Cormorants are slender diving waterbirds with a distinctive shape and set of habits. While there are many cormorant species that live in North America, there are only two that can typically be found in Wisconsin, with one being extremely abundant and the other being quite rare. Here is everything you need to know about these two species.
Double-crested Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Identification
Adult Double-crested Cormorants have a dark brown to black head, neck, back, underside and wings. Juveniles will be lighter brown in color with a lighter throat and underside. Both adults and juveniles have orange by the eyes and base of the bill as well as a turquoise colored eye. Breeding adult birds have two tufts on their head that can sometimes be hard to see, but these crests are what this species is named for.
Range
Double-crested Cormorants live year round along the Pacific Coast of North America from Northwestern Mexico all the way up to the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. They also live year round in parts of Florida. This species winters in in the Southeastern United States and Northeastern Mexico. In spring, they move into the Northern United States and Southern Canada where they can be seen migrating in large flocks.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Double-crested Cormorants primarily eat fish which they catch by hunting them underwater. They will also eat other aquatic creature such as crustaceans and amphibians.
Where to Find This Bird
Double-crested Cormorants can be found in a variety of places with all of them usually being near bodies of water. Look for this species in trees lining lakes and ponds as well as in marshes. Often times, Double-crested Cormorants will congregate in large groups on islands or other places with adequate perches as they dry their wings and survey for prey.
Neotropic Cormorant (Rare)
Neotropic Cormorant – Photo by Alan Schmierer
Identification
Neotropic Cormorants are small members of the cormorant family. Adult birds are a shiny black color with white feathers on their head, back, and wings. They have a white triangle on the base of the bill known as a gular. Neotropic Cormorants have yellowish orange on the base of the bill and a turquoise colored eye. Juveniles are lighter in color overall, sporting brown coloration instead of black.
Range
Neotropic Cormorants live year-round in South America, Central America, much of Mexico, and the Gulf Coast of the United States. While much of the population is not migratory, some birds move north in spring and have a habit of turning up north of their normal range.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Neotropic Cormorants eat mostly fish, but will also consume insects, crustaceans, and amphibians. These birds are sight feeders and search for prey underwater where their streamlined bodies make them adept swimmers.
Where to Find This Bird
Neotropic Cormorants live in a wide variety of places including inland lakes, saltmarshes, and along ocean coastlines. They can often be seen perched in branches and other structures near water keeping watch for food.
In Wisconsin, Neotropic Cormorants are very rare visitors and only show up sporadically. They can sometimes be found in marshes, near ponds, or along the shores of the Great Lakes. Keep an eye on large flocks of Double-crested Cormorants for a smaller looking cormorant.
Cormorants are unique, lanky birds that are a common sight near the water. Knowing the habits, range, and key identification features of each of these species can be incredibly useful in knowing what to look for in the field.
Jays are intelligent and charismatic birds that are beloved by many birders and feeder watchers. There are two types of jays that can be found in Wisconsin with one being abundant, and the other being quite rare. Here is everything you need to know about these two species.
Blue Jay
Blue Jay
Identification
Blue Jays are an extremely distinctive species with sky blue on the head, back, wings, and tail. They have a light gray underside and a gray to white face. Blue Jays also have black markings on their wings and tail, as well as a black marking going from the back of the neck to the front of the chest. Blue Jays have a crest on their head that sometimes sticks up quite noticeably, and other times lays down flat. Something interesting about this species is that their markings differ slightly from individual to individual, meaning that each bird is subtly unique looking.
Range
Blue Jays live year round in the Eastern United States and Southeastern Canada. They also inhabit parts of Western Canada. In winter, Blue Jays move south and west with a higher concentration of Blue Jays in the continental United States than in the other seasons and some making it as far west as Washington and Oregon.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Blue Jays primarily eat insects and nuts, but will also eat eggs and nestlings of other birds in addition to small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.
Where to Find This Bird
Blue Jays live in a wide variety of habitats including forests and backyards. They are especially fond of oak forests as acorns are a staple food item for the species. One of the best ways to see a Blue Jay is to put large nuts such as peanuts out in your yard. Then wait to hear the distinctive calls of Blue Jays that will appear to grab a nut and then quickly fly off.
Canada Jay
Canada Jay
Identification
Canada jays (formerly known as Gray Jays) are fairly large birds with a dark gray back, wings, tail, and back of the head. They have a light gray underside and white on their face, forehead, and neck. Juvenile Canada jays are dark gray overall and look significantly different than adults.
Range
Canada Jays are birds of North Americas boreal forests, living in much of Central Canada, the Western Mountains of the United States, and some of the states bordering Canada in the Midwest and Northeast. This species is nonmigratory.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Canada Jays are ultimate omnivores, eating berries, carrion, insects, and even some types of fungi. They are known to take leftover food from humans, earning them the nickname camp robber. They also have been documented eating food soaked in alcohol and consequentially becoming intoxicated, earning them another nickname: Whiskey Jack.
Where to Find This Bird
Canada jays are at home in boreal forests as well as subalpine forests. Depending on the time of the year they can be reclusive while other times they seek out humans in hopes of getting a free meal.
In Wisconsin, Canada Jays reside in the Northern forest of the state yet due to low numbers coupled with the vast expanse of boreal forest in the region, they can be extremely difficult to find. The best way to encounter a Canada Jay is to drive the forest roads and hope to catch a glimpse of one.
Summary
Jays are unique birds that can be very fun to see in the wild as their cunning personalities can lead to some entertaining experiences. Knowing the habits, range, and key identification features of each of these species can be incredibly useful in knowing what to look for in the field.
Hummingbirds are captivating creatures that buzz around backyards and flowers at a frenetic pace. While they are quite small, they sometimes travel extreme distances during migration, leading to many species showing up in places outside of their normal range.
While Wisconsin has records of many different rare hummingbirds showing up in the state over the years, there are really only two species that can be found in the state on a regular basis. Here is everything you need to know about those two species.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Male – Photo by USFWS Midwest Region
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Female – Photo by Susan Young
Identification
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds look different depending on the lighting. Sometimes they can appear dark olive color, but when the sun hits them, they shine with a bright emerald green on the back, wings, head, and tail. Female Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have a white throat and underside while males have a bright shining red throat. Again, if the lighting is dark, the throat will be dark red to black looking in color.
Range
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird spends the winter in Central America and Southern Mexico. In spring, they head north and breed throughout the Eastern United States as well as some parts of Southern Canada. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the only naturally occurring hummingbird species that breeds in the Eastern US.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds consume nectar from flowers, particularly from red or orange flowers. They will also eat small insects that they find near flowers or even catch them out of mid air.
Where to Find This Bird
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds can be found in forested areas, around fields, and in backyards. They frequent ornamental flowers as well as hummingbird feeders and are common in their normal range. To find them, either stake out flower beds, or keep your eyes peeled for something that looks like a very large insect buzzing through the air.
Rufous Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird Adult Male – Photo by Alan Schmierer
Rufous Hummingbird – Photo by Bill Grossmeyer
Identification
Adult male Rufous Hummingbirds have a golden orange color on their head, back, and tail with darker colored wings. They have dark tips of the tail feathers with the exception of the outer tail feathers that are white-tipped. Adult males have a reddish pink iridescent throat and a white bib. Females and immature males are much more pale overall with a light underside and a green back, head, and tail. They still have hints of the rusty orange coloration that adult males possess but it looks like more of a light wash.
Range
Rufous Hummingbirds live in the Western half of North America. They winter in Southwestern Mexico and have a fairly lengthy migration to the Pacific Northwest and Southwestern Canada where they spend the breeding months.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Rufous Hummingbirds feed from flowers where they use their long bills to get nectar. They also eat small insects such as flies and aphids. They will catch them on the wing or pick them off of flowers and vegetation.
Where to Find This Bird
Rufous Hummingbirds live in a wide variety of habitats including forests, meadows, and backyards. This species is known to visit hummingbird feeders and can sometimes be a bully to other hummingbirds trying to get nectar.
In Wisconsin, Rufous Hummingbirds are rare visitors but do make an appearance on an annual basis. They are typically found during fall migration and usually by a homeowner who notices them at their hummingbird feeder. Look for a large hummingbird from August to November and leave feeders up well into late fall if you’d like to attract one.
Summary
Hummingbirds are beloved by many birders and backyard bird watchers alike. Knowing the habits, range, and key identification features of each of these species can be incredibly useful in knowing what to look for in the field. Keep in mind, Wisconsin has had an assortment of rare hummingbirds that show up very occasionally, so it’s possible that a bird you are trying to identify could be a vagrant species, so do not rule any of them out if your bird doesn’t fit with either of the two expected species.
Grebes are fascinating birds that look something like a cross between a loon and a duck. These small waterbirds have legs that are at the back of their body which are perfect for diving and maneuvering through the water.
In Wisconsin, there are five different species of grebes that usually make an appearance on an annual basis, with some of them being extremely common, and others being fairly rare. Here is everything you need to know about these five species
Eared Grebe (Rare)
Eared Grebes in Breeding Plumage – Photo by Tom Bunker
Eared Grebe Winer Plumage
Identification
Eared Grebes are compact looking members of the grebe family displaying a shorter neck than other species in the grouping as well as a shorter bill. In breeding plumage, this species is quite colorful with a black head, neck, and back, orangey brown colored sides, and golden feathers just behind their bright red eye. It’s also worth noting that they have a crested appearance. In nonbreeding plumage they are far less extravagant looking with a dark head and back, white sides, a white throat, and a white underside. Even in nonbreeding plumage, Eared Grebes still have a bright red eye but they do not appear as crested.
Range
Eared Grebes winter in Mexico and the Southwestern United States in addition to the Pacific coast. In spring, they move north and spend the summer in most of the Northern States west of the Mississippi River as well as Southwestern Canada. They have a habit of showing up farther east than expected during migration.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Eared Grebes eat an assortment of different small vertebrates and invertebrates including fish, shrimp, insects, and amphibians. Since they often live in water with a high salt content, brine shrimp are sometimes a staple food item.
Where to Find This Bird
Eared Grebes are typically found in shallow ponds and lakes. Often times, these birds gather in extremely large groups during migration and are regular visitors of salty bodies of water.
In Wisconsin, Eared Grebes can be found during migration. They are not particularly common, but a few reports come in each year. One of the best places to find them are along the Lake Michigan coastline but they also show up inland from time to time.
Horned Grebe
Transitional and Breeding Plumage Horned Grebes
Identification
Horned Grebes are fairly small members of the grebe family with a short bill. In breeding plumage, Horned Grebes have a black head and wings with rusty reddish brown sides, a bright red eye, and amber colored feathers near their eye, which somewhat resemble horns. Nonbreeding birds have a black top of the head, wings, and back of the neck, but are white everywhere else. They still have a bright red eye in ninbreeding plumage.
Range
Horned Grebes winter in the Southeastern United States, along the Atlantic Coast, and along the Pacific coast from Baja California all the way up to the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. In spring, they move north and breed in Alaska, Western Canada, and some of the northern states that border Canada such as North Dakota and Montana.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Horned Grebes eat a very wide variety of aquatic creatures including small fish, crustaceans, tadpoles and many different species of insects. They will not only eat aquatic insects but also catch them out of the air.
Where to Find This Bird
Horned Grebes breed in shallow lakes and ponds with plenty of vegetation to hide in. During migration, they show up in many different bodies of water ranging from manmade lakes to ponds.
In Wisconsin, look for Horned Grebes along the Lake Michigan coast as well as in random inland bodies of water.
Pied-billed Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe
Identification
The Pied-billed Grebe is a small and distinctive looking bird with a brown body and white near the tail. The wings and top of the head are darker than the chest and underside. The term “pied-billed” means striped bill, and it’s certainly an apt way to describe the species as the black stripe on the short, wide bill is obvious in breeding adult birds. Nonbreeding birds look generally the same but without as noticeable of a stripe on the bill. One fascinating thing about Pied-billed Grebes is that they can actually control how much of their body is underwater. Sometime they will only have their neck and head above the surface.
Range
Pied-billed Grebes are extremely widespread across the Western Hemisphere with a year-round range in Southern South America, Northern South America, Central America, Mexico, and most of the United States. In summer, Pied-billed Grebes move north and breed in the Northeastern US, as well as the Midwest. They also can be found throughout Southern Canada in summer.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Pied-billed Grebes mostly prey on small fish and crustaceans, but they will also eat snails, tadpoles, and aquatic insects. These birds hunt for food by diving and catching prey items underwater.
Where to Find This Bird
Pied-billed Grebes can be found in slow moving water such as marshes, flooded fields, and ponds.
In Wisconsin, there are many places to find Pied-billed Grebes, but Horicon Marsh is a place where they are almost a guarantee.
Red-necked Grebe (Uncommon)
Red-necked Grebe in Breeding Plumage – Photo by Alaska Region U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Red-necked Grebe in Nonbreeding Plumage – Photo by Caleb Putnam
Identification
Red-necked Grebes are quite striking in breeding plumage when they have their namesake rusty red neck as well as distinctive gray and white cheeks. They also a dark gray to black cap, a long yellow bill with a dark tip, and a dark gray to black back. In nonbreeding plumage, this species is much more pale with only light traces of a red neck and white cheeks. In terms of grebes, the Red-necked Grebe is on the more slender side with a longer neck than many other species.
Range
Red-necked Grebes are widespread across the globe with most of North America, parts of Asia, and Europe serving as a native home to this species. In North America, these birds winter along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, then make their way into Alaska and Western Canada (in addition to some states in the continental US) to breed.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Red-necked Grebes eat a variety of aquatic animals, most commonly fish, crustaceans, and insects. They will also eat other aquatic invertebrates as well as reptiles and amphibians. This species takes a page out of the loon handbook when it comes to hunting as they will often use sight to locate food in clear water and then actively hunt for it.
Where to Find This Bird
During the breeding months Red-necked Grebes can be found in marshes and shallow lakes. Usually their breeding areas have thick vegetation lining the shore, providing good places to hide. In winter, the coasts of the United States can hold large numbers of these birds just offshore.
Wisconsin is actually one of the best places in the continental United States to see Red-necked Grebes as they breed in the state. Schoenberg Marsh in Columbia County and Crex Meadows along the Mississippi River are great places to find this species. Additionally, Red-necked Grebes can be seen along the Great Lakes during migration where they even sometimes show up in the hundreds.
Western Grebe (Rare)
Western Grebe
Identification
Western Grebes are slender looking waterbirds with a longer neck and bill than many other grebe species. They look the same in both breeding and nonbreeding seasons with dark gray to black on their back, wings, back of the neck, and top of the head. They have a white face and underside with a yellow bill and bright red eye.
Range
True to its name, the Western Grebe is a species of Western North America. They winter along the Pacific coast of Mexico and the United States all the way up to the most Southwestern part of Canada. In summer, they move into the Western half of the US and Canada to breed. Western Grebes are year-round residents in parts of Northern and Central Mexico.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Western Grebes primarily feed on fish, but they also eat other creatures found in the water including crustaceans, amphibians, and insects. This species actively dives for it’s prey and easily moves through the water while hunting.
Where to Find This Bird
In winter, look for Western Grebes in saltwater habitats along the Pacific Coast. In summer, this species utilizes large freshwater lakes to breed in.
In Wisconsin, Western Grebes are rare but annual visitors. They are most often found on Lake Michigan but do show up in smaller bodies of water as well.
Summary
Grebes are unique and fascinating waterbirds that don’t quite fit into any other category. Knowing the habits, range, and key identification features of each of these species can be incredibly useful in knowing what to look for in the field. Hopefully, this article has helped in answering some questions about the grebes of Wisconsin.
Wrens are goofy and fast moving little birds that are absolutely loaded with attitude. Due to their small size and quickness, they can be very difficult to identify. Luckily, many of them have differences in habitat as well as some key features to keep an eye out for that can be used to help differentiate them.
In Wisconsin, there are four common wren species and one that visits annually but can be a bit more difficult to find. Here is everything that you need to know about these five species.
Carolina Wren
Carolina wren
Identification
Carolina Wrens are on the larger side among wrens. They have a reddish brown back, head, and wings with a peach colored underside. They have a white throat and a very well defined white eye stripe.
Range
Carolina Wrens are not migratory and live throughout the Eastern United States with the exception of some of the states in the Northeast and the Midwest. They can be found as far west as Texas and as far south as Mexico and even some Central American Countries. The Carolina Wren’s range is actually believed to be expanding as they are showing up farther and farther north each year.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Carolina Wrens eat many different varieties of invertebrates including spiders, moths, and crickets among others. They also eat pulp and seeds from fruit in addition to small vertebrates on occasion.
Where to Find This Bird
Carolina Wrens live in a variety of habitats ranging from woodlands, to scrubland, to backyards. Typically, anywhere that has some sort of cover will serve as a good home for this species. Carolina Wrens are often heard before they are seen, making a call that some say sounds like a tea kettle.
House Wren
House Wren
Identification
House Wrens are a small, grayish brown species that is fairly uniform in color with darker brown barring on the wings and tail. They will vary slightly in color and pattern depending on region.
Range
House Wrens are widespread across North America and South America with South America being a year-round home for this species. In winter, House Wren’s reside in the Southern US and Mexico. They make their way north in spring, eventually ending up covering most of the Continental United States and parts of Southern Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
House Wrens are insectivorous, eating mostly insects and other invertebrates that move along the ground such as beetles and spiders. They have also been known to eat flying insects such as dragonflies and moths as well.
Where to Find This Bird
House Wrens can be found in many different habitats. Essentially, as long as there is some vegetation to hide in, House Wrens will probably be around. They are common in back yards where they can be heard making their chattering call.
Marsh Wren
Marsh Wren – Photo by USFWS Mountain-Prairie
Identification
Marsh Wrens have a reddish brow back with dark barring on their wings and tail. They have white stripes on their upper back and a buffy to white colored eye stripe. Marsh Wrens have a light underside and often times have buffy sides.
Range
Marsh Wrens winter in Mexico and the Southern United States. In spring, they move north and spend the summer in the Northern United States and parts of Southern Canada. Interestingly, Marsh Wrens are year-round residents in some parts of the US including along the east and west coasts, as well as states such as Colorado and Utah among others.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Marsh Wrens consume Insects and and other invertebrates. They often feed close to the base of vegetation in swampy habitats.
Where to Find This Bird
As their name suggests, Marsh Wrens can be found in marshy habitats with lots of vegetation and standing water. They occupy both freshwater wetlands and coastal salt marshes.
In Wisconsin, there are many marshes where Marsh Wrens breed in on an annual basis. A nearly guaranteed place to find them is at Horicon Marsh.
Sedge Wren
Sedge Wren
Identification
Sedge Wrens are a sandy to brownish color with lighter coloration on their sides. Their back, wings, tail, and head are darker tan to brown with light head striping, and darker barring on the wings and tail. They have a white throat, a white underside, and a tan eyebrow stripe.
Range
Sedge Wrens winter in Northeastern Mexico and the Southeastern United States. In spring, they move north into many of the Midwestern states, Great Lakes area, and South-central Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Sedge Wrens eat insects and other invertebrates that they pick from dense vegetation. They may also eat small amounts of seeds.
Where to Find This Bird
Sedge Wrens reside in thick vegetation such as grasses, and of course sedges. Look for damp fields with tall grass or other plants, and Sedge Wrens will most likely be around.
Winter Wren
Winter Wren – Photo by Alan Schmierer
Identification
Winter Wrens are reddish brown with a lighter shade of color on their throat and underside. They have barring and speckling on their sides, tail, back, and wings. This species has a lighter colored eye stripe and has a very short stiff looking tail.
Range
Winter Wrens spend the winter in the Southeastern United States with the exception of Southern Florida. In spring, they move north into many of the Great Lakes states and much of Southeastern Canada. Winter Wrens can also be found in parts of Western Canada in summer. There are also some areas in the Northeastern United States where this species can be found year round.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Winter Wrens eat Insects and other invertebrates. During the winter, they have also been known to eat berries. They typically forage along the ground, searching logs and vegetation for small creatures to eat.
Where to Find This Bird
Winter Wrens can be found in forested habitats as well as shrubby areas with thick underbrush. They seem to enjoy spending time in tangled branches, often making them difficult to get a clear look at. In lowland areas with dense understory, keep an eye out for this small, quick moving species.
Summary
Wrens are fun birds to find due to their energetic personalities and feisty attitudes. Knowing the species that are expected in your state can be instrumental in identifying which one you are looking at in the field. Hopefully, this article has helped in answering some questions about the Wrens of Wisconsin.
Owls are extremely charismatic species beloved by both birders and non-birders alike. Nocturnal, mysterious, and secretive, these birds play important roles in our culture.
There are 11 species of owls that can be found in Wisconsin with some being found quite frequently and others being rare visitors. Here are the owl species to be on the lookout for if you are in the dairy state.
Barn Owl (Rare)
Barn Owl – Photo by Many Wonderful Artists
Identification
Barn Owls have are a thin looking owl species with an orangey tan and gray back, head, and wings. They have a light underside and pale heart shaped face.
The call of the Barn Owl is a violent sounding scream. It’s possible that legends of creatures like banshees and screaming ghosts derived from people hearing the haunting calls of Barn Owls at night.
Range
Barn Owls reside in most of Mexico and the United States year round with the exception of some of the states in the Northern part of the country. Even in the Northern states where their range either does not extend or does not extend very far into, a few individuals of this species can still be found.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Barn Owls hunt almost exclusively at night. Due to this, they eat mostly other nocturnal animals, especially rodents. Voles, mice, shrews, and rats are all creatures that are common prey items for Barn Owls. In addition to small mammals, Barn Owls will also eat small to medium sized birds.
Where to Find This Bird
Barn Owls live in open areas with plenty of space to hunt. Some common places to find them are agricultural fields, grasslands, deserts, and even more urban environments such as cities. As their name suggests, they can be found roosting in barns as well as tree cavities and other structures.
Barred Owl
Barred Owl
Identification
Barred Owls are bulky with round heads, white undersides with brown stripes, and brown backs. They also have white striping on their backs, and dark eyes typically looking uniform in color. Like many owl species, Barred Owls have a flat face known as a facial disk.
Barred Owls have a very distinctive call as they make a “who cooks for you” call. They are known to call even when it’s light out.
Range
Barred Owls are non-migratory and can be found year round in the Eastern United States, Southern Canada, and the Pacific Northwestern states of the US. Many of the Western states do not have resident Barred Owls in the wild.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Barred Owls eat many different types of small and medium sized creatures including mammals, other birds, amphibians, and reptiles. They have even been cited going into the water to catch fish and crustaceans. Barred Owls typically find a good vantage point and watch for potential prey items, they will then swoop down from above to catch their meal.
Where to Find This Bird
Badgerland Birding searches for a Barred Owl in an old growth forest
Look for Barred Owls in forests (conifer or deciduous) where there are plenty of tall trees to perch in and cavities to roost in. Older forests with taller trees are typically preferable. Swamps are also good places to find this species, especially in the Southeastern states.
Barred Owls are a species that will call during the daytime so listen for their classic “who cooks for you” call even when it’s light out.
Boreal Owl (Rare)
Boreal Owl – Photo by Lorri Howski
Identification
Boreal Owls are small and compact with a light underside with brown vertical striping, a brown back and wings with white spots, and a brown to black head with white speckling. They have a gray face with black outlining the top of the facial disk and black “teardrop” markings below the eyes. Unlike some other owl species that have solid black looking eyes, Boreal Owls have bright yellow eyes.
Range
Boreal Owls are non-migratory and are a species of the northern half of North America. They can be found as for north as Alaska and as far east as Canada’s Atlantic Coast. In the United Staes, Boreal Owls live in some of the mountains states of the Western US including Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, and Washington among others. They also turn up as rare visitors in some of the Midwestern and Northeastern states bordering Canada, but not on an annual basis.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Boreal Owls eat small rodents, birds, and insects with mammals being the primary staple of their diet. They will stake out places with mice, shrews, and voles around places like bird feeders and wait for the opportune time to attack. It is not uncommon for this species to return to the same hunting site regularly.
Where to Find This Bird
Boreal Owls can be found most frequently in Boreal Forests of conifers and birches. They can be incredibly difficult to find during the day as they roost in different places each day. However, they can sometimes be seen staking out bird feeders. Often times, the best way to locate this species is by listening for their calls during the late winter and early spring.
In Wisconsin, Boreal Owls almost never make it into the state, and if they do, reports of them are kept secret. However, Sax-Zim Bog in Minnesota is one of the best places to see this species in the entire Midwest. In years when Boreal Owls move into the lower 48 states in greater numbers, Sax-Zim Bog usually gets at least one or two of these rare birds.
Eastern Screech Owl
Red morph Eastern Screech Owl
Identification
Eastern Screech Owls are small, round looking birds with pointed ear tufts. They come in two different colors or “morphs,” with one being gray and the other being orange. Gray morph birds are very well camouflaged as they look almost exactly like bark with a light gray base color and darker patterns on the back, head, and underside. The orange version of the Eastern Screech Owl is known as a “red morph” bird and have a deep reddish orange base color with darker grayish black patterning on their back, head, and chest. Red morph birds have white coloration on their underside going from the throat down toward their legs.
Range
The aptly named Eastern Screech Owl can be found year-round throughout the Eastern half of the United States and Northeastern Mexico. They also make it into some parts of Southeastern Canada as well. The range of this species expands as far west as Montana, Texas, and Eastern Colorado.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Eastern Screech Owls eat a wide variety of small prey items including mammals, insects, crustaceans, amphibians, and reptiles.
Where to Find This Bird
Eastern Screech Owls are not at all picky about where they live. They can be found in all different types of forests including deciduous and coniferous, residential areas such as city parks, areas near rivers and streams, and edge habitat. They live almost anywhere with adequate tree cover. Often times, Eastern Screech Owls use the same roosting sites repeatedly, meaning that they are easy to find if you know where they are roosting. Look for them peaking out of tree cavities or nest boxes sunning themselves, or watch these same places and wait for them to pop out just before dusk when they usually stick their faces out of their roosting site and wait for the right time to take flight for a night of hunting.
Great Gray Owl (Rare)
Great Gray Owl
Identification
The Great Gray Owl is among the tallest owl species in the world, but it is actually surprisingly lightweight. They have a light gray base color with darker gray mottling, making them look very similar to a lichen covered tree. They are darker on their back and wings than they are on their underside. Great Gray Owls have a very large facial disk outlined with darker gray and black and white markings just below their bill.
Range
Great Gray Owls are year-round residents of Alaska and most of Canada with the most Northeastern parts of the country being outside of their range. In the United States, Great Gray Owls can be found in some of the states in the Northwest such as Washington, California, Montana, Idaho, and Oregon. In winter, they have a light migration, moving south into Utah and Wyoming as well as some of the Great Lakes states and Northeastern states. The movement of this species depends on the availability of food in their normal range.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Great Gray Owls hunt at night as well as during the day. Their preferred food source is small mammals such as lemmings, voles, and mice among others. Great Gray Owls will typically hunt by perching high off the ground and scanning the landscape for food. When they spot a prey item they will fly above it and then dive down (often into snow drifts) to catch the animal.
Where to Find This Bird
Great Gray Owls can be found in conifer forests typically in places where there are openings such as bogs. Look for them along forest edges with perches that they can use to survey the surrounding area.
In Wisconsin, Great Gray Owls are extremely rare and caused such a stir that people began keeping them secret if they were ever found. Nowadays it is nearly impossible to get reports of this species as they are hidden on eBird. To have the best chance of finding one, cruise the forest roads in the Northwestern corner of the state during a Great Gray irruption year and hope for the best.
Great Horned Owl
Great Horned Owl
Identification
Out of all of the Owl species in North America, the Great Horned Owl is probably the one that people encounter the most. They are quite large with very noticeable ear tufts and have varying shades of brown covering their back, head, and wings. the Underside of the Great Horned Owl is lighter with a brown wash and darker brown to black horizontal barring.
Great Horned Owls of the arctic population are much more pale and even sometimes look white in color with the same barring and patterns as their southern counterparts.
Range
The Great Horned Owl is extremely widespread across North America as their range encompasses most of Alaska and Canada, the entire continental United States, and the majority of Mexico. They also live in various parts of South America too. This species is non-migratory.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Great Horned Owls eat an extremely wide variety of different animals ranging from small rodents to significantly larger mammals such as skunks and porcupines. They will also eat fairly large bird species such as ducks and even other raptor species. One interesting and gruesome habit of Great Horned Owls is to decapitate their larger prey.
Where to Find This Bird
Great Horned Owls can be found in a variety of different habitats including coniferous forests, deciduous forests, swamps, and residential neighborhoods. The easiest way to find this species is to listen for them making their call: a low “hoo hoo.” During breeding season owls can often be heard calling to one another, a practice known as “dueting.”
Long-eared Owl
Long-eared Owl
Identification
Long-eared Owls are medium sized owl species with very large ear tufts. They are brown on the back, wings, and head with orange, tan, and darker brown colors mixed in. Their underside is brown, white, and orange, giving them the appearance of the bark of a pine tree. Long-eared owls have orange facial disks outlined by dark brown.
Range
Long-eared Owls winter in Mexico and the Southern United States. In spring they move into the Northern United States and Southern Canada. There are many states in which Long-eared Owls are year-round residents such as Utah, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, and many more.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Long-eared owls eat a variety of small rodents. They have also been known to consume birds as well. This species hunts for food in open areas where they typically capture prey on the ground.
Where to Find This Bird
Long-eared Owls are secretive birds that roost in thick tangles of brush and vegetation. They often roost in groups so if you happen to find one of these well camouflaged owls, others are most likely around. Some of their favorite trees to nest in are willows, cottonwoods, and tamaracks. Long-eared Owls can also be found by listening for their deep “hoo” calls often repeated in quick succession.
In Wisconsin, there is a lot of debate over whether or not the location of Long-eared Owls should be listed anywhere. There have been well documented issues with birders and photographers (mostly photographers) getting too close to roosting Long-eared Owls and scaring them away. As a result, the locations of this sensitive species is not listed on eBird and reports of them are almost never shared.
Northern Hawk Owl (Rare)
Northern Hawk Owl
Identification
The Northern Hawk Owl has a brown back, wings, and tail with white spots. They have a light colored chest and underside with brown horizontal barring and a dark brown to black head with white speckling. Northern Hawk Owls have a light gray colored face outlined in black. One interesting physical trait of this species is fake eye spots on the back of the head.
Range
Northern Hawk Owls inhabit most of Alaska and Canada (in particular the Southern half). Some individuals come south in the winter and end up in the US states bordering Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Northern Hawk Owls primarily feed on small rodents but also eat small to medium sized birds as well. This species hunts during the day as well as during the night.
Where to Find This Bird
Northern Hawk Owls typically reside in mixed conifer forests and can be seen hunting during the day. They will typically sit up on a high perch, scanning for prey and can be quite active. Some of the best places to see this species is edge habitat near open spaces such as bogs and meadows.
It’s rare that Northern Hawk Owls show up in Wisconsin. Even if they do, sightings of them are usually suppressed by eBird and not shared with the public.
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl – Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region
Identification
Northern Saw-whet Owls are a very small species with a large, round head. They have a brown back and head with white spots, a white underside, and light brown vertical stripes. They have a white facial disk and piercing yellow eyes.
Range
Northern Saw-whet Owls live year round throughout different parts of North America including Southern Canada, the Northeastern, Northwestern, and Midwestern United States in addition to select areas of Mexico. During winter, they end up filling in the other parts of the United States that they don’t inhabit the rest of the year, moving as far south as Texas and Louisiana some years.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Northern Saw-whet Owls eat small prey items such as mice. They also eat other small mammals and small birds.
Where to Find This Bird
Northern Saw-whet Owls can be found in forests ranging from deciduous to coniferous. They are notoriously difficult to find as they don’t usually use the same roost. To try and locate one, search pine stands (this bird seems to prefer roosting in conifers) and look for white washed branches. Another way to find Saw-whet Owls is to listen for their call between late winter and spring which sounds like a drawn out “toot toot” repeated in succession.
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl
Identification
Snowy Owls are iconic and recognizable birds. Adult males range from pure white to white with a few dark brown markings. Female and immature birds are white with much more dark barring. These birds always have a white face regardless of the age of the bird.
Range
Snowy Owls breed on the tundra of the high arctic. During fall and winter they descend into Southern Canada, Alaska, and much of the continental United States. Just how far these majestic birds will go is dependent on food sources in the north. While this can be somewhat complicated, it generally boils down to the more food availability during breeding season, the more owls are successfully raised in a given year. The more owls that are raised in the north, the more they spread out, thus leading to what’s known as an irruption in which many owls spread out farther south into the United States than usual. The typical southern range for these birds encompases the states bordering Canada.
Learn about the patterns of Snowy Owl migration and irruptions
Diet and Foraging Habits
Snowy Owls feed primarily on small rodents. In particular, they are fond of the lemmings that live in their breeding areas. This species will also eat birds as well with waterfowl being a usual menu item.
Snowy Owls hunt on open landscapes and often times sit for hours surveying their surroundings and watching for small rodents.
Where to Find This Bird
Badgerland Birding searches for Snowy Owls along the Lake Michigan coast
Snowy Owls vary in numbers depending on how good the prior year’s nesting season was. In their normal range they can be found in open areas such as farm fields, tundras, and grasslands. The best time to look for Snowy Owls is during an irruption year when many more birds are coming down from the north and flooding into the United States. During these times, Snowy Owls can actually be quite easy to find and end up in slightly more eclectic places such as lake shores and airports.
In Wisconsin, there are some places that typically get Snowy Owls each year. Some of the best spots include the Lake Michigan coastline and the small town of Freedom. Start looking for Snowy Owls in November and keep an eye out for a small, white, snowman shape out on a break wall or in a farm field.
Short-eared Owl
Short-eared Owl
Identification
Short-eared Owls are colored the same as the prairies and grasslands in which they reside. They have a light sandy colored back, wings, and tail with dark brown mottling. They have a cream colored underside with vertical stripes. This species has a white facial disk with both dark and sandy coloration just below their bright yellow eyes.
Short-eared Owls are highly maneuverable and acrobatic in flight, flying with rapid wingbeats that make them look moth-like. When flying, their flat faces are quite evident and help in separating them from other species such as Northern Harriers.
Range
Short-eared Owls are a species found across the globe in almost every continent. In North America, they winter in Northern Mexico and the Southern United States then move into the Northern Great Lakes states, Canada, and Alaska to breed in the summer.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Short-eared Owls eat small mammals such a slice, lemmings, shrews, and voles. They will also eat small to medium sized birds. Short-eared Owls are specialized hunters that acrobatically fly over open prairies keeping an eye out for ground dwelling mammals. They spend much more time in the air hunting compared to most other owl species.
Where to Find This Bird
Badgerland Birding scours a frozen marsh to find Short-eared owls
Short-eared Owls can be found in open prairies and grasslands flying low over the landscape. The timing can be important when looking for Short-eared owls as they are crepuscular, meaning they are out most at dawn and dusk. However, there are times when they have been documented flying during the day as well.
In Wisconsin, the best times to look for this species are in late fall and early winter. There are a few hot spot locations for Short-eared Owls most notabley Paradise Valley in Waukesha County, Killsnake Wildlife Area in Calumet County, and Buena Vista Grasslands in Portage County.
Summary
Owls are enigmatic and beautiful birds that are always a treat to see when out in the field. Knowing the species that are expected in your state can be instrumental in identifying which one you’re looking at and understanding their behaviors. Hopefully, this article has helped to answer some questions about the owls of Wisconsin.
Finches are a group of relatively small passerine birds that travel in flocks. Many finch species visit bird feeders and are very familiar to people while others are a bit more rare to see.
In Wisconsin, there are 10 finch species that show up on an annual basis that are certainly worth getting to know in order to maximize your experience with them at your bird feeder or out in the field.
American Goldfinch
Male breeding plumage American Goldfinch
Nonbreeding plumage American Goldfinch
Identification
During the breeding months, American Goldfinches are extremely colorful with males having bright yellow covering most of their bodies, a black cap on their head, black wings, and a black partially forked tail. In nonbreeding plumage, these birds are more dull with brownish bodies, a yellowish head, and black wings with white wing bars. Females in breeding plumage are still bright yellow but not to the same degree as the males. Females also have less black on the top of their head.
Range
American Goldfinshes can be found throughout most of the United States with the species following a typical migratior path of traveling south in winter and north into Canada to breed in summer. They are also found year round in many of the Midwestern, Northeastern, and Northwestern states.
Diet and Foraging Habits
American Goldfinches have a diet consisting of seeds. Some of their preferred seeds are sunflower and nyjer. American Goldfinches typically feed in flocks (with some flocks becoming quite large) and will also feed alongside other finch species such as Common Redpolls, and Pine Siskins.
Where to Find This Bird
In their native range, American Goldfinches are plentiful and easy to find. Search for this species in fields with tall weeds and grass, both deciduous and coniferous forests, parks, and of course backyards. Finch feeders with nyjer, thistle, or sunflower seeds are great attractants for this species.
Common Redpoll
Common Redpoll
Identification
The Common Redpoll is a compact finch species with a small, stubby, pointed yellow bill. They have a brown back streaked with cream, black above and below their bill, and a red patch on their head. Males have a rosy wash on their chest and flanks along with some streaking on their sides. Females and immature birds do not have noticeable red wash but do have dark streaking on their underside and flanks.
Range
Common Redpolls breed in the extreme Northern parts of Canada and Alaska as well as Southern Greenland. In winter, they migrate south into Southern Canada and the Northern United States. This species is irruptive and on years when food is scarce in the North, they expand farther into the United States and in greater numbers. The amount of Redpolls in the United States as well as the locations they spread to vary depending on the year.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Common Redpolls eat small seeds from trees such as birches, alders, and conifers. They will also eat berries and seeds from wildflowers. Common Redpolls are very acrobatic feeders, often foraging in large groups and hanging upside down as they pry seeds out of cones.
Where to Find This Bird
Common Redpolls follow the food and will show up wherever there are plentiful seeds to eat. When they are around, their buzzy calls can be heard in flight, and keeping an eye out for flocks of them in and around conifer trees will typically yield results. During irruption years, swarms of these birds will descend on bird feeders creating quite the spectacle. Thistle, nyjer, and sunflower seeds are all common bird feeder fill that will attract Common Redpolls.
Common Redpolls during an irruption year
Evening Grosbeak
Male Evening Grosbeak
Identification
Evening Grosbeaks are an extremely bright looking species. Males have electric yellow undersides, backs, and markings on their head just above the eye. They have black wings, a black tail, clean white wing patches, and an extremely thick bill. Females and immature birds are mostly gray with a yellow nape, black wings, and a black tail with white patches on them.
Range
The Evening Grosbeak’s range is somewhat misleading. They are year round residents of Southern Canada and some parts of the Western United States. Most maps show their wintering range covering most of Michigan, Wisconsin, and New England, but through my experience, most winters Evening Grosbeaks only inhabit the most northern parts of these areas. Evening Grosbeaks do have years in which they fly farther South during winter but in recent years they have not irrupted in the same way that records from the past show. Additionally, the range of this species seems to be receding farther north into Canada each year.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Evening Grosbeaks have different diets depending on the time of year. During summer, they feed primarily on insects and other invertebrates, most notably spruce budworm larva. Other times of the year, Evening Grosbeaks eat various types of seeds including seeds from fruits.
Where to Find This Bird
Evening Grosbeaks can be found in conifer forests. They also can be found near bird feeders in their native range.
In Wisconsin, one of the most reliable places to find Evening Grosbeaks are the bird feeders in the small northern town of Alvin. They can also be found in other small towns and homes in the Northern part of the state.
Badgerland Birding searches for an Evening Grosbeak in Milwaukee, WI
Hoary Redpoll
Hoary Redpoll – Photo by Ryan Brady
Identification
The Hoary Redpoll is a small frosty looking finch species with a brownish gray back, a tiny yellow bill, a white underside with very faint streaking, and a a bright red patch of color on their head. Males have a faint red wash on their chest. This species is quite similar looking to the Common Redpoll and is expected to be lumped together with them in the near future.
If you’d like to know more about telling the Hoary and the Common Redpoll apart, click here to read about their difference or watch the video below.
In depth comparison of Common Redpoll and Hoary Redpoll
Range
Hoary Redpolls live extremely far north in North America, Europe and Eastern Asia. They breed in the Arctic tundra of Greenland, Russia, and Northern Canada. They do move south in the winter but don’t move too far into the United States most years with the exception of irruption years. Some of the Great Lakes sets get these birds annually.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Hoary Redpolls feed on small seeds from trees, grasses, and weeds. They also consume insects and buds. Like the Common Redpoll, Hoary Redpolls are very acrobatic while foraging, often hanging upside-down and voraciously picking seeds out of cones.
Where to Find This Bird
Hoary Redpolls can be found in tundra habitat in their breeding range. In their nonbreeding range, look for this specie mixed in with flocks of Common Redpolls in areas with plentiful food such as fields, conifer forests, and even backyard bird feeders.
House Finch
Male House Finch
Identification
Male House Finches have brown backs and wings with a bright red head, throat, and chest. They have streaking on their sides and and a brown stripe on their face. Female House Finches look the same as the males but without the bright red.
House Finches look very similar to Purple Finches. For tips on differentiating between the two, click here to read about it or watch the video below.
Learn the differences between the House Finch and the Purple Finch
Range
House Finches have a very interesting range. They were originally native to the Western half of the United States and Mexico, but were brought over to the Eastern half of the US and now inhabit both the East and the West, but not parts of the Central US. House Finches are generally nonmigratory and stick to the same areas year round.
Diet and Foraging Habits
House Finches eat seeds and other plant materials such as buds and fruits. They are common around urban backyard bird feeders where they will consume millet and sunflower seeds among other things.
Where to Find This Bird
House Finches are accustomed to spending time near humans, often being found in parks and backyards with bird feeders. This species can also be found in many different natural habitats as well including but not limited to oak and conifer forests.
Pine Grosbeak
Male Pine Grosbeak
Identification
Male Pine Grosbeaks are a rosy reddish pink color with dark gray wings, two white wing bars, and a gray under tail. Females and immature males are mostly gray with yellow to orange coloration on the head, back, rump, and sometimes the chest. It’s worth noting that Pine Grosbeaks vary slightly in color based on region.
Range
Pine Grosbeaks live year round in the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. In North America, this species breeds in the forests of Canada along with some parts of the continental United States and Alaska. In winter, Pine Grosbeaks move south into states in the Midwest and Northeast.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Pine Grosbeaks primarily feed on fruits and seeds, but will also eat insects and other invertebrates when available.
Where to Find This Bird
To find Pine Grosbeaks, one must go to where their food source is. They show up at bird feeders as well as places with fruit trees. In winter, remaining crabapples and other ornamental trees are big draws for this species. Some places that often plant these types of trees are cemeteries and school campuses.
Pine Siskin
Pine Siskin
Identification
Pine Siskins are an overall brownish tan color with cream colored wing bars and a lighter colored underside. They have heavy streaking on the sides and a lighter colored eye brow stripe. Pine Siskins ihave bright yellow edging on their wing and tail feathers.
Range
Pine Siskins have an extremely expansive range across the US and Canada. They live year round in Southern Canada, the Northern United States, and parts of the Western United States and Mexico. In summer, the breeding range of Pine Siskins extends up into Canada and Southwestern Alaska. In winter, Pine Siskins southern movements vary wildly from year to year with the species sometimes making it well into Mexico and the Southeastern US.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Pine Siskins eat a wide variety of food items including insects, buds, and seeds. The majority of their diet during the colder months is seeds ranging from seeds of deciduous trees to those of conifers. As their name would suggest, they are particularly fond of the seeds of pine trees. Pine Siskins are often found feeding in flocks flying from tree to tree and making their distinctive, buzzy call.
Where to Find This Bird
Pine Siskins live in a variety of habitats including deciduous and coniferous woods, parks, and backyards. If it’s the right time of year for them, exploring pine and other conifer forests will often times lead to an encounter. Another great place to find these lively birds is at home bird feeders where they will eat alongside other finch species such as American Goldfinches and House Finches.
Finding Pine Siskins during an irruption year
Purple Finch
Purple Finch
Identification
Male Purple Finches are stunning birds with a rosy pink wine-stained color on their back, head, and chest. They have dark brown wings and a brown colored tail. Male Purple Finches also have lighter and darker variations of pink on their face giving them the look of having an eye stripe. Females completely lack the rosy pink color of the males and have brown wings with cream colored undersides and a noticeable cream colored eye brow stripe. They also have streaking on their chest and sides.
Sometime Purple Finches can be hard to tell apart from House Finches. To find out how to differentiate between the two, click here to read our article about it or check out the video below.
Learn the differences between the House Finch and the Purple Finch
Range
Purple Finches live year round in the Northeastern states, Northern Great Lakes states, and West Coast states of the US as well as Southeastern Canada. Their summer range expands farther north into Canada and they move south in the winter (mostly in the Eastern United States).
Diet and Foraging Habits
Purple Finches eat many different types of seeds and berries. They will also eat soft buds from plants and feed on nectar from flowers.
Where to Find This Bird
Purple Finches can be found in forested areas with conifer forests seeming to be the preferred habitat. In winter, look for these birds near feeding stations where the males will stand out.
Badgerland Birding searches for Purple Finches
Red Crossbill
Male Red Crossbill – Photo by U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region
Identification
Male Red Crossbills are orangish red with brownish black wings and a brownish black tail. They have a marking that goes over their eye and is not terribly noticable unless seen at close range. Females are yellowish in color with brownish gray wings. Red Crossbills get their name for their interesting bill structure. The mandibles are crossed, making it easy for this species to open up pine cones to extract seeds.
Range
The range of Red Crossbills is complicated. They are extremely nomadic and will simply travel to where the food is. In general, this species is a year round resident of Western and Southern Canada, the Western and Northern forests of the United States, and parts of Mexico. During winter, they move into the the rest of the United States in search of fruitful cone crops. In any given year they may stay relatively far north or make it as far south as Texas and Mexico.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Red Crossbills are specialized to feed on conifer cones and do so by placing their crossed mandibles in-between the scales of the cones. They then open up the cone and eat the seed out of it. These birds typically feed in flocks and will descend on a tree together, feasting in what looks and sounds like a frenzy.
Where to Find This Bird
Red Crossbills can certainly be a tough species to get a read on. The best time to find them is to during an irruption year when many of them flood into the continental US. During these times, keep an eye out for conifer trees with healthy cone crops. Another good way to find this species is by listening for their “jip jip” flight call.
It’s worth noting that Red Crossbills have several different “types.” Each of these types has a slightly different call and habitat preference. It’s possible that at some point these birds could be split into multiple species
White-winged Crossbill
Male White-winged Crossbill
Identification
Male White-winged Crossbills are bright red with black wings, white wing bars, a black tail, a light colored under tail, and dark markings on their cheeks. Females are yellowish with darker wings, streaking on the underside, and dark cheek marks. Both males and females have the same crossed mandibles, differentiating them from most other finch species.
Range
White-winged Crossbills are year round residents of Canada, parts of Alaska, and parts of the Western and Midwestern United States. In winter, they move south into the continental United States. How far south they go depends on how much food is available in their typical range.
Diet and Foraging Habits
White-winged Crossbills feed on the seeds of conifer trees, particularly those of tamaracks and spruces. They will also eat spiders, insects, and buds. White-winged Crossbills usually feed in flocks, arriving at conifer trees and quickly getting to work pulling out seeds with their specialized mandibles.
Where to Find This Bird
White-winged Crossbills can be found in stands of conifers with good cone crops. They will move around frequently, often chattering as they fly in a group. For people in the continental United States, fall and winter are the best times to see White-winged Crossbills.
Summary
Finches are energetic and exciting birds to be able to find or have around your yard. Knowing more about the species that are expected in your area can be instrumental in finding and identifying them, especially since they have such irregular migratory patterns. Hopefully, this article has helped to answer some questions about the finches of Wisconsin.
Bluebirds are affable members of the thrush family named for their coloration. There are three species of bluebirds native to North America, each with a different coloration, range, and habitat preferences.
Eastern Bluebird
Male Eastern Bluebird
Identification
Male Eastern Bluebirds have a sky blue back, wings, tail, and head. They have a reddish orange chest and underside as well as a very faint eye ring. Females have a grayish colored head with blue wings and a darker orange underside with a more noticeable eye ring. Both males and females have white on their underside near their legs.
Range
Eastern Bluebirds live year-round in parts of Mexico, Central America, and the Southeastern United States. In summer, many of them move north into the Northeastern United States and Southeastern Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
The diet of Eastern Bluebird varies depending on the time of the year. When insects are available, they make up an extremely large part of their diet. Other times of the year this species eats an array of fruits.
Where to Find This Bird
Eastern Bluebirds can be found around open spaces near edge habitat. Prairies, fields, and pastures are all places where this species can be found regularly in addition to more forested areas as well as around ponds.
Badgerland Birding searches for Eastern Bluebirds
Mountain Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
Identification
Male Mountain Bluebirds are bright blue with a white under-tail, and lighter coloration on their lower underside. Females are blueish gray with brighter blue on their tail and wings. Both males and females have a light eye ring.
Range
Mountain Bluebirds are a species of Western North America with a wintering range that dips into Mexico, and a summertime range that reaches into the heart of Alaska. They can be found year round in states such as California, Utah, and Nevada, among others.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Mountain Bluebirds are mostly insectivorous and eat a variety of small invertebrates including grasshoppers, caterpillars, and spiders. They will also eat berries and other fruits including those of sumac and mistletoe.
Where to Find This Bird
Mountain Bluebirds can be found in open spaces such as the edges of prairies and fields. They can also be found in higher elevation places such as mountainsides and coniferous woodlands.
Badgerland Birding searches for a female Mountain Bluebird outside of its normal range
Western Bluebird
Western Bluebird – Photo by Alan Schmierer
Identification
Male Western Bluebirds have a deep blue color on their head, wings, and tail. They have burnt orange on their chest, sides, and back just behind the neck. Females are blueish gray with brighter blue on the wings and tail. They have lighter orange on the chest and sides. Both males and females have an eye ring but females have an eye ring that is more noticeable.
Range
Western Bluebirds have two operate ranges in North America. One population spans from Mexico to the very southern portion of Colorado. Another population resides in Baja California all the way up to Southwestern Canada. Some birds in both populations stay in the same area year round while others move north for the breeding months.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Much of the Western Bluebird’s diet consist of insects and spiders. However, they will also eat certain types of fruits including blackberries, raspberries, chokecherries, and more.
Where to Find This Bird
Western Bluebirds live in conifer and mixed conifer woodlands including pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine habitats. They are most comfortable in woodlands that are more open and have no qualms about living in ares that have been cleared or burned. This species can also be found along forest edges.
Summary
Bluebirds are typically birds that people are happy to see and happy to have in their yards. Knowing more about the species that are expected in your area can be instrumental in finding and identifying them. Hopefully, this article has helped to answer some questions about the bluebirds of North America.
Egrets are elegant looking wading birds. There are a few different species of Egrets that live in the United States and 3 species that can be found in Wisconsin
Cattle Egret (Uncommon)
Cattle Egret
Identification
Cattle egrets are medium sized white birds with a yellow bill, yellow legs and feet, and yellowish green coloration behind their eye. Breeding adults have peach coloration on their head, wings, and underside while nonbreeding adults are pure white.
Range
Cattle Egrets are actually native to Africa but at some point made their way over to South America and then eventually spread north into Central America, Mexico, and the United States. In the US, they can be found year round in the Gulf Coast and some of the Southwestern states. In spring, they migrate north and breed in the Southeastern United States as well as seemingly random other parts of the country. Some of these more strange breeding locations are parts of the Dakotas, Idaho, Oregon, Colorado, Wisconsin, and even parts of Southern Canada.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Cattle Egrets have a widely varied diet which includes small mammals, amphibians, lizards, and even other birds. The majority of their diet however, is comprised of insects. Cattle Egrets have a habit of spending time near heards of cattle that kick up insects such as crickets and grasshoppers as they graze. The Egrets will also forage near heavy machinery in farm fields for the same reason. This species will feed alone or in large groups.
Where to Find This Bird
Cattle Egrets can be found in open fields, typically near grazing cattle. They can also be found on the edges of marshes and swamps. Sometimes, extremely large numbers of Cattle Egrets gather together to forage or roost.
In Wisconsin, Cattle Egrets are somewhat rare but can be found in some select places on an annual basis. Farms around Lake Winnebago are good places to find Cattle Egrets where they will most likely be in the fields. They also sometimes show up around Horicon Marsh but not every year.
Great Egret
Great Egret
Identification
Great egrets are large heron-shaped birds with a long neck. They are pure white with black legs. a yellow bill, and green coloration from the bill to the eye. They can also have more of a yellowish color behind their eye. Out of all of the egret species that live in the state, the aptly named Great Egret is the largest.
Range
Great Egrets live in South and Central America year round. They are also year long residents of the coasts of Mexico, both the Gulf Coast and the East Coast of the United States, and parts of California. In spring, they migrate north and breed in parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri along with other states in the region in addition to parts of Oregon.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Great Egrets are wading birds which means they will walk in shallow water and search for food. Their preferred food sources are small fish, frogs, small mammals, aquatic invertebrates, and essentially any living creature that they can get down their throat.
Where to Find This Bird
Great Egrets can be found in places with slow moving or even standing water. They can be readily spotted standing on the edges of ponds, in shallow marshes, and in coastal estuaries. They are also common in man-made canals and in lakes.
Snowy Egret (Rare)
Snowy Egret
Identification
Snowy Egrets are relatively small wading birds that are clean white with a black bill and black legs. They have yellow behind the bill and also have distinctive and noticeable yellow feet. They are significantly smaller than Great Egrets, so if the two are in the same vicinity, they are easy to tell apart based on size.
Range
Snowy Egrets are year round residents of South America, the Carribean Islands, Cuba, the coasts of Mexico, the Southwestern United States, The Gulf Coast, and the Southeastern Coast of the United States. Some of the population migrates north into the United States, most notably farther up the Atlantic Coast, and the Southwestern states. During migration, Snowy Egrets can be found in a wide variety of places in the United States including the Midwest.
Diet and Foraging Habits
Snowy Egrets feed primarily on aquatic creatures such as fish, frogs, and crustaceans among others. They will feed in both marine and freshwater environments, and typically catch prey by wading into the water and stirring up small creatures with their feet.
Where to Find This Bird
The best places to find Snowy Egrets are along ocean coastlines with shallow water. These birds can typically be seen wading into the water and searching for food. They can also be found inland in marshes and other places with shallow water and mudflats.
In Wisconsin, Snowy Egrets are rare but annual visitors. They sometimes show up at Horicon Marsh, but can also sometimes be found along rivers and the coasts of the Great Lakes.
Summary
Egrets are quite beautiful birds that can be fun to observe as they go about their daily lives. Knowing the species that are expected in your state can be instrumental in identifying which one you’re looking at. Hopefully, this article has helped to answer some questions about the egrets of Wisconsin.
Birding is a past time that can take you to some of the most amazing and beautiful places on planet earth. Between state parks, national wildlife refuges, and pristine wilderness, there is no end to the breathtaking habitats that birds call home. However, birds don’t always turn up in the most secluded places, and instead flock to where they can find food and shelter. For this reason, the quest for birds can take those who seek them out to some extremely strange places. Here are the top 5 weird places birders go to find birds.
5. Roadsides
Horned Lark along the side of a country road
Every birder has had the experience of spotting a bird from their car. Birds frequently hang out along the sides of roads taking advantage of edge habitat and high perches making it easy to spot prey. In many instances, the actual side of the road is a great place for birds to find insects and seeds. In winter, plows clear snow and churn up the substrate, allowing birds that forage along the ground access to an easy meal. Sparrows, finches, grouse, longspurs, Horned Larks and more can all be found along roadsides as they forage. Not only are road sides great places for birds, but the option to go birding by car makes it easy to cover a lot of ground and see a lot of different habitats, even though it’s not a place many non birders would expect to find birds.
4. Sod Farms
Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Photo by Bill Grossmeyer)
Farms in general are a great place to find birds. With an abundance of food, flooded fields, and a lot of open space, it’s no wonder birds frequent these areas. Of the different types of farms, the most specific and strange place to find birds is the sod farm. During fall, these farms play host to shorebirds migrating down from the north including black-bellied plovers, American golden plovers, and buff breasted sandpipers. In addition to these species, other birds that frequent agricultural fields and open spaces can also be found roaming the turf, making it a fun and ecclectic place to go birding..
3. Cemeteries
White-winged Crossbills
At first glance a cemetery may not seem like a place that birds would frequent, but it’s not about the cemetery itself, rather what’s planted there. Many cemeteries have decorative fruit trees or small groves of pines. The fruit trees can draw in birds like robins and waxwings, as well as winter migrants like Pine Grosbeaks looking for a meal. Pines can bring in species like Red-breasted Nuthatches, crossbills and other cone feeders. Although it may sound a bit odd to spend your free time lurking around a cemetery, if the right trees are planted there, they can be havens for some fascinating birds.
2. Stranger’s Houses
Rufous Hummingbird visiting a bird feeder
Most people that have been birding for a while have been involved in a home feeder stake out situation. The event usually plays out like this: A homeowner reports a rarity visiting their feeder, word gets out that the homeowner is allowing visitors, and birders from all over the region come to see the rare bird. Many times, homeowners are extremely welcoming and enjoy meeting the birders that come to visit. Even so, when you think about sitting in your car and spying on a strangers bird feeder, the idea is pretty weird.
1. Landfills
Gulls gathering just outside of a landfill
Out of all the strange places to find birds, there is none more out of left field than the dump. As it turns out, a lot of opportunistic bird species find the food scraps in the garbage to be a convenient food source. These species include crows, ravens, eagles, and most of all gulls. In fact, landfills are one of the best places to find large groups of gulls including some that are considered regionally rare. While it’s certainly not an appealing or beautiful place to bird, the dump can serve as an important spot to find a variety of species.
Did you agree with our list? Is there another strange place to bird that we left off? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to check out the Badgerland Birding YouTube channel.
