Bird City Wisconsin

10/26/2026

We might be a little late to the trend, but these are too important not to share! Turns out, it’s kind of chic to make your yard a little wilder and your home a little safer for birds!

Keep your cat indoors. 🐱 It’s safer for your cat and for birds! Free-roaming cats are responsible for an estimated 2.4 billion bird deaths in the U.S. every year.

Treat your windows. 🪟 Birds are still migrating through Wisconsin, so it’s not too late to help prevent deadly window collisions.

Plant native seeds. 🌱 Fall is a great time to sow native seeds that will sprout in spring and provide food and habitat for birds all summer long.

Embrace the bugs. 🐛 A yard full of insects is a good thing! Bugs are essential food for birds, especially when they're raising hungry chicks.

Which one are you embracing?

10/20/2026

Birds aren't the only migrants who benefit from darker skies!

Bird and bat migration is still in motion: help them fly safely!

Each night, millions of birds (plus migratory bats) are heading to their wintering grounds, so keep exterior lights off or dimmed through October—especially between 11pm and 6am.

Wisconsin’s migrating and hibernating bat species all need dark skies to hunt and roost. To celebrate the world’s only flying mammals, Lights Out Wisconsin collaborators are hosting events around the state for Bat Week 2026, offering opportunities to observe and learn about bats and their important roles in our ecosystems.

🦇To find a local event near you or join a virtual event from anywhere, visit our website or Bat Week’s website.

💡For guidance on how to make your lights more bird and bat friendly, visit the Lights Out Wisconsin website!

(The image shows a group of over 100 bats flying over the trees at dusk. The text reads “Bats need darkness too. Turn off outdoor lights sunset to sunrise. Bat Week 2026: Oct. 24-31")

10/19/2026

Please join us in welcoming Sun Prairie as an official Bird City Wisconsin community! 🐦

City of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, USA earned this designation through a broad commitment to bird conservation and environmental sustainability, with a particular strength in creating and protecting habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. The City encourages residents to get involved in pollinator-friendly initiatives and offers native plant giveaways, while also improving habitat on public lands through invasive species removal and volunteer stewardship. Programs like Repair Cafés and community composting further demonstrate the City's commitment to a more sustainable community.

We were honored to present Sun Prairie’s official Bird City designation to Alder Crombie and Cindy Burtley, Director of Parks and Forestry, during the city’s Migration at the Marsh event celebrating World Migratory Bird Day! The event brought together local organizations and city departments to share their knowledge and get the community involved. Brandon Mann from Groundswell Conservancy joined us to co-lead bird and plant walks and share insights into habitat management at Patrick Marsh. The library added to the fun with bird-themed books, while the Parks and Forestry Department offered a kids' craft station and information for attendees. Despite the windy weather, the community showed up for a fantastic day outdoors. It was a great day of learning, exploring, and celebrating birds together!

We’re excited to see what Sun Prairie accomplishes as a Bird City community and how these efforts continue to inspire residents to care for birds and the natural world around them.

Help us congratulate Sun Prairie on this well-earned achievement, and keep an eye out for Bird City signs around town! 🎉

10/15/2026

We have a new Bird City joining the Wisconsin network! Can you guess who the new community is? Place your guesses in the comments! We'll announce the answer on Monday!
Hint: the images in the photo provide clues that relate to the community.

Image shows a collage of outdoor photos featuring sunshine, grass and native flower fields. Text reads "Coming soon.... can you guess the newest Bird City?"

10/14/2026

🌱 Attention Bird Cities! 🌱 Do you have a project planned for next summer? Need native plants? We’ve got you covered!

White Pelican Farm , Bird City Wisconsin , & SOS Save Our Songbirds are teaming up to award Bird City communities a $500+ native habitat package for 2026. Thanks to a generous donation from Songbird Fruit, a Madison-based vendor of savory and sweet grilled peach treats, a total of FIVE Bird City communities will receive the grant package in 2027.

✨ Who can apply: Active 2026 Bird Cities
🗓 Deadline: November 06, 2026
🌿 Plants must be used spring/summer 2027

Winners will be announced by November 20! 🐦

Apply now and view grant details by scanning the QR code or clicking the link in our bio.

10/06/2026

What a great time touring River Falls with the city’s community development staff and St. Croix Valley Bird Club board members! City of River Falls has been a Bird City Wisconsin community since 2010, the year the first Bird Cities were designated.

The city shows a strong commitment to bird conservation through habitat work, including invasive species removal and a partnership with Prairie Enthusiasts to maintain native plantings on public lands and in city parks. River Falls also keeps the community engaged with SCVBC’s monthly birding events, including presentations and bird walks, and their continued participation in the Annual Christmas Bird Count.

It's always great when we can get out and meet the folks working so hard for birds in their communities!

Experience River Falls

09/29/2026

Happy National Coffee Day!

Drinking coffee that’s good for birds is one of the 7 Simple Actions to Help Birds. But what makes coffee bird-friendly? The Smithsonian Bird Friendly® certification means it was grown beneath a canopy of trees, creating layers of habitat where birds can find food and shelter.

It can be tricky to find at the grocery store, but Wisconsin’s own Barnwood Coffee Company and Birds & Beans both sell it online.

09/25/2026

🚨 New Community Alert! 🚨
Please join us in welcoming Cambridge, Wisconsin as an official Bird City Wisconsin community! 🐦

Cambridge earned this designation through a strong commitment to connecting young people with birds, habitat, and hands-on conservation. From the long-standing Project FeederWatch program at Cambridge Elementary School to the new Bird Trail along the school’s woods trails, students are getting opportunities to learn about birds, migration, and the habitats they depend on. The community is also investing in hands-on conservation through habitat restoration, invasive species removal, and environmental education at the Severson Learning Center, as well as supporting a youth-led bluebird trail developed as an Eagle Scout project.

We were honored to present the official Bird City designation to Josie Stine, Utility Clerk/Deputy Clerk, who worked to complete Cambridge’s Bird City application, and Village President Paula Hollenbeck during a Village Board meeting. Plus, we had a surprise visit from Bruiser the Blue Jay to help celebrate! 💙

We’re excited to see all that Cambridge will accomplish as a Bird City community and to see these opportunities continue to inspire young people to care for birds and the natural world around them.

Be sure to congratulate Cambridge on this well-earned achievement and watch for the Bird City signs as you enter the community! 🎉

09/08/2026

🚨 Lights Out Alert—white-hot bird migration in Wisconsin on Sept. 9! 🚨

An estimated 29.8 million birds are expected to migrate over Wisconsin on the night of Wednesday, September 9! 💡Turn off your outdoor lights 💡 to help them safely get where they're going!

About 80% of migratory birds travel at night. Artificial light can disorient birds and draw them into brightly lit areas, increasing their risk of colliding with windows. Turning off unnecessary outdoor lights from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. can help reduce these risks during migration.

Not every migration night is the same. BirdCast forecasts help us know when the biggest movements are expected, so we can be especially mindful of our outdoor lighting on those nights. BirdCast alerts are sent for the top 10% of migration nights, about 8–10 nights each season that collectively account for roughly half of all migration.

👉Share this post to spread the word!

Sign up for BirdCast migration alerts at the link in the comments to know when these peak nights are expected in your area.

(📷: graphic reads: "Wisconsin Lights Out Alert September 9, 2026: 29.8 million birds forecasted to fly over Wisconsin. Turn off outdoor lights 11pm-6am." A map from BirdCast shows a map of the US with Wisconsin fully highlighted in white to show high migration activity.)

08/21/2026

Join communities across Wisconsin for Swift Night Out, a continent-wide event celebrating Chimney Swifts during their fall migration!

What’s a Swift Night Out?
🐦‍⬛ A night to gather with fellow bird lovers to watch Chimney Swifts come in to roost for the night.

🐦‍⬛ An opportunity to count the swifts you see and help collect community science data

🐦‍⬛A great way to enjoy an incredible natural spectacle right in your community!

And this year, you can record your Swift observations through the Chimney Swift Roost and Nest Data website, helping us learn more about Chimney Swift habitat use across the state.

These events help raise awareness about these amazing birds and give communities a chance to take action to protect their habitat.

Swipe through to see Swift Night Out events happening in Bird Cities across Wisconsin!
Time and location details can be found at the link in the comments.

Is your community represented on the map yet? Which event are you attending?! 👇