Birding and bird conservation
Wisconsin ranks 2nd in the nation in percentage of residents who birdwatch, and it’s easy to see why as evening grosbeaks and hundreds of other species put on a show. Photo by Ryan Brady.
Wisconsin is home to over 300 species of birds and has thousands of people who enjoy birds. Explore the links below for information on birds, bird identification, birding locations and how to get involved in bird conservation efforts.
Statewide Birding Report as of December 19, 2019
Populations of pileated woodpeckers are on the rise throughout Wisconsin. Attract them with suet, snags, and stands of older trees.
Photo by Ryan Brady.
Not surprisingly, results of early Christmas Bird Counts are reflecting the slow pattern prevalent much of this fall and winter. Does your feeder have fewer birds than usual? You are definitely not alone as a majority of feeder watchers around the state are reporting the same. Exceptions include some resident species like cardinals, blue jays, and woodpeckers. Downy, hairy, red-bellied, and pileated woodpeckers continue to show increasing populations, while red-headed woodpeckers remain as far north as Florence and Sawyer counties this year thanks to good acorn crops. Even a few yellow-bellied sapsuckers are being seen across southern counties.
Lack of snow cover and slightly milder temperatures in the south are also allowing several other migrant species to linger longer than usual, albeit in very small numbers, including gray catbird, Baltimore oriole, Eastern phoebe, Nashville and orange-crowned warblers, chipping sparrow, and Virginia rail. Other rarities found this week were Townsend’s solitaire in Milwaukee, the easternmost found in the country this month save for one in Massachusetts, and this season’s 3rd and 4th varied thrushes photographed in Ashland and Outagamie counties.
Winter is a good time for raptor watching. Check open country for red-tailed and rough-legged hawks, northern harriers, American kestrels, snowy owls, and short-eared owls toward dusk. Just over 50 snowy owls have been spotted in the state so far, a total that is similar to last year but far below the big irruption years of 2013-15 and 2017. Read the latest news at the 2019-20 Update tab on our snowy owl webpage. Bald eagles are slowing starting to concentrate at traditional sites like the Wisconsin River at Prairie du Sac but it will take colder weather and more ice to build numbers significantly. Help us track their numbers by reporting your observation to www.ebird.org/wi. Good birding!
– Ryan Brady, DNR Natural Heritage Conservation Program biologist