News - Wisconsin Society for Ornithology

Promoting the enjoyment, study, and conservation of Wisconsin's birds.

Field Trip Report - Dane and Columbia County Ponds 2026

This field trip was delayed by a week, due to the mid-March snowstorm, but unfortunately the delay didn’t bring milder weather… the temperature was only 18 degrees as we arrived at Goose Pond on the morning of March 28! Luckily, however, the skies were clear and sunny, and the winds were light. The cold temperatures meant that the ponds were mostly covered with a skim of ice, but that... Read More

News Release: International Dark Sky Week

Brenna Marsicek, Lights Out Wisconsin and Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance, 608-255-2473 Alicia King, Lights Out Wisconsin and Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, 907-268-0124 International Dark Sky Week is for Wisconsin birds, fireflies, and people Madison, April 9, 2026 — The Lights Out Wisconsin coalition joins in the celebration of International Dark Sky Week (April 13-20,... Read More

Sheboygan Lakefront 2026 Field Trip Report

Saturday, March 7, turned out to be quite mild for this time of year, with the temperatures ranging from 51 to 55 degrees. The skies were cloudy all morning, and there were a few intermittent light sprinkles at times, but they didn’t interfere too much with our birding. The wind was fairly strong, but since it was coming from a westerly direction, we were mostly protected from it. We gathered... Read More

News Release: Grants Awarded by Wisconsin Society for Ornithology for Bird Conservation Efforts in Wisconsin

News Release Alicia Frances King 907-268-0124 executive.director@wsobirds.org https://www.wsobirds.org Grants Awarded by Wisconsin Society for Ornithology for Bird Conservation Efforts in Wisconsin Madison, March 12, 2026 — The Wisconsin Society for Ornithology annually awards up to $3000 in grants for avian research and conservation efforts throughout... Read More

News Release: Wisconsin Society for Ornithology Announcing 2026 Passenger Pigeon Award Winners

News Release Alicia Frances King 907-268-0124 executive.director@wsobirds.org https://www.wsobirds.org Wisconsin Society for Ornithology Announcing 2026 Passenger Pigeon Award Winners Recognizing outstanding achievements in advancing bird conservation Madison, March 4, 2026 — Through the Passenger Pigeon Awards, the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology... Read More

Buena Vista Grasslands 2026 Report

Greater Prairie-Chicken by Tom Schultz Mild weather greeted us as we gathered in Bancroft at 8:00 AM on February 15—starting out with clear skies, 30 degrees and little or no wind. Over the years, we have battled snowdrifts and bitter cold in the wide-open, barren landscapes of the Buena Vista grasslands, but this year it definitely felt like a touch of spring was in the air! We soon... Read More

Milwaukee Lakefront 2026 Field Trip Report

About 27 of us gathered at South Shore Yacht Club on the morning of January 11, eager to renew old friendships and begin new ones—and to see what birds we might find for 2026! Compared to many years, the temperature was fairly moderate, sitting around 25 degrees. There was a fairly strong NW wind blowing, but we were somewhat protected from that by the buildings of the city. The skies... Read More

Harrington Beach 2025 Field Trip Report

On Sunday, October 5, the weather was sunny and unseasonably mild (68 degrees), with a moderate to strong wind out of the SSW. These conditions (especially after several similar days in a row) seemed more conducive to warblers than hawks—and that certainly turned out to be the case! Our group met at 8:00 AM in the lower parking lot at Harrington Beach State Park, and we soon started to see... Read More

Lights Out Wisconsin for Friday night, Oct. 10, to save birds

NEWS RELEASE Oct. 9, 2025 Lights Out Wisconsin for Friday night, Oct. 10, to save birds Contacts: Lisa Gaumnitz, Lights Out Wisconsin, lisa.gaumnitz@sossaveoursongbirds.org, 608-235-2201; and Brenna Marsicek, Lights Out Wisconsin, bmarsicek@swibirds.org, 608-255-2473 Extremely high levels of migrating birds are expected over Wisconsin Friday night, Oct. 10,... Read More

Jaegerfest 2025 Field Trip Report

Birders gather on a beach. Photo by Tom Schultz.

Once again, the big Jaegerfest weekend on Wisconsin Point has come and gone—with this being our 27th year. The term “Jaegerfest” started out as a tongue-in-cheek, joking reference to the frequency of jaeger experiences at this event. Prior to this field trip (which started in 1999), jaegers were thought of as being fairly rare in Wisconsin, but we were finding that we were seeing them... Read More

News Release: Wisconsin Society for Ornithology seeks nominations for 2026 Passenger Pigeon Awards

Alicia Frances King 907-268-0124 executive.director@wsobirds.org https://wsobirds.org Madison, Sept. 18, 2025 — The Wisconsin Society for Ornithology Passenger Pigeon Award nomination period is open, and submissions will be accepted through December 31, 2025. The Wisconsin Society for... Read More

Page 1 of 31

WSO Menu