December Rare Birds: Late warbler is a 1st for state CBCs
Myles Hurlburt photographed this Summer Tanager that local birders got a chance to see in early December at a private residence in the Wausau area.
By Mark Korducki
The mild weather of November continued into mid-December before a low pressure front moved in right before Christmas. This strong system produced blizzard conditions and plunged temperatures well below zero. This unusual...
Read More
A birding challenge worthy of Wisconsin
Photo by Kyle Lloyd Arpke Two Snow Buntings in Kewaunee County
By Kyle Lloyd Arpke
I’m writing this article as I drive back home after a six-month odyssey that spanned the entire state of Wisconsin. Well,“odyssey” is definitely way too strong of a word, but I’m not lying about the second part. Over the last six months, I challenged myself to go birding in all 72 counties in...
Read More
WSO issues a public call for volunteer leaders
The Wisconsin Society for Ornithology is seeking volunteer leaders to join its Board Of Directors. WSO’s mission is to promote the study, enjoyment and conservation of Wisconsin’s birds. We are looking for new directors who share our passion for these activities and for building a future where birds are protected and thriving.
The WSO board is seeking candidates who have...
Read More
Statewide bird conservation conference planned March 24-25
A statewide conference is in the works to explore how each of us, individually and as a community, can help bring back some of the 3 billion birds our continent has lost since 1970.
The Wisconsin Bird Conservation Partnership, Bird City Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology have come together to plan a special two-day meeting. It will be held Friday and Saturday, March 24-25,...
Read More
Come to Waukesha County for WSO’s 2023 Convention
The Benjamin F. Goss Bird Club will join WSO to host the 2023 convention on May 19-21 – WSO’s first since 2019! As a venue, the convention committee has chosen The Ingleside Hotel in Pewaukee (https://www.theinglesidehotel.com/), which is near the sprawling, bird-rich Southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest and the many forests, prairies,...
Read More
New surveys find Honey Creek Preserve a rare gem, full of bird life, challenges, opportunities
Photo by Angus Mossman Federally-endangered rusty patched bumble bee on joe-pye weed in shrub swamp.
By Mike Mossman, Amy Staffen and Angus Mossman
The recent addition of the Dischler tract to WSO’s Harold and Carla Kruse Honey Creek Nature Preserve has inspired renewed interest in current and longterm management needs at this very rich and important natural...
Read More
November Rare Birds: Vagrants again make some big news
Wendy Frasheski submitted to eBird her photograph of a Black Vulture seen over Wind Point in Racine County on Nov. 26.
By Mark Korducki
November is traditionally an excellent month for vagrants. This proved to be the case once again. The month got off to a blazing start with a Sharp-tailed...
Read More
‘tis the season to join a Christmas Count
By Tom Schultz
The 123rd 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 100+...
Read More
Calling all Wisconsin bird artists
If you are a member of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, your original Wisconsin bird artwork may become the design on the 2023 WSO convention T-shirt, and it may also be featured in one or more WSO publications. Please prepare your entry as follows:
·Artwork should include at least one of the following Waukesha-area bird species: Hooded Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Acadian Flycatcher,...
Read More
Donate for Wisconsin's Birds
Photo by Sunil Gopalan
Everything the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology does is for Wisconsin’s birds. It’s right in our name. As WSO continues with its flight forward, we are taking on more education and conservation actions for Wisconsin’s birds. We are stepping up our statewide leadership and...
Read More
Citizen science reports of banded cranes contribute to conservation in Wisconsin
Photo by Ted Thousand A banded Whooping Crane reported as right: white red and left: white green red.
By Stephanie M. Schmidt Whooping Crane Outreach Coordinator International Crane Foundation
As the temperatures get colder and the days become shorter, Wisconsin skies will be filled with the bugling calls of Sandhill Cranes and Whooping Cranes on their...
Read More