Winter Finches Are Taking Their Time to Migrate

By John Agbo, age 14

This year’s Winter Finch Forecast released by the Finch Research Network suggests a slower year for migratory birds arriving in Wisconsin.

During the winter, many species of Wisconsin’s migratory songbirds fly South, searching for food sources and warmer temperatures. This season also usually attracts birds from farther north, from Canada, for the same reasons. The number of birds flying to Wisconsin and other states varies every year, depending on the availability of crops and berries. However, recent patterns indicate that many birds hesitate to make this journey. They have remained in their northern habitats longer than usual. [Read More]

Blue Jays Are Nature’s Colorful Songbirds

by Abigail Gezae, age 12

Blue Jays are interesting animals with a variety of skills. They are beautifully colored birds, with blue and white on their stomach and chest.

Blue Jays are intelligent and adaptable. They are also among the loudest birds and can make various musical sounds. They can feed on almost anything and are classified as omnivores. Their diet consists of seeds, nuts, and insects.

Blue Jays build their nests with a bulky open cup made of twigs, grass, weeds, bark strips, moss, and sometimes held together with mud. Regarding nesting, both parents are involved in bringing food to the young. Young ones leave the nest 17-21 days after hatching. [Read More]

Wisconsin Wonders, The Great Egret's Migration Journey

by Lina Al’Quraishi, age 9

One of the first things people notice about the Great Egret is its long neck, but there is more to know about it besides its heron-like features. The bird's body is mainly white with black legs. They have bright yellow bills with some green coloration extending from the bill to the eyes. They can also have bright yellow eyes with big black pupils.

Great Egrets eat a variety of foods. When they hunt, they will eat anything they can fit into their mouths to survive. This typically includes small mammals, frogs, small fish, and more.

The Great Egret is the largest egret species. They live on Mexico's coasts and in South and Central America all year round. In the spring, they make their way to northern regions – Wisconsin, Iowa, and other parts of the midwest – where they breed in shallow water, ponds, artificial lakes, and canals. [Read More]

Three Wisconsin Birds that Weigh Less than an Ounce

by Joseph Zheng, age 10

Wisconsin's smallest birds can weigh less than a pencil. The Downy woodpecker, American goldfinch, and house sparrow are all examples of small birds commonly found in the state.

The Downy woodpecker is 11 to 14 centimeters long and typically weighs around 20 grams. These woodpeckers are frequently seen at bird feeders, where they enjoy suet, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and even peanut butter. Downy woodpeckers are also fond of drinking sugar water. They produce high-pitched calls that are easy to recognize, along with rapid drumming sounds created by tapping their feet during mating displays, which can sound continuous due to their speed.

The American goldfinch, another small bird, is 11 to 14 centimeters long and weighs 11 to 20 grams. These bright yellow birds are common in Wisconsin and are attracted to sunflower and Nyjer seeds. However, they are often intimidated by larger birds and prefer quiet spaces to feed. Goldfinches are strict vegetarians, feeding mainly on seeds—a rarity among birds, as most feed on insects. To ensure their young have enough to eat, goldfinches breed a month later than other birds. Their call is often described as sounding like the words "potato chip" stretched out. [Read More]

Rare Roseate Spoonbill Sighted in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Astonishing Birding Community

by Mariama Bah, age 16

A mysterious bird, described as a pink football on short stilts, was recently spotted alive in Green Bay for the first time. Its unexpected appearance generated excitement within the Wisconsin birding community, marking the return of a bird that had long been absent from the region.

On the morning of July 26th, Logan Lasee, a Bay Area Bird Club member, was monitoring endangered piping plovers in the Cat Island restoration area when he noticed something pink that immediately caught his attention. [Read More]

The Short-eared Owl Is a Year-long Resident of Wisconsin

by Edwin Torres, age 12

The Short-eared Owl is an owl species that is native to Wisconsin, Canada, and other northern parts of the U.S. Fortunately for those looking to spot them, the Short-eared Owl lives all year round in those areas. This owl can travel long distances. People have reported sightings that are hundreds of miles away from land.

A Pueo is a subspecies of a Short-eared Owl only native to Hawaii and resides on several Hawaiian islands. It is believed that the Pueo might have descended from Native Alaskan ancestors.

A Short-eared Owl has very short ears, which are difficult to see. Despite this, they have really good hearing. Their sharp hearing can be useful when hunting animals, especially smaller ones. A very visible physical attribute of the Short-eared Owl is its black-rimmed yellow eyes. This owl also has a pale face and rounded wings. [Read More]

How You Can Help Save Our Songbirds

by Mariama Bah, age 16

Since 1970, the North American bird population has declined by 30%. Bobolinks and Canada jays—among others— are rapidly disappearing from Wisconsin’s spring soundscape. But this trend is reversible, with a little help from the public.

Recently, the Wisconsin Bird Conservation and the Natural Resources Foundation partnered to start the campaign Save Our Songbirds (SOS) to combat the decrease of many bird populations.

The campaign asks Wisconsinites to do three things: fix problem windows, buy coffee grown in bird-friendly locations, and grow native plants that are good for birds. [Read More]

Learn How to Help Wisconsin Pollinator Populations for a Blooming Ecosystem

by Camila Cruz, age 15

Many people undervalue our pollinators, but about 87% of flowering plants worldwide depend on them. And there are many ways we can help support them, from letting lawns grow to avoiding pesticides.

Pollinators are creatures that go from plant to plant to consume nectar and pollen. In doing this, they spread the pollen, helping plants reproduce. Pollen is necessary to fertilize plants. Some of the most popular pollinators in North America are hummingbirds, moths, flower flies, beetles, bees, butterflies, and, in the southwestern parts of the U.S. and Mexico, nectar-feeding bats. [Read More]

It’s an “Interruption Year” in Wisconsin:
Snowy Owls Are Moving South

by Mariama Bah, age 15

Keep your eye to the ground and be careful when you’re walking in the Arctic Tundra, because you may find a snowy owl nesting site. Treeless, wide, hilly spaces are where snowy owls prefer to nest and hunt. These owls mainly eat small mammals, but their diet can range from rodents and rabbits to ducks and geese.

North of the Arctic Circle is home for snowy owls during most of the year. During a typical winter, small groups of owls migrate into southern Canada and northern Wisconsin. Every handful of years, however, an “interruption” occurs. During those years, large numbers of snowy owls move south as far as the southern United States. Reasons for this odd behavior are unknown.

Wisconsin is seeing its first interruption year since 2018 right now. More than 150 snowy owls have been spotted with reports coming from counties all around the state. [Read More]

Cardinals in Wisconsin: These Beautiful Birds are Moving North

by Allison Torres, age 13

Northern cardinals are highly valued and favored songbirds in North America. These birds typically nest in Northern Wisconsin, along with parts of Minnesota and even Canada.

Cardinals generally avoid the south of North America and stay up north, mainly for the mass abundance of sunflower seeds which is a popular bird feeder. A cardinal’s eating period mainly occur in early morning and late night. As prey, they try to camouflage to hide from their predators. Aside from sunflower seeds, cardinals feed on insects, berries, and vegetables. In the colder months, cardinals travel in flocks to find more food.

During non-winter seasons, males and females usually raise their offspring together in nests hidden in bushes. [Read More]

Wisconsin's Year-Round Birds

by Ruben Becerril Gonzalez, age 10

Have you heard of some of Wisconsin’s year-round birds? Today, I’m going to talk about the American Robin, Mourning Dove, and Song Sparrow.

To start, the American Robin is Wisconsin’s state bird. These birds are gray and brown on their upper body and top and have orange bellies. They have darker brown or black heads with white spots to highlight their eyes. Their beaks are yellow and their tails are medium sized. The American Robin’s size can range from 7.9 to 11 inches long and have wingspans as big as 15.8 inches. When it comes to their diet, robins are very picky! They typically like chopped apples or mealworms. Throughout the year, Robins like to live in shrubs, snow, and even woodlands! [Read More]

Citizen Scientists Track Hummingbirds in Wisconsin

by Camila Cruz, age 14

You should consider yourself lucky if you see a hummingbird, and especially lucky if they are close enough for you to hear them.

The noise of a hummingbird comes from its wings, which move very fast. A hummingbird’s wings move about 75 times per second.

Cynthia Bridge, founder of the Western Great Lakes Hummingbird Project, is one of three hummingbird banders in Wisconsin. “They are the most incredible to experience when they hover near your head in the garden, where you can hear the humming of their wings,” she said. [Read More]

News from the Nest: Three New Peregrine Falcons Hatch in Downtown Madison

by Mariama Bah, age 14

Since 2015, peregrine falcons Trudy and Melvin have been nesting at the Blount Generating Center owned by Madison Gas and Electric (MGE). Three chicks hatched in May and were named and banded on June 3rd. MGE decided to name them after the neighborhoods that surrounded them when they were born. The male falcon was named Willy, after Williamson Street. Willy’s sisters, Jennifer and Brearly, were named after Jennifer Street and Brearly Street.

In the 1950s, peregrine falcons were a fairly common species in North America. But by the 1960s, their population was declining quickly. Scientists discovered this decline was due to the widespread use of DDT, an effective yet harmful insecticide used in gardens and on farms. The DDT directly affected the food-chain and falcon physiology. Specifically, it caused the birds to lay fragile eggs and ignore their young. [Read More]