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List of birds of Wisconsin facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
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The American robin is the state bird of Wisconsin.

Welcome to the amazing world of birds in Wisconsin! This list shows all the different kinds of birds that have been seen and officially recorded in our state. As of July 2022, there are 441 types of birds on this special list. Some birds live here all the time, while others just visit for a season or pass through during their long journeys.

Birds on this list are grouped by their scientific families, which helps scientists study them. You'll see some special letters next to certain birds. Here's what they mean:

  • A (Accidental): These birds are very rare visitors, seen less than once every five years.
  • C (Casual): These birds are also rare, but they show up a bit more often, at least once every one to five years.
  • R (Rare): You can find these birds every year, but there are usually fewer than eight sightings per year.
  • I (Introduced): These birds were brought to North America by people, not by nature.
  • E (Extinct): Sadly, these birds no longer exist anywhere in the world.
  • H (Hypothetical): These birds have been reported, but scientists haven't fully confirmed their presence yet.

Contents

Ducks, Geese, and Waterfowl

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Canada goose

Order: Anseriformes   Family: Anatidae

This group includes ducks, geese, and swans. These birds are experts at living in water! They have webbed feet for swimming and special bills for finding food. Their feathers are super waterproof thanks to natural oils. Wisconsin has seen 45 different kinds of these birds.

New World Quail

Order: Galliformes   Family: Odontophoridae

New World quails are small, round birds that live on the ground. They look a bit like the quails from other parts of the world. Only one species has been seen in Wisconsin.

Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies

Order: Galliformes   Family: Phasianidae

This family includes pheasants and their relatives. These are ground-dwelling birds that vary in size. Many are hunted for sport or raised for food. Eight species have been found in Wisconsin.

Grebes: Diving Birds

Order: Podicipediformes   Family: Podicipedidae

Grebes are small to medium-sized birds that dive in freshwater. They have special lobed toes that make them excellent swimmers. However, their feet are placed far back on their bodies, so they are clumsy on land. Wisconsin has five confirmed grebe species and one hypothetical one.

Pigeons and Doves

Order: Columbiformes   Family: Columbidae

Pigeons and doves are plump birds with short necks and small, thin beaks. Eight different kinds have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Cuckoos: Long-Tailed Birds

Order: Cuculiformes   Family: Cuculidae

The cuckoo family includes cuckoos, roadrunners, and anis. These birds have slender bodies, long tails, and strong legs. Three species have been seen in Wisconsin.

Nightjars and Allies

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Common nighthawk

Order: Caprimulgiformes   Family: Caprimulgidae

Nightjars are medium-sized birds that are active at night. They usually build their nests on the ground. They have long wings, short legs, and very short bills. Their soft feathers help them blend in with tree bark or leaves. Three species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Swifts: Birds of the Air

Order: Apodiformes   Family: Apodidae

Swifts are small birds that spend most of their lives flying. They have very short legs and almost never land on the ground. Instead, they perch on vertical surfaces. Many swifts have long, swept-back wings that look like a boomerang. Only one species has been recorded in Wisconsin.

Hummingbirds: Tiny Flyers

Order: Apodiformes   Family: Trochilidae

Hummingbirds are tiny birds famous for hovering in the air by flapping their wings super fast. They are the only birds that can fly backward! Eight species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Rails, Gallinules, and Coots

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American coot

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Rallidae

This is a large family of small to medium-sized birds like rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. They usually live in thick plants near lakes, swamps, or rivers. They are often shy and hard to spot. Most have strong legs and long toes, perfect for walking on soft ground. Eight species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Cranes: Tall Wading Birds

Order: Gruiformes   Family: Gruidae

Cranes are large birds with long legs and long necks. When they fly, their necks are stretched out, unlike herons. Many cranes have special, loud "dances" they do when looking for a mate. Two species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Stilts and Avocets

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Recurvirostridae

This family includes avocets and stilts, which are large wading birds. Avocets have long legs and bills that curve upwards. Stilts have extremely long legs and long, thin, straight bills. Two species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Plovers and Lapwings

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Killdeer

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Charadriidae

This family includes plovers, dotterels, and lapwings. They are small to medium-sized birds with compact bodies, short thick necks, and long, pointed wings. They live in open areas around the world, especially near water. Seven species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Sandpipers and Allies

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Wilson's phalarope

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Scolopacidae

This is a large and varied family of small to medium-sized shorebirds. It includes sandpipers, curlews, godwits, and more. Most of these birds eat small bugs they find in mud or soil. Different bill and leg lengths allow many species to feed in the same places without competing for food. Wisconsin has 35 confirmed species and one hypothetical one.

Skuas and Jaegers

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Stercorariidae

Skuas and jaegers are medium to large birds, usually gray or brown. They have longish bills with hooked tips and webbed feet with sharp claws. They are strong, agile flyers. Three species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Auks, Murres, and Puffins

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Alcidae

This family includes auks, murres, and puffins. These birds have short wings and live on the open sea, only coming to land to breed. Wisconsin has three confirmed species and one hypothetical one.

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

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Ring-billed gull

Order: Charadriiformes   Family: Laridae

This family includes gulls, terns, and skimmers. They are medium to large seabirds, usually gray or white, often with black on their heads or wings. They have strong, longish bills and webbed feet. Wisconsin has 29 confirmed species and two hypothetical ones.

Loons: Diving Water Birds

Order: Gaviiformes   Family: Gaviidae

Loons are aquatic birds, about the size of a large duck. They are mostly gray or black with spear-shaped bills. Loons are excellent swimmers and can fly well, but they are very clumsy on land because their legs are placed far back on their bodies. Three species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Storks: Tall Wading Birds

Order: Ciconiiformes   Family: Ciconiidae

Storks are large, heavy wading birds with long legs, long necks, and strong bills. They have wide wingspans. Storks don't have a voice box, so they are mostly silent. Two species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Frigatebirds: Aerial Masters

Order: Suliformes   Family: Fregatidae

Frigatebirds are large seabirds found over tropical oceans. They are mostly black, with long wings and deeply forked tails. Males have colorful throat pouches that they can inflate. These birds don't swim or walk well and can't take off from flat ground. They have the largest wingspan compared to their body weight of any bird, allowing them to stay in the air for over a week! One species has been recorded in Wisconsin.

Anhingas: Snake-like Swimmers

Order: Suliformes   Family: Anhingidae

Anhingas are water birds that look a bit like cormorants, but they have very long necks and long, straight beaks. They eat fish and often swim with only their neck above the water, looking like a snake. One species has been recorded in Wisconsin.

Cormorants and Shags

Order: Suliformes   Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Cormorants are medium to large water birds, usually with dark feathers and colorful skin on their faces. Their bills are long, thin, and sharply hooked. They have webbed feet with four toes. Two species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Pelicans: Birds with Pouches

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American white pelican

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Pelecanidae

Pelicans are very large water birds with a unique pouch under their beak, which they use to scoop up fish. Like other birds in their group, they have four webbed toes. Two species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns

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Great blue heron

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Ardeidae

This family includes herons, egrets, and bitterns. Herons and egrets are medium to large wading birds with long necks and legs. Bitterns are usually shorter-necked and more secretive. These birds fly with their necks pulled back, unlike storks or ibises. Eleven species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Ibises and Spoonbills

Order: Pelecaniformes   Family: Threskiornithidae

This family includes ibises and spoonbills. They have long, wide wings and long bodies with long legs. Their bills are also long; ibises have bills that curve downwards, while spoonbills have flat, spoon-shaped bills. Four species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

New World Vultures

Order: Cathartiformes   Family: Cathartidae

New World vultures look like Old World vultures, but they are not closely related. They both eat dead animals (carrion). Unlike Old World vultures, which find food by sight, New World vultures have a great sense of smell to find carcasses. Two species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Osprey: Fish-Eating Raptor

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Pandionidae

The Osprey family has only one member: the Osprey! These birds of prey eat fish. They have a very large, strong hooked beak for tearing meat, powerful legs, sharp talons, and excellent eyesight.

Hawks, Eagles, and Kites

Order: Accipitriformes   Family: Accipitridae

This family includes hawks, eagles, kites, and harriers. These birds of prey have very large, strong hooked beaks for tearing meat, powerful legs, sharp talons, and keen eyesight. Sixteen species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Barn-Owls: Heart-Faced Hunters

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Tytonidae

Barn-owls are medium to large owls with big heads and a special heart-shaped face. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons. One species has been recorded in Wisconsin.

Owls: Night Hunters

Order: Strigiformes   Family: Strigidae

Typical owls are solitary birds of prey that hunt at night. They have large eyes that face forward, good hearing, a hawk-like beak, and a circle of feathers around each eye called a facial disk. Eleven species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Kingfishers: Fisher Birds

Order: Coraciiformes   Family: Alcedinidae

Kingfishers are medium-sized birds with large heads, long, pointed bills, short legs, and stubby tails. They are known for diving into water to catch fish. One species has been recorded in Wisconsin.

Woodpeckers: Tree Tappers

Order: Piciformes   Family: Picidae

Woodpeckers are small to medium-sized birds with chisel-like beaks, short legs, stiff tails, and long tongues for catching insects. Many woodpeckers tap loudly on tree trunks with their beaks. Ten species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Falcons and Caracaras

Order: Falconiformes   Family: Falconidae

This family includes falcons and caracaras, which are birds of prey active during the day. They are different from hawks and eagles because they kill their prey with their beaks, not their talons. Six species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

New World and African Parrots

Order: Psittaciformes   Family: Psittacidae

Parrots are birds with a special curved beak. They can move their upper beak a little, and they usually stand upright. All parrots have two toes pointing forward and two pointing backward on each foot. Most of the many species in this family live in the Americas. One species has been recorded in Wisconsin.

Tyrant Flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Tyrannidae

Tyrant flycatchers are songbirds found across North and South America. They look a bit like other flycatchers but are stronger and have tougher bills. Most of them eat insects. Wisconsin has 20 confirmed species and one hypothetical one.

Vireos: Greenish Songbirds

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Vireonidae

Vireos are small to medium-sized songbirds. They are usually greenish and look like wood warblers, but they have stronger bills. Nine species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Shrikes: Hook-Billed Hunters

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Laniidae

Shrikes are songbirds known for catching small animals and impaling them on thorns or barbed wire. Their beak is hooked, like a bird of prey. Two species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Crows, Jays, and Magpies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Corvidae

This family includes crows, ravens, jays, and magpies. These birds are larger than average songbirds, and some of the bigger ones are very smart. Six species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Tits, Chickadees, and Titmice

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Paridae

The Paridae family includes small, stocky woodland birds with short, strong bills. They are very adaptable and eat a mix of seeds and insects. Three species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Larks: Ground Birds with Songs

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Alaudidae

Larks are small ground birds known for their often fancy songs and display flights. Most larks look quite plain. They eat insects and seeds. One species has been recorded in Wisconsin.

Swallows: Aerial Feeders

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Hirundinidae

This family of songbirds is known for catching food while flying. They have slender bodies, long pointed wings, and short bills with wide mouths. Their feet are better for perching than walking. Seven species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Leaf Warblers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Phylloscopidae

Leaf warblers are a family of small insect-eating birds, mostly found in Europe and Asia. They come in various sizes, often with green feathers on top and yellow underneath, or more muted gray-green colors. One species has been recorded in Wisconsin.

Kinglets: Tiny Crowned Birds

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Regulidae

Kinglets are a small family of birds that look a bit like titmice. They are very small insect-eating birds. Adult kinglets have colorful crowns on their heads, which gives them their name. Two species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Waxwings: Silky Feathered Birds

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Bombycillidae

Waxwings are birds with soft, silky feathers and unique red tips on some of their wing feathers. These tips look like sealing wax, which is how they got their name. They live in northern forests and eat insects in summer and berries in winter. Two species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Silky-Flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Ptiliogonatidae

Silky-flycatchers are a small family of songbirds found mostly in Central America. They are related to waxwings and also have soft, silky feathers, usually gray or pale yellow. They have small crests on their heads. One species has been recorded in Wisconsin.

Nuthatches: Head-First Climbers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sittidae

Nuthatches are small woodland birds. They have a special ability to climb down trees headfirst, unlike most other birds that only climb upwards. Nuthatches have big heads, short tails, and strong bills and feet. Three species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Treecreepers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Certhiidae

Treecreepers are small woodland birds, brown on top and white underneath. They have thin, pointed, downward-curved bills, which they use to pull insects out of tree bark. They have stiff tail feathers, like woodpeckers, which help them support themselves on vertical trees. One species has been recorded in Wisconsin.

Gnatcatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Polioptilidae

These delicate birds look and act like Old World warblers, moving constantly through leaves to find insects. Gnatcatchers are mostly soft bluish-gray and have the long, sharp bill typical of insect-eaters. Many species have distinct black patterns on their heads (especially males) and long, often upright, black-and-white tails. One species has been recorded in Wisconsin.

Wrens: Small and Loud

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Troglodytidae

Wrens are small and often hard to see, but their songs are very loud! They have short wings and thin, downward-curved bills. Several species often hold their tails straight up. All wrens eat insects. Seven species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Mockingbirds and Thrashers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Mimidae

This family includes thrashers, mockingbirds, and catbirds. These birds are famous for their amazing voices and their ability to copy many different bird calls and other sounds they hear. They usually have dull gray and brown feathers. Five species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Starlings: Metallic Sheen Birds

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Sturnidae

Starlings are small to medium-sized songbirds with strong feet. They fly strongly and directly and often gather in large groups. They prefer open areas and eat insects and fruit. Their feathers are usually dark with a shiny, metallic look. One species has been recorded in Wisconsin.

Thrushes and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Turdidae

Thrushes are a group of songbirds, mostly found in the Old World. They are plump, soft-feathered, small to medium-sized birds that eat insects or sometimes everything. They often feed on the ground. Many thrushes have beautiful songs. Ten species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Old World Flycatchers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Muscicapidae

Old World flycatchers are a large family of small songbirds. These are mainly small birds that live in trees and eat insects, often catching them while flying. One hypothetical species has been recorded in Wisconsin.

Old World Sparrows

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House sparrow

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passeridae

Old World sparrows are small songbirds. They are generally small, plump, brownish or grayish birds with short tails and strong, short beaks. Sparrows eat seeds, but they also eat small insects. Two species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Wagtails and Pipits

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Motacillidae

This family includes wagtails, longclaws, and pipits. They are slender, small songbirds with medium to long tails. They feed on insects on the ground in open areas. One confirmed species and one hypothetical species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Finches, Euphonias, and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Fringillidae

Finches are songbirds that eat seeds. They are small to medium-sized and have strong, often cone-shaped beaks. They have a bouncy flight pattern, flapping and then gliding with closed wings. Most finches sing well. Wisconsin has 12 confirmed species and one hypothetical one.

Longspurs and Snow Buntings

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Calcariidae

This group of songbirds was once thought to be part of the New World sparrows, but they are different. They are usually found in open grassy areas. Four species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

New World Sparrows

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Passerellidae

These birds are mostly called sparrows, but they are not closely related to the Old World sparrows. Many of them have unique patterns on their heads. Twenty-seven species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

Yellow-breasted Chat

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Icteriidae

This bird used to be grouped with the wood-warblers, but scientists decided in 2017 that it needed its own family!

Troupials and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Icteridae

This group includes grackles, New World blackbirds, and New World orioles. They are small to medium-sized, often colorful songbirds found only in the Americas. Most species are mainly black, sometimes with bright yellow, orange, or red. Sixteen species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

New World Warblers

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Parulidae

Wood-warblers are a group of small and often colorful songbirds found only in the Americas. Most live in trees, but some, like the ovenbird, live more on the ground. Most members of this family eat insects. Wisconsin has 42 confirmed species and one hypothetical one.

Cardinals and Allies

Order: Passeriformes   Family: Cardinalidae

Cardinals are a family of strong, seed-eating birds with powerful bills. They usually live in open woodlands. Males and females often have different feather colors. Twelve species have been recorded in Wisconsin.

See also

  • List of birds
  • Lists of birds by region
  • List of North American birds
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List of birds of Wisconsin Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.