Photo by Jack Bartholmai

Bird Watching In Wisconsin

Fortuitously located along the Wisconsin River and blessed with both woodlands, and wetlands, and grasslands, the Wisconsin Rapids Area is one of the nation's hot spots for bird watching. Located in an ecological landscape known as the Central Sand Plains-a vast, sandy plain that was once Glacial Lake Wisconsin, a great lake bed formed by glacial runoff covering 1,800 square miles-the Wisconsin Rapids area offers opportunities for the birder to see up to 200 bird species. Our unique location at the center of several wildlife areas allows bird watchers to travel between different habitats and viewing areas with ease. See our Viewing Areas page for more information. And contact the Wisconsin DNR for a copy of their Wisconsin Land Legacy Report to learn more about the Central Sand Plains and other ecological landscapes in Wisconsin.

There are 408 species of birds known to inhabit Wisconsin, including 400 native species. Among these are 3 that are Federally Endangered, 12 State Endangered, 13 State Threatened, and 76 Special Concern species.

The Wisconsin Rapids Area (Wood County/northern Adams and Juneau Counties, eastern Jackson County, northeastern Monroe County, southeastern Clark County, and western Portage County) is home to several rare, uncommon, or priority bird species, including whooping crane, trumpeter swan, osprey, sharp-tailed grouse, American woodcock, greater prairie-chicken, red shouldered hawk, northern harrier, short-eared owl, red-headed woodpecker, golden-winged warbler, prothonotary warbler, cerulean warbler (rarely), hooded warbler (rarely), acadian flycatcher (rarely), Henslow's sparrow, grasshopper sparrow, eastern meadowlark, and upland sandpiper. There are also some bird species that are more "northern" in occurrence, which can be seen in the area such as pine warbler, blackburnian warbler, hermit thrush, and white-throated sparrow. And waterfowl is abundant, including wood duck and hooded merganser.

Neo-tropical migrating birds, particularly many of our songbirds and shorebirds, are best spotted in the spring during their journey north, and late summer/early fall before they fly to southern Mexico and Central and South America. For an inside line on migratory and resident birds, wetland and woodland tours at Glacial Lake Cranberries are available during the year to see trumpeter swans, black terns, sandhill cranes, loons and other resident species. Give them a call to arrange a private tour or, stay on site at The Stone Cottage and watch the action from your own front porch.