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

2020 WSO Convention has some interesting new wrinkles

By Tim HahnWSO Convention Committee Get ready for Great Birding on a Great Lake! Two Rivers, located on the breezy shores of Lake Michigan, will be hosting the 81st annual WSO convention on May 14-17.  Attendees will enjoy a wonderful weekend full of field trips, social events, and educational presentations.Thursday, May 14Check-in begins in Two Rivers Central Park where we’ll host a... Read More   

2020 WSO Small Grants Program

The Wisconsin Society for Ornithology sponsors three research grants: The Steenbock Award, which is intended for beginners, amateurs, and independent researchers, has been used to fund a wide variety of independent bird-related projects. Graduate students and professionals in ornithology may apply for personal projects only. Applicants need not include recommendations or references. The... Read More   

November Rare Birds

Winter’s early onset dampens activity, but a few sightings stand out - By Mark Korducki   So much for a nice transition to fall. By the beginning of November, cold and snow were the norm. Four measurable snowfalls occurred in southeastern Wisconsin by the middle of the month. For Milwaukee, it was the snowiest start to winter in 123 years! A few record lows and record low high... Read More   

Holiday Giving for Honey Creek

  The Wisconsin Society for Ornithology (WSO) established the Honey Creek Nature Preserve with the first land purchase in 1960, followed by additional purchases during the 60s and 70s. About 300 acres have been protected for a few decades and with the Dischler property of 104 acres purchased in 2017, WSO is protecting now over 400 acres.  More than 500 native plant species have been... Read More   

WSO streamlines nominating process for Passenger Pigeon Awards

WSO seeking nominations for 2020 Passenger Pigeon Awards (BIG NEWS! The nomination process has been SIMPLIFIED!) Each fall, the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology announces their annual appeal for Passenger Pigeon Award nominations—and this year the process has been simplified. Yes indeed, based on a number of reasons (mostly) related to improving the process, we have created a nomination... Read More   

‘Tis the season to join a Christmas Count

The 120th Audubon Christmas Bird Count season is almost upon us, and hopefully birders everywhere will be flocking to participate! This annual event is the longest-running citizen science project in our nation, and the accumulated data has provided bird researchers with vast amounts of population trend and distribution information. WSO helped to establish many of the some 110 Christmas Bird... Read More   

Oneida Smoke Dancers Will Perform at 2020 WSO Convention

-By Nancy Nabak (WSO 2020 Convention Chair)- Thursday night of the 2020 WSO Convention is going to be a grand evening like never before. We’ll start with our traditional picnic – greeting old friends and having an opportunity to meet and make new ones. This is a time to socialize, meet members of WSO’s Board of Directors and ask questions, and get familiar with Two Rivers, the community... Read More   

Bird Observatory Names New Science Director

Port Washington -- The Western Great Lakes Bird and Bat Observatory has named Dr. Jennifer Phillips-Vanderberg as its new science director. Phillips-Vanderberg is a Ph.D. biologist with extensive experience conducting ornithological research. For the last two years, she has worked as a life scientist with the Environmental Protection Agency in Chicago, addressing pollution-control issues in... Read More   

Time to Renew WSO Membership!

WSO is pleased to offer you the ability to renew your annual membership safely and securely online. Just go to wsobirds.org/members and click on the RENEW tab. Please review your member profile and verify that your contact information is correct. To make membership even easier, WSO has recently implemented a new auto-renew feature. When you renew you can update your profile and membership... Read More   

2020 WSO Convention: ‘Great Birding on a Great Lake’

“Great Birding on a Great Lake” is the 2020 WSO Convention theme, and the convention planning committee is planning an active and educational conference in Two Rivers. “We’re going to offer a few new options for next year’s convention and take advantage of the fact that we’re on Lake Michigan,” said Nancy Nabak, convention chair. Field trips, the hallmark of a WSO convention, will... Read More   

5 Years of Atlas Data Yields 226 Species: 13 New Since 2000

-By Carrie Becker (WBBA II Communications Chair)- Madison – Volunteers and organizers wrapped up Wisconsin’s 5-year statewide breeding bird survey with an exciting photo finish: volunteer Aaron Haycraft sighted a Glossy Ibis pair and their young at Horicon Marsh, the first time this Atlantic Coast bird has been documented nesting in Wisconsin. The Glossy Ibis discovery in August brought to... Read More