Join us to celebrate World Bird Migration Day on Saturday, October 10 with a crafty, artsy, creative project that does a lot of good! Many birds are already migrating to their wintering grounds, and face many obstacles along the way. One is window collisions, which kill over 1 billion birds every year.
In this event, you will learn about incredible birds making epic journeys and what we can all do to reduce the threat of birds flying into our windows. You’ll hear about different types of window treatments are effective in preventing collisions, and how reducing light pollution plays a role.
Then, time to get crafty! Each attendee will receive at least one blank fabric bird body, which you can decorate to look like a species vulnerable to window collisions, or create your own make-believe bird.
Bird crafters during the 2025 event. Photo by Brenna Marsicek/SoWBA
Crafted birds. Photo by Brenna Marsicek/SoWBA
All completed birds will be sent to the artist Holly Greenberg, who is creating an educational art exhibit representing the 10,000 dead birds found by Chicago Bird Collision Monitors in 2023 after the birds hit windows.
This event is family friendly. Grab your friends or your kids and join us!
Giving back to birds: For every bird completed at the event Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance and SOS Save Our Songbirds will donate $5 to Dane County Humane Society’s Wildlife Center to help them care for injured wildlife. Did you know that in spring and fall, the DHCS Wildlife Center admits hundreds of birds that are severely injured after hitting windows? This work to rehabilitate injured birds and release them back into the wild is an important part of the bird conservation story!
Site information: The event will be hosted at Madison Public Library - Sequoya Branch on Madison’s west side. There is ample parking available and the site is accessible to those who use mobility devices (ADA parking, paved, flat, and no steps). Bathrooms and water are available on site.
Cost and registration: This event is free and open to the public! Registration will be completed on the Library’s website so we can plan ahead for materials, and send you reminders and updates about the event.
Co-hosted by SOS Save Our Songbirds, Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance, and Madison Public Library
Cover photo: Birds collected at the end of the bird crafting event in 2025 were sent to Chicago to be included in the Birds in the Anthropocene art exhibit. Photo by Lisa Gaumnitz/SOS Save Our Songbirds
