“Opening day” for birdwatchers arrives!

Colorful parade of songsters returns to Wisconsin as peak bird migration begins

Wisconsin anglers had their day, now it’s birdwatchers’ turn! “Opening day” of the bird watching season is here!

Saturday, May 10 is celebrated as World Migratory Bird Day and comes as peak bird migration begins in Wisconsin! Peak migration periods are when 50% of total nightly bird migration traffic historically passes through an area, according to BirdCast.

This peak period is forecast to begin in southern Wisconsin May 6-9 and northern Wisconsin May 9-12 and last for about two weeks. So far, birders have already reported 264 different species in May in Wisconsin to the eBird reporting platform. Records dating back more than a century show 465 different species recorded here and the comprehensive Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas Update 2015-2019 confirmed 226 species nesting here.

Knowing 2025’s peak migration period can help us enjoy the bird life in our backyard or plan trips to favorite haunts and new ones!

Check out “Wisconsin’s Favorite Bird Haunts” — a list of Wisconsin’s 800+ favorite locations for birding, developed by our friends at Wisconsin Society for Ornithology

Enjoy World Migratory Bird Day events at Bird City Wisconsin communities around the state and check with your local bird group and nature center for more offerings.

Wonder at Warblers

Wisconsin’s warblers are among favorite arrivals for many people, small birds with big colors and bigger songs. Here’s a trio of ways to enjoy them:

• See and hear the 53 warbler species in the United States, 30+ of which nest in Wisconsin

• Test your warbler ID skills with this quiz from Wisconsin photographer Jim Edlhuber

• Register to enjoy a May 20 webinar on “Celebrating Warblers” from American Bird Conservancy

Why birds race the clock to recover from migration and how we can help

Long-distance migratory birds’ one-way migration last weeks to four months and requires some incredible preparations and transformations. Some birds double their weight, storing fat to fuel their coming flight. Some shrink internal organs to make room for that fuel—and these are just some of the “Five Incredible Ways Birds Change Their Bodies for Spring and Fall Migration.”

Once birds land in their nesting grounds, they need food within a few hours or they can starve to death. Audubon says birds on average need to restore between 17 and 23 percent of their body weight in fat upon arrival, and must also make up for significant protein and water loss depending on their species and migratory pattern. They’ve got to get to their fighting weight toot suite for breeding season, nest building and raising young’uns!

4 ways to help arriving birds

1. To feed the birds, we gotta feed the bugs.

   Add some native trees, shrubs and wildflowers, which will provide far more natural food, i.e. bugs, fruits and seeds than ornamental plants common in many of our yards. Read on for one suggestion from Wisconsin native plant and bird expert Mariette Nowak to add around home, and check our website for other recommendations. Find also where to buy them, including at the many native plant sale fundraisers and at our two partnering native plant nurseries offering Migratory May discounts, Prairie Nursery and White Pelican Farm!

2. Make sure bird feeders are placed within 3 feet of a window or farther than 35 feet away to reduce bird-window collisions. Such collisions kill up to 3.5 billion birds a year in the U.S., nearly half at home windows. Windows near bird feeders are typically problem areas. Close placement to the window means birds can’t build up deadly speed.

3. Treat the worst home window for birds—the one birds have flown into in the past. See American Bird Conservancy’s recommendations for homeowners based on their tests of dozens of products. Take advantage of Migratory May discounts SOS has arranged with makers of two ABC recommended solutions, Acopian BirdSavers and Feather Friendly products.

4. Lights off! Turn nonessential lights out from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. so migratory birds are not lured down from the night skies into areas where they’ll encounter more buildings, cats, and other threats the next morning. Learn more.

Mariette’s May native plant pick: Early Wild Rose

Mariette Nowak, the Wisconsin bird and native plant expert who wrote the “Beyond the Birdfeeder” booklet many of you’ve received from us, shares her May native plant pick to boost birds. Her insights are excerpted from her new book scheduled for release in June: “Birdscaping for Wisconsin and the Great Lakes Region: The 50 Best Native Plants to Attract Birds to Your Midwestern Garden.”

Early or Smooth Rose

Scientific Name: Rosa blanda

Mature Size: Height 2 to 6 feet, width 4-6 feet

Why to Plant: One of the earliest roses to bloom, it offers “a feast for birds the year-round.” The many caterpillars found on this rose provide high-quality protein for nestling birds.  Later, in winter, the berry-like rose hips offer important nourishment during lean times. The hips are a favorite food of the Cedar Waxwing, Northern Mockingbird, and Swainson’s thrush.” Many bees also “visit the flowers, vibrating their flight muscles to dislodge the pollen.

Where to Plant:  Ideal for thickets and borders; forms colonies. Head back with a spade in spring to stop undesired spreading.

“Yes We Pelican!” is out to Save Our Songbirds in the Great Wisconsin Birdathon!

We’re honored and excited the Madison Chapter of the Feminist Bird Club is steering a portion of pledges raised by their team, Yes We Pelican!, during the Great Wisconsin Birdathon to SOS Save Our Songbirds!

Yes We Pelican! members will bird all day on Sunday, May 11, with multiple options for people to join outings across Madison. No birding experience needed! See locations and times to join in or make a donation!

Nonprofits, bird clubs, and Bird Cities that participate in the annual Great Wisconsin Birdathon are eligible to keep 50% of the funds they raise for their own local bird conservation initiatives, with the other 50% supporting the Bird Protection Fund of the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin.

FBC-Madison's Leadership Team selected SOS Save Our Songbirds as a partner because they recognize how empowering community members to make small, meaningful actions - such as including more native plants in yards or balconies, helping prevent window collisions with window treatments, and buying bird-friendly coffee - can have a big impact for birds, according to Caitlyn Schuchhardt, one of the chapter’s organizers.

“We’re looking forward to amplifying SOS's mission, increasing awareness of the risks birds face, and introducing people to actionable ways they can help protect the songbirds we all love,” Caitlyn says.

Join or donate to another team in the Great Wisconsin Birdathon.

Action Alert: Stand up for the Endangered Species Act

A March 2025 report shows more than 100 species of North American birds have lost half or more of their population in the last 50 years but the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Commerce are proposing a rule that could severely weaken a key protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Read more about the proposed changes and register for a free webinar on Wednesday, May 7 at 3 p.m. offered by the International Crane Foundation.

Submit a public comment to the Federal Register about the proposal by May 19 here and contact your Congressional representatives.

Featured Learning & Fun

Friday, May 9 in Verona, Spring Bird Migration Celebration, 10 a.m. to noon

Celebrate our amazing returning migratory birds with activities for children and adults alike on Friday, May 9 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Verona Public Library, 500 Silent St.

Make a hummingbird mask, decorate a cloth bird, get information on native plants and how to make your home and windows safer for birds! Participants also will see the brand-new window treatment Verona Public Library put on their north-facing windows to make Verona a safer place for birds! This event is sponsored by the Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance and SOS Save Our Songbirds. It’s free and no registration required.

Saturday, May 10, in Hudson, Wings of Spring Migration Festival, 8 a.m. to noon

Saturday, May 10 at Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Get tips on “Keeping a Bird-Friendly Yard,” and take home a free native plant in a special program offered Saturday, May 10, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Woodson Art Museum. SOS Save Our Songbirds, Wausau Bird Club, Wisconsin Society for Ornithology and Woodson Museum staff team up for this free event on World Migratory Bird Day in the Museum’s lower-level classroom at 700 N. 12th St. in Wausau.