summer to 1991 Spring seasons.
The Meadowlark
The Meadowlark was the quarterly magazine of the Illinois Ornithological Society, spanning 1992 to 2026. According to the site, its contents include:
- Field notes
- Seasonal highlights
- Technical papers on avian studies in Illinois and the Midwest
- Photos and original drawings
- Joy-of-birding essays
It covered the 1991 Summer to 2024–2025 Winter seasons.
How to access the archives
- Go to illinoisbirdrecords.org.
- Find the Archives section, which lists both journals.
- Select Browse Archives under the journal you want — one entry for Illinois Birds and Birding, one for The Meadowlark.
- Browse the issues for the season or year you need.
Choosing between the two
- Looking for material from 1984–1991? Use Illinois Birds and Birding.
- Looking for material from 1991 onward, including technical papers and essays? Use The Meadowlark.
- Looking for a specific season? Match the season to the coverage ranges above — the boundary falls between Spring 1991 (Illinois Birds and Birding) and Summer 1991 (The Meadowlark).
The archives are separate from the site's rare bird records database, which holds over 2,500 accepted records dating back to 1857. If your interest is documented rare bird occurrences rather than journal content, the records search is the better entry point.