In 1918 Congress passed the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to protect birds from wanton killing. To celebrate the centennial, National Geographic is partnering with the National Audubon Society, BirdLife International, and Cornell Lab of Ornithology to declare 2018 the Year of the Bird. Join the 2018 Year of the Bird movement and pledge your commitment to conserving these beautiful creatures by taking simple steps to help birds each month. Click here to learn more!
Snowy Owls have again taken Wisconsin by storm. Discover what’s going on, why, and where you might find one too in this recent podcast featuring WDNR and WBCI Bird Monitoring Coordinator, Ryan Brady. Listen now!
Birds need our help more than ever. The Great Wisconsin Birdathon does just that in mobilizing the state’s passionate network of birdwatchers to raise critical funds for important conservation projects right here in Wisconsin. The event continues to grow each year, this year netting over $90,000 for ten statewide projects and many local ones. Learn More >>
The number of occupied Bald Eagle nests statewide increased by 86 nests to a record 1,590 in 2017, including the first nest in Kenosha County in over a century. Meanwhile, no increase in nests across habitat-rich Oneida County may signal that suitable nesting habitat in some northern Wisconsin counties is now all taken. Read More >>
For the second straight year, Piping Plovers returned to Lower Green Bay after a 75-year absence. Their return reflects a growing trend in the Great Lakes region and helped propel this state- and federally-endangered species to a record-breaking year in Wisconsin. Learn more in this short video >>
A piping plover and its chick are part of a record-breaking year for the endangered species in Wisconsin. Photo courtesy of Tom Prestby.
2017 marked the 10th year of Kirtland’s Warbler documentation and subsequent monitoring in Wisconsin. From only 11 Kirtland’s and three nests found in Adams County in 2007 to 53 individuals and 20 total nests among Adams, Marinette and Bayfield counties in 2017, the population has grown and geographically expanded in a decade of conservation work. This year’s report outlines how the birds fared in 2017 and includes in-depth histories and summaries of all aspects of this project over the past 10 years.
Three of five field seasons are now complete for Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II, the citizen-based project that documents breeding bird diversity and abundance across the state. Thanks to more than 1,400 volunteers, 2017 was another successful year. See highlights in this fantastic infographic, and read more details in this fun season summary. And don’t miss the latest on how 8,000+ point counts are providing critical, new information on many breeding species here.
This pair of King Rails successfully raised young at Horicon Marsh in 2017, marking the first breeding confirmation of the species during WBBAII. Photo by Stuart Malcolm.
This course will introduce students with varying prior skill levels to bird song identification.
Hot off the presses, the NABCI State of the Birds report features a new format that links the report with specific policies or campaigns.Click here to read the report and more!
June 1 marks the unofficial start of summer in the bird world, as migration winds down and breeding activity ramps up dramatically, especially among the many Neotropical migrants that have recently returned to raise young here. How will you enjoy birds this summer?
Cape May Warbler, by Ryan Brady, WBCI Bird Monitoring Coordinator.