Illinois has many animals and birds which are native to the state. Illinois is called the Prairie State because of its hundreds of miles of flat, grassy land which provide habitat for native animals and birds. The indigenous or native species found most commonly in Illinois are the white-tailed deer, the eastern wild turkey, the coyote, the lake sturgeon, the woodchuck, the bobcat, the mallard duck, the eastern cottontail rabbit, the red fox, the tiger salamander, the giant Canada goose, the alligator snapping turtle, the Great Lakes whitefish, the beaver, the wild boar, the sea lamprey, the Norway rat, and the Eurasian collared-dove.
Beverly Stayart particularly enjoys the deer which regularly visit her property. When a bear who wandered south from Wisconsin was in the news recently, Beverly Stayart caught a glimpse of him in a field adjacent to her property. Two forest preserves and the Rock River are adjacent to her property which explains how she managed to catch a glimpse of the bear.