Start here
Appreciating bird behavior, migration, breeding and species variety brings new delights to every walk. Was that nest here yesterday? Is that the first Black-throated Blue Warbler of spring? I think I hear that Wood Thrush song! And the more you know, the more fun it becomes. Below are some tools and Milwaukee specifics to help getting started.
Andrew Dressel
Estabrook Park May 2023
Binoculars
Birds can be seen without binoculars, of course. But binoculars do bring the detail into focus. Find information on choosing binoculars HERE. Starting with 8×32, 8×42, or 10×32, 10 x42 will be good. If you can, go to the store and try out different strengths. Outdoor sports stores and the Wild Bird Unlimited stores sell binoculars.
Merlin App
Merlin is a Cornell Lab of Ornithology bird ID app. It works by description and photo but is most used for identifying bird songs and calls. It is a fabulous way to learn bird songs. Use caution when reporting birds only heard by Merlin, look around can you see the bird and ID it?
Field Guides
There are so many options. And the more you bird, the more you may accumulate. A guide arranged by color can be a nice start when still learning bird families and familiar birds, such as Stan Tekiela’s Birds of Wisconsin. A fold-out guide is nice as many birds can be seen at once. With more experience, a field guide from Sibley, Peterson, Audubon, or Charles Hagner’s American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of Wisconsin would be a good choice. Wehr Nature Center and Schlitz Audubon Nature Center sell local bird guides in their stores. See more on Resources page
Go on a bird walk
Milwaukee has several free, regular bird walks. More eyes and ears, mean more birds found! Walk leaders and other birders are happy to help with ID and species information. Find a list of upcoming walks HERE.
Or take a virtual guided bird walk. There are several Milwaukee area birder-bloggers. Find them on Local Blogs page
Follow Bird City Milwaukee on Facebook for more birding events.
Use eBird
Feeling more confident of your bird ID? Report your sightings on eBird, a free citizen science app. eBird can also be used to find birding hotspots, like above, and localized reports of species. Learn more about eBird
More on bird species
Allaboutbirds.org is a Cornell Lab of Ornithology website. It has an entry on each North American bird species, like the Northern Flicker pictured above. Entries include behavior, appearance, migration map, calls, comparisons to similar species and lots of pictures.
Learn our most common birds
You probably know more birds than you realize. A great way to start birding is to learn the more usual birds. What’s in your backyard or neighborhood park? Check out these common Wisconsin birds at The Nature Conservancy
Milwaukee Birders 