For birds migrating through the Mississippi flyway, the Madison area’s four lakes signal a welcome reprieve. According to David Drake, a UW professor of forest and wildlife ecology and UW Extension wildlife specialist, the habitats surrounding the lakes are crucial to migratory species’ survival, providing a safe place for birds to rest and refuel during stopovers. Hundreds of these migratory bird species nest on the UW campus.
The UW is an even safer avian haven thanks to the construction of species-specific nesting structures and new building ordinances that require bird-safe glass to reduce collisions. Careful listeners can hear the promising results of these efforts. “Learning birdsong is like learning a new language and rewiring your brain,” says UW professor of avian ecology Anna Pidgeon PhD’00. “It’s scaffolding to build knowledge and appreciation of nature for your whole life.”
Below are some of the birds that Badgers might hear throughout the year.
Year-Round Residents
- American Crows
- American Goldfinches
- American Herring Gulls
- Bald Eagles
- Barred Owls
- Belted Kingfisher
- Black-Capped Chickadees
- Blue Jays
- Canada Geese
- European Starlings
- Great Blue Heron
- House Finches
- Mallards
- Mourning Doves
- Northern Cardinals
- Red-Tailed Hawks
- Song Sparrows
- White-Breasted Nuthatches
- Wild Turkeys
- Wood Duck
- Woodpeckers
Spring/Fall Migration
- Blackpoll Warblers
- Blue-Winged Teal
- Common Loon
- Gadwall
- Great Egret
Harbingers of Winter
- Dark-Eyed Junco
- Tundra Swan
Summer Residents
- American Robins
- Baltimore Oriole
- Eastern Bluebird
- Eastern Wood-Pewee
- Indigo Bunting
- Northern Shoveler
- Osprey
- Purple Martin
- Red-Headed Woodpeckers
- Rose-Breasted Grosbeak
- Sandhill Cranes
- Scarlet Tanager
- Tree Swallow
- Vireos
- Warblers
Published in the Spring 2025 issue
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