Statewide birding report; Kirtland's warbler flies off federal list
Birding and bird conservation
Wisconsin ranks 2nd in the nation in percentage of residents who birdwatch, and it’s easy to see why in the spring and summer as Baltimore orioles and hundreds of other species put on a show. Photo by Jack Bartholomai.
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 October 10, 2019
Weighing in at barely a quarter of one ounce, the diminutive ruby-crowned kinglet makes up for its small size with an abundance of attitude. Look for this species energetically flitting about trees and shrubs across Wisconsin in the week ahead. Photo by Ryan Brady.
A mild week allowed some warm-weather birds to linger longer than usual and provided enjoyable conditions for birding. Southern Wisconsin birders reported continuing hummingbirds, vireos, house wrens, tanagers, grosbeaks, and more than a dozen warbler species, albeit most in small numbers now. Sapsuckers, robins, kinglets, waxwings, and thrushes were more commonly found. The north saw a great influx of birds on October 7, including robins, rusty blackbirds, both kinglets, and good numbers of sparrows, especially dark-eyed juncos and fox sparrows. Yellow-rumped and palm warblers delighted in the warmth by actively plucking cluster flies around sunlit homesteads. Much less obvious was a great migration of northern saw-whet owls and the first long-eared owls, both detected by researchers netting and banding the birds at night. Most migrant owls are silent this time of year so your best bet of finding one is to listen in daylight for agitated groups of chickadees, blue jays, and other songbirds as they scold owls roosting in nearby dense cover.
Diving ducks have begun to trickle in, including both scaup, redheads, and canvasbacks, while most notable was a report of over 1000 ring-necked ducks in Oneida County. On the Great Lakes also look for building numbers of horned grebes, red-breasted mergansers, and all three scoter species, as well as Bonaparte’s gulls among a few lingering common and Forster’s terns. Common loons are also beginning to stage in small flocks, while sightings of trumpeter swans have become regular statewide. The first tundra swans should arrive anytime now so check them carefully for proper identification. It was a good week for hawk migration, particularly sharp-shinned and Cooper’s hawks, merlins, peregrine falcons, and turkey vultures. Preliminary results of the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas suggest populations of many raptor species are doing well compared to decades ago.
Rarities were few this week, best being an early varied thrush in Sheboygan. A drastic change in weather will likely paint a much different birding scene in the week ahead, as temperatures struggle to get out of the 40s statewide. Expect those warm weather birds to largely move on, feeders to get slightly more active with sparrows and other residents, hawk migration to continue strong if conditions are dry enough, and a better influx of waterfowl. Help us track the migration and report your finds to www.ebird.org/wi. Good birding!
– Ryan Brady, DNR Natural Heritage Conservation Program biologist