WDNR Statewide Birding Report
Rare bird mania has hit southern Wisconsin this week. An immature green-breasted mango, a Central American hummingbird, has shown up at a rural residence outside of Beloit. Hundreds of birders from all over the U.S. have now traveled to view this wayward migrant. In other rare bird news, the annual Wisconsin Society for Ornithology Superior trip turned up all three species of jaegers, brief looks at Sabine's gull, Harris' sparrow, and good numbers of migrant passerines and raptors. Great gray owls continue to be seen periodically near Cornucopia in Bayfield County and an extremely early northern hawk owl was spotted just north of Gordon in Douglas County. Raptor migration continues with large numbers of broad-winged and sharp-shinned hawks reported along with turkey vultures, harriers, peregrine falcons, merlins and American kestrels. White-throated sparrows, kinglets, creepers and other late passerine migrants have now begun to move through the state. Warm temps have allowed many hummingbirds and other passerine migrants to linger. Birders will notice large numbers of blue jays, flickers and bluebirds moving in the next week or so. This appears to be a good year for siskins, purple finches, and red-breasted nuthatches in southern Wisconsin and all forecasts point to a large redpoll year in Wisconsin. In all more than 200 species were reported to Wisconsin eBird last week, so birding is good! As always, please report sightings to ebird (
www.ebird.org/WI) to better track populations as they move through the state.
WDNR
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