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

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   

Bay Beach 2025 Field Trip Report

Our group of 24 gathered at Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary in Green Bay on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 7:00 AM.  We had partly cloudy skies and cool temperatures (48 degrees at the start) and a light to moderate wind from the west. Initially, on and near the lagoons, we spotted a GREAT BLUE HERON, GREEN HERON and a fairly cooperative BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON that landed in a nearby... Read More   

Join Our Team

Join Our Team - for the love of birds The Wisconsin Society for Ornithology seeks an administrative assistant to join the organization’s staff to assist with communications, publication distribution, membership, and business transactions. The Wisconsin Society for Ornithology is a nonprofit organization whose mission is promoting the enjoyment, study, and conservation of Wisconsin’s birds.... Read More   

2025 Kettle Moraine State Forest Northern Unit Field Trip

On Saturday, June 7, at 6:00 AM, 16 people met at the Zillmer Trail parking lot for the WSO’s Kettle Moraine State Forest – Northern Unit field trip. The weather was good, with partly cloudy skies, very light wind, and temperatures in the mid-60s. Our route for the day included: Auburn Lake Road, Jersey Flats Prairie Restoration Area, Haushalter Lane, Haskell Noyes Memorial... Read More   

White River Marsh Field Trip Report 2025

Our group of 18 met in the pre-dawn hours on Saturday, May 3rd – along White River Road in White River State Wildlife Area.  The temperature was 42, the winds were light from the NE, and the skies were nearly entirely cloudy. We soon started to hear a few birds starting to call in the dim light of early morning, including CANADA GOOSE, SANDHILL CRANE, BARRED OWL,... Read More   

WSO Mead Wildlife Area Field Trip Report

By Myles Hurlburt, WSO field trip committee This year’s outing was held, Saturday, April 19, 2025. The weather was a cool 37 degrees partly cloudy.  By the time we were done it reached 45 degrees. We had a total of 10 attendees from across the state.  The water levels were a little high on Smokey Hill Rd and Rangeline Rd. For some, this was their first visit to the Mead Wildlife... Read More   
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