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

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, how a local citizen science group is studying the problem and provide recommendations on ways to address problem windows at home to make them more bird-safe.

Photo by Kelly Colgan Azar

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