Birds Of Wisconsin: The Common Birds In The Badger State

Wisconsin is one of the best states in the US to go birdwatching. This upper Midwestern state is ideally located next to Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, allowing for an array of native wildlife to visit the area. Plus, with Wisconsin being so close to the Canadian border, it’s also generally one of the best places to catch migrating birds before they migrate south in the winter. In this post we will look at some of the common birds across the state.

The State of Wisconsin

The name ‘Wisconsin’ is an old Native American term thought to relate to the red colored stone seen across the state. Its local name of ‘Badger’ comes from how miners used to burrow into the ground looking for lead. They would sleep in these cave like structures and so were called Badgers.

Wisconsin might not be as famous for lakes as neighboring Minnesota, but it actually has more lakes – over 15,000 created in the Ice Age. The landscape of Wisconsin is varied, from lowlands and woodlands to deep gorges, hills and pastures. Add to that, access to Lake Superior in the north and it is quite a mix of environments.

Wisconsin Common Birds

In this post I have chosen 10 common birds that can be seen across the state in different habitats. The American Robin is Wisconsin’s state bird and one of the most common birds in the United States so it seems a good place to start.

Common Backyard Birds

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

Identification

Photo by Mariuslaurentiu Butan

The American Robin is actually a thrush and so is larger than you might think. Named for its red-breast, it also has a gray/brown back and white vents and throat.

Size
Length: 7.9-11.0 in (20-28 cm)
Weight: 2.7-3.0 oz (77-85 g)
Wingspan: 12.2-15.8 in (31-40 cm)

Range
The American Robin is a resident of Wisconsin and can be seen at any time of the year across the state as seen in the Range Map below.

Call

Audio by Thomas Magarian

Comment
The American Robin is a true Wisconsin bird and deserves to be the state bird. It is not only common, but also beautiful, interesting and keeps the worms off the lawn!

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)

Identification
A lovely, colorful warbler with grays, whites and yellows. The partial white eye ring is distinctive. This is the Myrtle subspecies found in Wisconsin. Other subspecies have yellow throats and no black on the face.

Photo by Imogen Warren

Size
Length: 4.7-5.5 in (12-14 cm)
Weight: 0.4-0.5 oz (12-13 g)
Wingspan: 7.5-9.1 in (19-23 cm)

Range
Seen mainly in spring and fall as it passes through the area on migration. When the Yellow-rumped warbler is in the state, it can be seen statewide in and on the edges of mixed forests.

Call

Audio by Sunny Tseng

Comment
These are such delightful little birds. They are a common backyard bird feeder visitor and when they migrate between their summer and winter range, they will gather in large numbers making a dazzling display of color.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)

Identification
The most common hummingbird of the U.S. The male has the ruby throat while the female is a plainer green and white.

Photo by Joe Schneid

Size
Length: 2.8-3.5 in (7-9 cm)
Weight: 0.1-0.2 oz (2-6 g)
Wingspan: 3.1-4.3 in (8-11 cm)

Range
It is an amazing feat that the Ruby-throated Hummingbird performs on migration. It flies all the way from Central and South America on migration to breed in northern parts of America. When in the state, it can be seen across the region.

Call

Audio by Brian Hendrix

Comment
If you want to see the Ruby-throated Hummingbird in your summer garden and watch its 50+ wing beats per second, put up special bird feeders for these little guys before they arrive and they should find you!

Forest Birds

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)

Identification
The Pileated Woodpecker is a stunning bird of Wisconsin with its iconic plumage. A black body has white streaks up the side and into the face. A bright yellow eye and vivid red crest make this bird incredible.

Photo by Chris F.

Size
Length: 15.8-19.3 in (40-49 cm)
Weight: 8.8-12.3 oz (250-350 g)
Wingspan: 26.0-29.5 in (66-75 cm)

Range
The Pileated Woodpecker can be seen across Wisconsin in any suitable habitat of large forest.

Call

Audio by Bruce Lagerquist

Comment
This large and very loud woodpecker can be tempted to your backyard. It loves suet so try hanging a suet block out and see what happens!

Pine Siskin (Spinus pinus)

Identification

Photo by Cephas

Size
Length: 4.3-5.5 in (11-14 cm)
Weight: 0.4-0.6 oz (12-18 g)
Wingspan: 7.1-8.7 in (18-22 cm)

Range
Seen throughout the year, although less so in the summer months. The Pine Siskin is present across the state, particularly in northern Wisconsin.

Call

Audio by Steve Hampton

Comment
The Pine Siskin is resident in the north of the state but migratory in the southern two thirds, migrating to Canada to breed. Thus, this bird moves around a lot in the state.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus)

Identification
The Rose-breasted Grosbeak female looks a lot like a sparrow with a finch beak – all browns and creams. The male is black on the back and head, with a white belly and sharp crimson patch on the breast.

Size
Length: 7.1-8.3 in (18-21 cm)
Weight: 1.4-1.7 oz (39-49 g)
Wingspan: 11.4-13.0 in (29-33 cm)

Range
A regular summer visitor to Wisconsin, the Rose-breasted Grosbeak can be found in forested areas and will visit backyard bird feeders.

Photo by John Harrison

Call

Audio by Keith Corliss

Comment
While the Rose-breasted Grosbeak are not very good nest builders, making flimsy affairs, they look after each other when on the nest by singing quietly to each other.

Open Country Birds

Northern Harrier (Circus hudsonius)

Identification
The Northern Harrier’s most striking feature is its owl-like face. It is dark on top and buff underneath with a streaky breast and barred wingtips.

Photo by Frank Schulenburg

Size
Length: 18.1-19.7 in (46-50 cm)
Weight: 10.6-26.5 oz (300-750 g)
Wingspan: 40.2-46.5 in (102-118 cm)

Range
The Northern Harrier is resident in Wisconsin and has a year-round range. It might be seen anywhere across the state. It hunts over open fields low down while searching for prey.

Call

Audio by James Bradley

Comment
The Northern Harrier looks quite indistinct in the air and may be difficult to identify. Look for a sharp V shape in the wings and the white coloring on the tail.

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

Identification
The Great Horned Owl is a large and common owl with a wide range of plumage colors. A red morph is pictured below but the gray morph is also striking. This owl has the iconic owl ‘hoot’ which you can hear on the xeno-canto.org file below.

Photo by Peter K Burian

Size
Length: 18.1-24.8 in (46-63 cm)
Weight: 32.1-88.2 oz (910-2500 g)
Wingspan: 39.8-57.1 in (101-145 cm)

Range
The Great Horned Owl is widespread across the United States and Wisconsin sees its fair share. Less common in north but it may be seen anywhere.

Call

Audio by Scott Olmstead

Comment
This owl might look calm and serene but it is a vicious predator. It will tackle and kill other large animals like Osprey and other owls.

Marsh and Swamp Birds

Sora (Porzana carolina)

Identification
The Sora is a small rail with a distinctive yellow bill and grey eyebrow extending around the face. The rest of the bird is a grey and white front and patterned back with brown, white and black markings.

Photo by Imogen Warren

Size
Length: 7.5-11.8 in (19-30 cm)
Weight: 1.7-4.0 oz (49-112 g

Range
The Sora is a summer visitor to marshes and swampy areas across Wisconsin.

Call

Audio by Richard E. Webster

Comment
Like most rails and crakes, it is a bit tricky to see the Sora as their natural behavior is to skulk around in marsh land. They are likely to be more common than is recorded but most people don’t want to stake out swamps at dawn to look for them!

Green Heron (Butorides virescens)

Identification
I never really know why this is called the ‘green’ heron as it always appears to be deep grays and brown with cream streaks.

Photo by Imogen Warren

Size
Length: 16.1-18.1 in (41-46 cm)
Weight: 8.5 oz (240 g)
Wingspan: 25.2-26.8 in (64-68 cm)

Range
The Green Heron is a summer bird in Wisconsin. It is less present around the lake shores but otherwise can be seen statewide.

Call

Audio by Bobby Wilcox

Comment
Always the most interesting thing about this heron is that they are usually photographed as above, but if you watch them long enough they may extend that neck right out and become at least twice the size.

Conclusion

So there are our best common birds of Wisconsin. I hope you enjoyed reading about these incredible birds and have learned something about what is right around the corner in Wisconsin.

Related Questions

What is the best of the Wisconsin birds?

If you can look at the American Robin as if you have never seen it before, it is a wonderfully entertaining and interesting bird. Of all the Wisconsin birds, the state bird has to be right up there.

What foods should I put on my bird feeders?

If you have a general bird feeder that is a flat surface then load it up with sunflower seeds to attract the most backyard birds. You can experiment with your feeder food. Hanging suet feeders and hummingbird nectar feeders will increase the variety.

Are there black birds in Wisconsin?

Black birds – Black Scoter, American Black Vulture, Black tern

Blackbirds – Brewer’s, Rusty, Red-winged, Yellow-headed Blackbirds