This spring, when you order native plants through our special Native Plant Sale with Johnson’s Nursery out of Menomonee Falls, you get native plants delivered to Middleton, WI in May AND 15% of the sale totals go to Holy Wisdom Monastery and Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance (split 50/50).

Photo by Courtney Celley/USFWS

Up to 3.5 billion birds die every year in the US after hitting windows, and almost half of those happen at homes. The good news is that the solutions are easy and affordable! This presentation will share some science behind why birds hit windows, and provide recommendations on ways to address problem windows at home and in our communities to make migration and buildings safer for birds.

Photo by Linda Crubaugh

This spring, when you order native plants through our special Native Plant Sale with Johnson’s Nursery out of Menomonee Falls, you get native plants delivered to Middleton, WI in May AND 15% of the sale totals go to Holy Wisdom Monastery and Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance (split 50/50).

Photo by Courtney Celley/USFWS

Don’t miss this inspiring evening with Christian Cooper, Emmy-winning host of Extraordinary Birder and bestselling author of Better Living Through Birding! This event will take place in the Playhouse Theater at the Overture Center for the Arts or through online live-stream on Wednesday, March 12.

Join the Fond du Lac Audubon Society for a presentation by Brenna Marsicek about the Bald Eagle Nest Watch program!

Photo by Peter Schmidt

Join like-minded conservationists in Madison on March 12, 2025 to advocate for the reauthorization of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. Gathering Waters staff will share success stories with legislators and demonstrate why its continued funding is essential for preserving Wisconsin’s outdoor legacy.

Photo provided by Gathering Waters

This presentation and gathering are designed for individuals who lead nature-related field trips and outings, regardless of topic! There will be two presenters, one with general tips and tricks for leading great hikes, and one with information about building accessibility into your field trips from the get-go.

Free to attend, with in person and online viewing options.

Photo by Kaitlin Svabek/Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance

Citizen science is a wonderful way for community members to participate in important research studies, and the studies greatly benefit too! Through the Bald Eagle Nest Watch and Bird Collision Corps programs, volunteers with the Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance help study Bald Eagle populations and nesting success, as well as the dangers windows pose to birds. Learn how these programs work and the important information the volunteers have collected in this presentation.

Photo by Lisa Frank

Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticides in North America; they are applied to our crops, nursery plants, and lawns in vast amounts. These chemicals are uniquely problematic for birds; they are coated onto seeds, leached into waterways, and drifted into habitats. We will explore the chemistry behind neonics that makes them so harmful, the ways they are used in modern life, the various ways they impact birds, and learn how to reduce our dependence on them.

Photo by Kelly Colgan Azar

Join us at the Garden Expo to learn about how you can prevent birds from hitting your home’s windows. Up to a billion birds die every year in the US after hitting windows, and almost half of those happen at homes. The good news is that the solutions are easy and affordable! This seminar will share some science behind why birds hit windows, and provide recommendations on ways to address problem windows at home to make them more bird-safe.

Photo by Corliss Karasov

Join us at the Garden Expo to learn about how you can prevent birds from hitting your home’s windows. Up to a billion birds die every year in the US after hitting windows, and almost half of those happen at homes. The good news is that the solutions are easy and affordable! This seminar will share some science behind why birds hit windows, and provide recommendations on ways to address problem windows at home to make them more bird-safe.

Photo by Corliss Karasov

Join us for this online presentation. Participants will be invited to examine select artworks, sharing their observations. You'll also learn about the artists’ intentions and how these works connect to broader themes. Whether you are a professional artist, a casual art enthusiast, or you just like looking at birds, this program will help you appreciate birds as subjects of art, as well as develop a deeper connection to any art experience. 

How many cups of coffee do you drink a day? A week? How often do you reach for a bit of chocolate, or give it as an expression of love? Coffee and chocolate are fundamental to many of our lives, and now you can combine your love of coffee, chocolate AND birds by buying certified Smithsonian Bird Friendly® products! These products support biodiversity in tropical rainforests where many of Wisconsin’s long-distance migrants like the Golden-crowned Warbler winter!

Photo by Dave Curtis FCC

Join Davin Lopez, an endangered species biologist with the Department of Natural Resources since 2005, to learn what birds can teach us about the impacts of climate change. Davin will discuss overall climate change trends in Wisconsin, along with how these trends are impacting birds, ecosystems, and people.

This event is part of the Birds and Beyond series.

This presentation is rescheduled for February 26.

Photo by Lisa Frank

From 2021-2022, nine GPS transmitters were attached to wintering Rough-legged Hawks in Wisconsin, including two sponsored by Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance (learn about them here: https://swibirds.org/fff/tag/rough-legged+hawk). Many of these transmitters are still functioning and have provided multiple years of full annual cycle movements. Come learn about the year-round movements of Rough-legged Hawks wintering in the great state of Wisconsin, and how these nine birds fit into the broader Rough-legged Hawk Project that has tracked nearly 200 hawks throughout North America.

Photo by Phil Brown

Join the Uplands Garden Club with members in the Dodgeville, Mineral Point and surrounding communities for a presentation by Brenna Marsicek about the Bald Eagle Nest Watch program!

Photo by Gail Smith

One of Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance’s important goals as an accredited land trust is to create high quality habitat to support a whole bunch of wildlife. At Faville Grove Sanctuary, that’s 177 different bird species. We are setting a big Giving Tuesday goal of 177 gifts to support those amazing creatures. Will you be one?

Photo by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

The speakers will explore the issues impacting Wisconsin’s waters, and how these affect both avian and human health. Hillary will talk about historic and current efforts to protect Wisconsin’s cranes and waterbirds from the impacts of wetland loss and degradation, and Danielle will share parallel efforts to improve Milwaukee’s water quality and protect human health.

Amanda Tokuyama, GIS & Field Data Manager with the Urban Ecology Center will help unravel the mystery of bird migration. After Amanda Tokuyama’s talk on bird migration, Dr. Robert Mathieu, Albert E. Whitford Professor at UW-Madison, will guide attendees through a tour of the night sky (weather permitting) and share stories about the constellations.

Join Wisconsin EcoLatinos and Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance for an event celebrating Latino Conservation Week and Hispanic Heritage Month: Monarchs, Birds, & Community, held at the UW Arboretum in Madison!

Photo by Howard County Public Library

Monarchs make a huge migration each year, from Wisconsin (and even further north) all the way down to their winter grounds in Mexico. It is an incredible journey, and one that scientists are still studying. This monarch tagging event, one of the most celebrated activities Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance hosts, will teach you about the amazing monarch life history, migration, and conservation needs. We will teach you how to safely catch, handle, tag, and release a monarch, all in the name of science and love of nature.

Photo by Kaitlin Svabek / SoWBA

Swift Night Out returns this September, and we are collaborating with fellow bird-loving organizations to celebrate the incredible natural phenomenon of Chimney Swifts coming in to roost during migration! In addition to Swift Night Out, our organizations will also be hosting informal get togethers each evening to watch the swifts. We’re calling it Swift Week!

Hosted by BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, the Feminist Bird Club - Madison Chapter, and Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance.

Photo by Steve Benoit

Monarchs make a huge migration each year, from Wisconsin (and even further north) all the way down to their winter grounds in Mexico. It is an incredible journey, and one that scientists are still studying. This monarch tagging event, one of the most celebrated activities Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance hosts, will teach you about the amazing monarch life history, migration, and conservation needs. We will teach you how to safely catch, handle, tag, and release a monarch, all in the name of science and love of nature.

Photo by Kaitlin Svabek / SoWBA

Monarchs make a huge migration each year, from Wisconsin (and even further north) all the way down to their winter grounds in Mexico. It is an incredible journey, and one that scientists are still studying. This monarch tagging event, one of the most celebrated activities Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance hosts, will teach you about the amazing monarch life history, migration, and conservation needs. We will teach you how to safely catch, handle, tag, and release a monarch, all in the name of science and love of nature.

Photo by Michael Anderson

This online presentation is specially geared toward Master Naturalists, Master Gardeners, Bird City Wisconsin municipalities, Audubon chapters, nature centers staff, and bird club members. Our goal is to increase the number of people knowledgeable about the bird-window collision problem and its solutions, so you can share this information with your communities.

Photo by Brenna Marsicek / SoWBA

In this free, online presentation by Kathi and Michael Rock and Brenna Marsicek, you will learn about Ruby-throated Hummingbird natural history and how to attract them into your yards and gardens. Then, you will learn about the expansive problem of and solutions to bird-window collisions, which kills up to 1 billion birds every year in the United States, and which hummingbirds are particularly susceptible to.

Photo by Monica Hall

This will be a great opportunity to explore the prairies, socialize with other wildlife enthusiasts, and of course to learn about butterflies. The only gear you'll need is long pants, sturdy shoes, and sun protection. A camera, binoculars, and butterfly ID book are other beneficial items. You are not required to stay for both morning and afternoon sessions.