Tag Archives: Birds of Wisconsin

Swallows of Wisconsin (6 Species to know)

Swallows are fast moving aerial insectivores that move quickly and catch prey on the fly. They have long wings and are characterized by their acrobatic movements. There are many different swallow species that live across the United States. Contained in this article is information on how to identify each one that can typically be found in Wisconsin, along with additional information on their lifestyle and habits.

Bank Swallow

Bank Swallow (Charles Gates – Photo)
Identification

Bank Swallows have a grayish brown back, head, and wings. They have a white underside and throat separated by a grayish brown chest band and stripe going from this band to the underside. 

Range

Bank Swallows winter in South America and Western Mexico. They migrate north in spring spreading across the United States and breeding in the Central and Northern United States and the majority of Canada and Alaska with the exception of the most Northern parts.

Diet and Feeding Behavior

Bank Swallows feed on flying insects and will occasionally scoop insects from the surface of the water. This species will forage solo or in groups. 

Where to Find This Bird

Bank Swallows typically live in areas near water such as riverbanks, and coastlines. The easiest way to find this species is to locate a nesting colony that will sometimes consist of thousands of birds. They will build nests in natural places such as bluffs and cliffsides as well as manmade structures such as quarries.

In Wisconsin, the bluffs along the Lake Michigan Coastline in Ozaukee and Milwaukee county are a great place to find this species.

Barn Swallow

Barn Swallow (Alan Schmierer Photo)
Identification

Barn Swallows have a navy blue back and head with grayish blue tail and wings. They have Reddish orange faces, lighter orange undersides, and light orange undertails. They have longer feathers on the outside of their tails giving them a forked appearance.

Range

Barn Swallows winter in South America and Central America, then fly North into Mexico, the United and Southern Canada. Bran Swallows do make it as far North as Southern Alaska and generally extend more North in the Western portion of Canada than the Eastern.

Diet and Foraging Habits

Barn Swallows eat insects that they typically catch in flight. They also land on the ground and ingest small pebbles and other things that have vitamins and minerals in them such as calcium.

Where to Find This Bird

Barn Swallows are extremely widespread and can be found across pretty much the entire United States in summer, They are common over meadows and other open spaces in addition to places near water. Barn Swallows will often use structures such as barns and bridges to build there nests on. These types of structures are also good places to look for this species.

Cliff Swallow

Cliff Swallow (Alan Schmierer Photo)
Identification

Cliff Swallows have dark blue backs and heads with dark gray wings, and a dark gray tail. They have a reddish orange face, a light orange colored rump, a light underside, and a distinctive white marking just above the bill. These swallows have squared off tails which can be useful in differentiating them from the similarly colored Barn Swallow.

Range

Cliff Swallows spend the winter in South America. In spring, they travel north to Mexico, the United States, and Canada where they breed. In the United States, Cliff Swallows summer in most states with the exception of some states in the Southeast.

Diet and Foraging Habits

Cliff Swallows eat insects that they catch out of the air. Some types of insects they will consume are flying ants, bees, wasps, flies, and crickets, but they will eat many other types of flying invertebrates as well.

Where to Find This Bird

Cliff Swallows can be seen soaring and foraging over open areas in addition to places like canyons, rivers, and lakes. These swallows are usually found together but can sometimes be found in extremely large numbers.

Cliff Swallows can be easy to see during their breeding months provided you are aware of a nesting site. Some areas to keep an eye on are bridges, tall buildings, and cliff sides

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Identification

Northern Rough-winged Swallows have a brown, back, wings, head, and tail, They have a lighter colored underside with a brownish gray wash over the chest. They have a short squared off tail.

Range

Northern Rough-winged Swallows winter in Central America, parts of Mexico, and the Southern part of Florida. In summer they move into every state in the continental US and parts of Southern Canada.

Diet and Foraging Habits

Northern Rough-winged Swallows feed on flying insects and have been known to take insects out of the air or off of the waters surface. They tend to fly lower over the water than other swallow species.

Where to Find This Bird

Northern Rough-winged Swallows can be found in areas with water such as lakes, rivers, and streams. They often forage in groups and are quite noticeable as they fly over the water. They are common and widespread in the spring and summer throughout most of the United States.

Purple Martin

Purple Martin (Male, left – Female, right)
Identification

Purple Martins are large members of the swallow family. Adult males are a shiny bluish purple color with darker colored wings and tails. Female and immature birds have patches of the same bluish purple color on their head and backs, but their underside and parts of their neck and forehead are a light gray to tan color.

Range

Purple Martins winter in Central and Northern South America and make their way north in spring. They spend the spring and summer in the Eastern United States as well as some select parts of the Western United States including the Pacific Coast.

Diet and Foraging Habits

Purple Martins eat insects that they catch in mid air. This species will also eat pebbles to help grind up and digest food.

Where to Find This Bird

The easiest way to find Purple Martins is to go to places where Purple Martin houses have been put up. These nesting sites usually look something like an apartment complex. If Purple Martins have taken up residence in these nest boxes they can be seen flying around or perching just outside the openings.

Tree Swallow

Tree Swallow

Tree Swallows have a shiny blue colored back and head, with a white throat and underside. They have squared off tails and a slight black mask over their eyes. Juvenile Tree Swallows are grayish colored before their adult blue color comes in. Immature females will be mostly gray with a white underside and some hints of blueish color starting to come in on the wings.

Range

Tree Swallows winter in Central America, Mexico, and the Gulf Coast of the United States in addition to some of the most Southwestern portions of the US. In spring, they move north into th Northern half of the United States and Canada all the way up to and including Alaska. There are some parts of the Southern United States in which Tree Swallows don’t breed but do pass through.

Diet and Foraging Habits

Tree Swallows eat mostly insects but will occasionally eat other small invertebrate prey items as well in addition to plant matter on occasion. This species ingests egg shells, small bones, and other high calcium food items to get the necessary vitamins and minerals.

Where to Find This Bird

Tree Swallows are extremely common and widespread in their breeding ranges. They can be seen in meadows and edge habitat as well as near marshes and other bodies of water. In places where tree swallows are nesting, they will sometimes dive-bomb people who get too close.

Summary

Swallows are fun birds to have around as their aerial acrobatics make them quite entertaining to watch. Knowing which species 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 swallows of Wisconsin.

If you enjoyed this post, please give it a like and a comment. Also be sure to check out the Badgerland Birding Youtube Channel.

Top 5 birds to find in Wisconsin

Each state in the US has its own unique set of habitats and animals that live within their borders. Among these animals are many bird species that only live in particular regions of the country and can sometimes not be easily found anywhere else in the world. One state that harbors a surprising array of bird species is Wisconsin. With a great lake to the east, boreal forest to the north, and migratory flyways overhead, Wisconsin is home to some rare species that can only be seen in a handful of places around the country. While there are plenty of birds to see in Wisconsin, there are 5 that stand out as signature species of the state that are extremely hard to find in most other regions of the United States. Here are the top five birds to find in the Wisconsin

5. Greater Prairie Chicken

Greater-prairie Chicken
Greater-prairie Chicken

At number five on our list is a species that can usually only be found on the Great Plains, the Greater Prairie Chicken. These stout, plump looking birds reside in grasslands and prairies where they feed on seeds, grains, fruits, and insects. Greater prairie chickens are listed as vulnerable after experiencing a massive decline in their population between 1966 and 2015. The reason this species is at number five on a list of birds to find in Wisconsin is that the dairy state is one of the only place to find greater prairie chickens east of the Mississippi river as a breeding population lives in the middle of the state. The most reliable place to see them is at the Buena Vista Grasslands where a management area is set aside for these birds. The easiest time to locate Greater Prairie Chickens is in winter when they can be found roosting in trees in the early morning or foraging in fields as they stand out better against the snow. The other time of year they can be found is during spring when they lek and males put on displays for females. The University of Wisconsin Stevens point allows people to rent blinds during this time to get a close up view of the Prairie Chickens lekking.

4. Snowy Owl

Badgerland Birding searches for Snowy Owls along Lake Michigan

Coming in at number four is a majestic bird species extremely recognizable to the general public, the Snowy Owl. Although they are thought of as a bird exclusive to the high arctic, some of them migrate south into the northern United States in winter, allowing people in many of the states bordering Canada a chance to see them on an annual basis. Some years, few snowy owls can be found in the US while other years many of them end up crossing the Canada border and occasionally even turn up as far south as the Carolinas. Even though there are a handful of states to find Snowy Owls in, they typically show up in relatively good numbers in Wisconsin and in places accessible to birders. Some spots to look for them are the rocks along the Lake Michigan coastline and in open farm fields, both of which can be found in copious amounts in Wisconsin.

3. Connecticut Warbler

Badgerland Birding searches for an elusive Connecticut Warbler

The first warbler on the list is a species that breeds in the most northern recesses of the state, the Connecticut Warbler. Connecticut Warblers are skulky, ground foraging, migratory birds with a yellow underside, a gray head, and a white eye ring. These secretive birds are notoriously difficult to find and are normally only seen or heard during migration. Speaking of migration, the Connecticut Warbler’s path from its wintering areas in South America through Florida, and then spreading out over the Great Lakes states and into Canada. The Connecticut warbler finds itself at number 3 on our list for a variety of reasons. First, the species as a whole has declined significantly since 1966 making it harder to find in general. Additionally, the range of this uncommon species is rather small compared to that of most warblers. Lastly, the majority of Connecticut warblers breed in Canada with the only states in the US harboring Connecticut Warblers during the breeding season being Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.

2. Kirtland’s Warbler

Kirtland’s Warbler

Landing at number 2 in our countdown is the once federally endangered Kirtland’s Warbler. Identified by their gray backs with black streaks, yellow throat and underside, and white eye crescents, this species (which some consider to be the holy grail of Eastern United States warblers) is still a very rare sight in most parts of the country. While they are off the endangered list, there are still only about 4,800 individuals in the global breeding population. One of the reason’s the Kirtland’s Warbler is so rare, is because they are so picky about the habitat they breed in. This species only nests in Jack Pines generally between 5 and 15 feet tall. Any shorter or taller and they find the habitat to be unsuitable. Kirtland’s Warblers do migrate, spending most of the winter in the Bahamas, and can be seen occasionally along their migratory route, but the best place to see them is in their summer breeding grounds. The selectiveness of the Kirtland’s Warbler means there are only a few areas where they can be reliably found including some parts of Southern Canada, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

1. Whooping Crane

Check this video out to learn more about Whooping Cranes

The top bird in our contdown is one that’s hard to miss if it’s around: the whooping crane. This massive bird has a wing span of 229 cm and is certainly one of the largest bird species in North America. They can be identified by their all white coloration with black wing tips and red on their head and face. What makes the Whooping Crane such a coveted bird to find is the fact that there are so few of them in the wild. Back in 1941, there were only an estimated 21 Whooping cranes in existence. Fast forward to now and there are around 600 of them between the wild populations and those kept in captivity. While there are certainly more of them around today, and the species has been trending in a slightly better direction, they are still not all that easy to locate. In fact, there are 4 populations of Whooping Cranes in the United States. One that lives in Texas and migrates to Canada, one that lives in Louisiana year round, one that lives in Florida year round, and one that migrates from Florida to Wisconsin. Considering the conservation status of the Whooping Crane and their overall rarity in the world, makes them an extremely sought after bird to find not only in the state, but throughout the continent. This fact elevates the Whooping Crane to the top of the list of the five best birds to find in Wisconsin

Did you enjoy this post? Let us know in the comments below. If you’re interested in a guided tour of some of the best places to bird in Wisconsin, click here. And as always, thanks for reading, we’ll see you next time, on Badgerland Birding.

Grouse of Wisconsin (4 Species to Know)

Grouse are a particular group of game birds that are medium to large in size and are chicken-like in appearance. In North America, Grouse have traditionally been hunted as a source of food, but to birders, they are desirable to find because of their unique qualities and beauty. While some grouse species are numerous, they can still prove to be elusive and it’s always an adventure to try and find them. The most exciting time of the year to see Grouse is in the spring, when males form in a group to perform competitive displays and courtship rituals in an attempt to find a female. This annual occurrence is called a “lek.” In Wisconsin, you can purchase a spot to view this ritual with Greater Prairie Chickens in the spring. Click here to learn more.

In the Badger State, there are four native species of grouse that can be found in the wild. Some of these species are fairly rare and even coveted by birders. Below is the list of all four species, with photos and information about their habits, how to identify them, and where to find them.

Ruffed Grouse

Ruffed Grouse (Pat Matthews Photo)
Identification

Ruffed Grouse male and females look similar in coloration with some slight differences. Overall, both males and females have a light colored chest and underside, with dark and light brown barring and speckling. Their backs and wings are shades of brown with some white and darker markings mixed in. Ruffed Grouse have a crest on their head and during the breeding season, males will show black neck feathers as a display in addition to fanning their tails in a similar manor to a peacock.

Range

Ruffed Grouse can be found in the northern forests of North America. Their range encompasses most of Southern and Western Canada up into Alaska. In the United States, Ruffed Grouse live in the Midwest around the Great Lakes, in the Northeast, and some of the states in the Northwest such as Montana and Idaho, among others.

Diet and Foraging Behavior

Ruffed Grouse eat mostly plant matter with just a small amount of their diet consisting of insects. Typical fare for the Ruffed Grouse is leaves, buds, ferns, grass, acorns, fruits, and twigs of birch and aspen trees.

Where to Find this Bird

Ruffed Grouse can be very difficult to see as they live in dense woodlands and move very deliberately. Some of the best times to see them is during winter when they stand out more than in months when there isn’t snow. Another way to see Ruffed Grouse is by driving forest roads where they can sometimes be seen on the edge of the tree line of walking on the road, or by visiting a lek in the spring.

In Wisconsin, the north woods of the Nicolet National Forest can be a great place to find Ruffed Grouse. They can be found in many of the wooded counties in the northern part of the state.

Spruce Grouse

Male Spruce Grouse
Female Spruce Grouse (Maurine Whalen Photo)
Spruce Grouse Chick (Jacob W. Frank Photo)
Identification

Male Spruce Grouse have a gray head, brown sides and wings, a black throat, white speckling and striping on their underside as well as white markings on their face. They also have a noticeable bit of bright red above their eye. Females are a mottled gray, brown, and tan with barring on their underside.

Range

Spruce Grouse do not migrate and inhabit most of Canada and Alaska year round. They also live in some parts of the United States including northern Michigan, Minnesota, Maine, Wisconsin, New York, Washington, Montana, Oregon, Idaho, and some of the states in the northeast.

Diet and Foraging Behavior

Spruce Grouse have a somewhat unique diet eating mostly conifer needles. They typically prefer the younger needles and will forage high up in trees as well as on the ground. Spruce Grouse also eat other plants as well as insects and even fungi.

Where to Find this Bird

Spruce Grouse can be most easily seen when they venture out onto road sides. They are typically extremely tame around people but can be hard to spot if they are concealed in the understory due to their impressive camouflage.

In Wisconsin, Forest County and other areas in the Northwoods are the go to areas in order to find this species. They can be very hit or miss, but driving the scenic roads of Wisconsin’s boreal forests in the best way to encounter a Spruce Grouse.

Greater Prairie Chicken

Male Greater Prairie Chicken (Alan Schmierer Photo)
Female Greater Prairie Chicken (Dave Menke Photo, CC by 2.0)
Identification

Greater Prairie Chickens (also known as Pinnated Grouse) can be identified by their tan and brown barred bodies, small heads, short tails, and light colored throats. Males have golden yellow above their eyes and when mating, puff out yellow-orange throat sacks on their neck. Females look very similar to the males but with less noticeable gold coloration on their face and minimal orange coloration.

Range

The Greater Prairie Chicken once had a range that encompassed most of the Plains states as well as the Great Lakes states. While they do still reside in these areas, their range has condensed to specific areas. Greater Prairie Chickens can still be found in large portions of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and to a lesser extent in states like Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Diet and Foraging Behavior

Greater Prairie Chickens feed on seeds, grains, fruits, and insects. They can be seen foraging in small to large groups in open fields where they can sometimes be very difficult to pick out.

Where to Find this Bird

The easiest time of the year to find Greater Prairie Chickens is in winter when they can be seen foraging in fields where they stand out more clearly against the snow. They can also be seen in early morning, roosting in trees. The other time of year they can be found is during spring when they lek, and males put on displays for females.

In Wisconsin, Portage County is the place to go for Greater Prairie Chicken sightings. To be more specific, the Buena Vista Grasslands have the greatest number of these birds in the state.

Sharp-tailed Grouse

Male Sharp-tailed Grouse (Alan Schmierer Photo)
Female Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tom Koerner Photo)
A Group of Sharp-tailed Grouse Roosting in a Tree (Dan Svingen Photo)
Identification

Sharp-tailed Grouse have lighter undersides with brown and tan speckling. They have more brown and tan coloration on their wings, back, and head, with white mixed in making up an intricate pattern. Males have yellow-orange above their eye and show purple throat sacks while performing their mating display. Females have a similar look to the male but with less color near the face. Sharp-tailed Grouse get their name from their pointy looking tail which is very triangular looking due to the center tail feathers being the longest. They will often times hold these unique tails up in the air making them even more noticeable.

Range

Sharp-tailed Grouse can be found in different parts of Northwestern North America. They are nonmigratory and live year round in much of Alaska, Central and Southern Canada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Nebraska, and Minnesota. Sharp-tailed Grouse also live in some of the Great Lakes States as well as other Great Plains states in smaller numbers.

Diet and Foraging Behavior

Sharp-tailed Grouse eat a wide variety of food items, most of which are plants. This species partakes in grains, seeds, grasses, buds and fruits. When available, Sharp-tailed Grouse will also eat insects. Foraging is typically done on the ground but these birds will also feed in trees. While feeding, Sharp-tailed Grouse are reminiscent of chickens as they walk around and peck.

Where to Find this Bird

Sharp-tailed Grouse live in a variety of habitats from Boreal woods to pine barrens. The easiest way to find this species is to search out an area where they lek during the spring, where they are quite noticeable and boisterous.

In Wisconsin, the Northwestern part of the state is the best place to find Sharp-tailed Grouse. However, they are deemed a sensitive species and therefore eBird data is hidden, making them difficult to find without knowing someone who has an idea of where they are lekking in spring.

Summary

Grouse can be quite difficult to find, but they are certainly fascinating to see in the wild. Wisconsin has a nice variety of grouse species to find, and we hope that this article helped shed some light on how to find and ID them.

If you enjoyed this post please give it a like and a comment. Also be sure to check out the Badgerland Birding Youtube Channel.

Rare Warblers To Watch For This Spring

Just about every birder in the Midwest loves the arrival of spring migrants. During these months, no bird is more highly anticipated than warblers. These colorful and fast moving birds captivate the birding community for at least a month each year as everyone tries to gorge themselves on viewing as many of them as they can for the fleeting time they are here. While most species of warblers are easy to find during migration, there are some that are extremely rare. Some of these species are reported annually while others are only seen once or twice in a ten year span. Either way, finding one of these warblers can make even the most routine day birding into an instantly memorable day.

Black-Throated Gray Warbler

Extremely Rare

Black-throated Gray Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler

The Black-throated Gray warbler is aptly named for its black throat and dusky gray back is an extreme rarity in the Midwest with few individuals straying east of Colorado. At first glance, this species could be mistaken for a Black and White Warbler or a Blackpoll Warbler. Upon closer inspection, the Black-throated Gray Warbler has a distinctive yellow marking on the face near the bill. This species has been seen twice in Wisconsin since 2010 with all sightings occurring in May in either Dane or Ozaukee County. Black-throated Gray Warblers have also been seen in Minneapolis and north of Chicago. The most likely way to find one is to get out during May migration and check each black and white colored warbler very carefully.

Townsend’s Warbler

Extremely Rare

Townsend's Warbler
Townsend’s Warbler

The Townsend’s Warbler is another bird of Western North America that rarely strays out of its normal range. Their back is greenish yellow, their wings are black with two white wing bars, and their chest is yellow with black streaks. They have a dark cap, black throat, and distinctive yellow crescent shaped marking on the side of the face. Upon first glance they look similar to the much more common Black-throated Green Warbler, but with a closer look the differences are noticeable. Since 2010 there have been three instances of Townsend’s Warblers in Wisconsin. One bird seen at Pheasant Branch in Madison in May of 2014, one bird visiting a feeder in Kewaunee in December of 2016, and one interesting report of a bird landing on a boat 10 miles off-shore near Manitowoc in September of 2010. There seems to be very little pattern to the appearance of Townsend’s Warblers in our state but they do visit bird feeders so it’s possible that one could show up at a birders residence.

Prairie Warbler

Rare but Annual

Prairie Warbler
Prairie Warbler

The normal range of Prairie Warblers spans from the eastern Central America in winter all the way up to the Atlantic coast of Maine. Their visits to Wisconsin are few and far between with roughly one or two sightings each year. Males have a bright yellow underside with bold black streaking on the flanks and gray wings with a chestnut brown patch on the upper part of the back. They have a black semicircle under the eye. Females look similar but with more muted colors and a more grayish head. Prairie Warblers are not uncommon in lower Midwestern states but in Wisconsin the best place to find them is in the southeastern counties along Lake Michigan. There was one reliable Prairie Warbler present for five years straight during May Wisconsin’s South Kettle Moraine State Forest, but that bird has since moved on.

Kirtland’s Warbler

Annual and Breeding

Kirtland’s Warblers have a dark gray back with black streaks. Their throat and underside is bright yellow and they have distinct white markings directly above and below the eye. Males have a dark marking between their eye and bill while females are more drab with darker speckling on their underside. While not the most extravagant species, they are one of the rarest warbler species in North America due to their incredibly stringent habitat requirements for nesting. They require Jack Pines around 5-6 feet tall and leave the area once the pines exceed 10-15 feet. These birds winter in the Caribbean and migrate primarily to Michigan in the spring with a population also breeding in Wisconsin. Since this species is sensitive, there is little information on ebird about where to find them in Wisconsin but they do show up from time to time along their migratory path as well as in their top secret breeding grounds.

Worm-Eating Warbler

Annual and Breeding

Worm-eating Warbler
Worm-eating Warbler

The range of the Worm-eating Warbler is similar to that of the Prairie Warbler from Central America up the east coast and breeding east of Texas. This species is easily distinguished from other warbler species by its large pinkish bill and black head stripes on an otherwise buffy bird. Worm-eating Warblers live in areas with steep slopes and dense understory. They can be found in various places resembling this habitat in Wisconsin including Milwaukee, Madison, along the Mississippi River, and Devil’s Lake State Park. When trying to find this species listen for their high pitched buzzing call which sounds similar to that of a Chipping Sparrow.

Honorable Mentions

Other than the five species mentioned above, there are a few other warbler species that can be hard to find but are all expected to be reported several times a year or that breed in known locations in Wisconsin. Here is a brief listing of these species:

Connecticut Warbler

Yellow-throated Warbler

Kentucky Warbler

Cerulean Warbler

These species are always nice to find. Especially if they are found away from their expected locations.

Final Thoughts

May is truly an exciting month for birders as millions of birds are on the move. With a bevy of different habitats in Wisconsin and rare species showing being reported across the state, who knows what bird might show up next. Hopefully, some of those reading this will have success finding one of these rare species in Wisconsin to make the month of May that more special.