RECOMMENDATIONS BY CHARLES HAGNER, director of Bird City Wisconsin and author of American Birding Association Field Guide to Birds of Wisconsin (Scott & Nix, November 2019).
Black Tern
Nests in colonies in shallow marshes and ponds. Spot them in Vernon Marsh, Waukesha County.
Tell us who you’d pick to be a Betty this year!
Bank Swallow
Nests in burrows in steep bluffs and river banks. Colonies in Cudahy’s Warnimont and Sheridan parks are home to more than 100.
Eastern Meadowlark
A beautiful singer, perches on fence posts, found in grasslands. Visit Mequon Nature Preserve, Havenwoods State Forest and Forest Beach Migratory Preserve.
Baltimore Oriole
Bright orange songbirds with distinctive hanging nests. Look for them in tall deciduous trees in Kletzsch, Lincoln, Riverside, Lake, Whitnall, Warnimont and Grant parks.
Purple Martin
Seasonal residents from South America that nest in specially made houses. See a colony at Forest Beach Migratory Preserve.
Great Blue Heron
North America’s largest heron, common along rivers. See them hunt along the Milwaukee and Menomonee rivers and in Washington Park.
Warblers
39 species of these colorful and varied birds have been recorded in Milwaukee County. Check Whitnall Park, Wehr Nature Center and Fox River Sanctuary.
