Wildfire activity is intensifying globally, exposing people and wildlife to more frequent and intense smoke pollution. Here in Wisconsin, wildfire smoke from megafires burning in the boreal forest has contributed to hazardous air quality conditions in the spring and summer. Birds are likely to be especially vulnerable to increased smoke disturbance due to their sensitive respiratory systems. In this talk, Dr. Sanderfoot will share what we know so far about how smoke impacts avian physiology, behavior, and reproductive success and highlight opportunities for you to get involved in critical research on this urgent conservation topic.

Photo by Tom Magliery FCC

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 Arlene Koziol

Join the Madison Nature Journal Club coordinator and Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance volunteer Amy Schleser at the UW Geology Museum to sketch, write, and wonder about the 100s and 100s of fossil and rock specimens… gems, metals, minerals, ancient water life, ancient land life, and a few huge skeletons of dinosaurs, a mastodon, and an ancient "armadillo."

Artwork by Amy Schelser

The annual Birds in Art exhibit at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau is a popular, long-standing, seasonal art exhibition that features paintings, sculptures and works on paper themed around birds. Each year offers a different selection of artworks, and this year’s collection is getting extra-rave reviews!

Photo courtesy of the Leigh Hawkey Woodson Art Museum

This Giving Tuesday, your gift helps ensure Bald Eagles, loons, cranes, and songbirds continue to thrive in our state.

Founded in 1935, Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance has spent nine decades protecting habitat, advancing community science, and ensuring that bird populations across the state continue to thrive. This Giving Tuesday, we invite you to join us in celebrating this milestone by helping us reach our $20,000 fundraising goal in support of our core conservation programs.

Photo by Monica Hall

Through the tremendous power of on-the-ground volunteers, the Bald Eagle Nest Watch program has gathered important information about the health, productivity, and nesting success of around 200 Bald Eagle nests in Wisconsin since 2018. Join this presentation to learn more about what these volunteers look for, why the work matters, and how to get involved in the Manitowoc area. 

Photo by Mike Williams

Discover many ways to enjoy birding during Birdability Week this October! Join Dane County Parks, Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance, and Birdability for a FREE Birdability Week event at Fish Camp County Park for a variety of birding-related experiences. Birdability Week is a time to uplift and amplify the experiences of birders with disabilities and other health concerns, fostering joy, community, and connection with nature. This special event on October 25 is designed to make birding and the outdoors welcoming, inclusive, safe, and accessible for all.

Photo by Brenna Marsicek/SoWBA

Fall is a wonderful time to enjoy Fair Meadows Sanctuary, with many birds migrating south and migrant birds busy foraging. During this Slow Birding event, we will walk at a slow pace on our trails designated as accessible a short distance to a group of Leopold benches. When we arrive at the benches, we will sit and bird for 30 minutes, then walk back to the starting point.

Photo by Gary Shackelford

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 Kaitlin Svabek/SoWBA

Celebrate World Bird Migration Day on Oct. 11 with an educational, hands-on crafting 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. 

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. 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.

Photo by Holly Greenberg/Birds Collisions in the Anthropocene

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 Kaitlin Svabek/SoWBA

This event is cancelled. 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 Michael Anderson

Join us at the Blanchardville Public Library for a presentation on North America’s smallest falcon, the American Kestrel! Landowners across the state have been working with Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance to create habitat for these declining birds to survive and thrive. Learn all about the ecology, life history, and status of this small but mighty raptor, and how you can make a difference for their survival!

Photo by Mick Thompson

This workshop has two parts. First, participants will learn about American Kestrels (where they live, what they eat, how to help them) and the Kestrel Nest Box Monitoring & Banding Program. Then, participants will put together a kestrel nest box (one box per participant). The pieces for the nest boxes will be pre-cut, and all you will need to do is assemble your box using a screwdriver or drill.

Photo by Phil Brown FCC

In this free, online presentation, Dr. Karen Oberhauser will describe the amazing biology of migratory monarchs, how we can use data collected by scientists and public to understand what is driving monarch numbers, and what we can do with that information. The take-home message will be how we can address species conservation—in our own gardens and beyond—in the face of climate and other human-driven changes.

Photo by USFWS Midwest Region FCC

In this free, online presentation, Steffanie Munguía will describe Chimney Swifts’ biology, migration, and conservation needs. You’ll also learn more about why taking steps like protecting large, old chimneys is so critical for this species. And find out more about upcoming Swift Night Out events in Madison on Sept. 6 and throughout Wisconsin!

Photo by Brenna Marsicek/SoWBA

In this free, online presentation, Jennifer Lazweski will describe the incredible Ruby-throated Hummingbird’s biology, migration, and conservation needs. You’ll also learn more about why taking steps like purchasing Bird-Friendly certified coffee and installing window collision deterrents is so critical for this species. And find out more about an upcoming event on International Hummingbird Day on Sept. 6 in Madison!

Photo by Michael Janke

Build a 5-plant native garden for your balcony, patio or porch to bolster birds, bees and butterflies! 

Join us for a presentation about growing native plants in any location — including a small balcony or front porch — and how that container of native plants can support wildlife. Then, head outside for a hands-on activity of planting your own container to take home, each container having one of the following: Wild petunia, purple hyssop, spotted bee balm, prairie dropseed, and butterfly milkweed.

Photo by Eric Manges

Experience the amazing American Kestrel close up! We will visit the kestrel nest boxes that volunteers in our Kestrel Nest Box Monitoring Program steward, open them up, and place research bands on the chicks' ankles. It doesn't harm the birds, and allows scientists to study things like nesting preferences, migration, etc. Plus, it is really, really fun!

Photo by Robert Rolley

Experience the amazing American Kestrel close up! We will visit the kestrel nest boxes that volunteers in our Kestrel Nest Box Monitoring Program steward, open them up, and place research bands on the chicks' ankles. It doesn't harm the birds, and allows scientists to study things like nesting preferences, migration, etc. Plus, it is really, really fun!

Photo by Richard Jones

Join us for Black Birders Week 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin with the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance, and Henry Vilas Zoo! This special event is a great way for you to explore the Zoo before it opens to the public, looking and listening for wild birds that visit the property as well as captive birds that are on exhibit.

Photo by Eric Kilby FCC

The Flockadelics Birdathon Team comprises members of SoWBA staff and interns. We'll hold our Birdathon on May 19 at our newest sanctuary (not yet named!) and surrounding natural areas in southeastern Dane County. We are excited to explore these habitats, and see/hear which birds we can find! You can donate to support bird conservation and SoWBA on this day!

Photo by Rob Streiffer

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

Spring migration is here and birds are on the move! Help celebrate the return of our amazing migratory birds like Baltimore Orioles, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, warblers, and more at this celebration. Activities for children and adults alike, including hummingbird mask-making, sewn bird decorating, information on native plants and a local native plant sale, how to make your home and windows safer for birds, and more!

Photo by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

Join us at the Dodgeville Public Library for a presentation on North America’s smallest falcon, the American Kestrel! Landowners across the state have been working with Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance to create habitat for these declining birds to survive and thrive. Learn all about the ecology, life history, and status of this small but mighty raptor, and how you can make a difference for their survival!

Photo by Kaitlin Svabek/SoWBA

Join us for short presentations and hands-on activities to learn about how your favorite cup of coffee, backyard garden, and picture window can represent important and meaningful ways to have a positive impact on the birds you love.

Photo by Chad Horwedel FCC

You’re invited to Audubon Great Lakes Advocacy Day at the Wisconsin State Capitol, a special day of action that will bring together Audubon members from across the state to speak up for bird-friendly policies.  

Photo by Arlene Koziol