More teams, more birds, and more funds raised for bird conservation!
Read on for highlights and results from this year’s Great Wisconsin Birdathon.
Team Yes We Pelican!, representing the Feminist Bird Club Madison Chapter, participating in the 2023 Great Wisconsin Birdathon. Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt.
Wisconsin’s incredible birding community has done it again! This year’s Great Wisconsin Birdathon saw more than 500 birders come together to raise a record-breaking $122,162 to protect Wisconsin’s birds. These donations support the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin’s Bird Protection Fund, which supports Wisconsin’s highest-priority bird conservation projects.
Our birders, team captains, donors, and sponsors are the reason the Birdathon soars each year. We are grateful to our amazing “flock” for supporting our mission to bring birds back.
The 2023 Birdathon Report showcases some of the fun stories and successes of the 12th annual Great Wisconsin Birdathon. Enjoy these highlights from our amazing season together. Mark your calendars for the Birdathon to return next spring from April 15th through June 15th!
The Connecticut warbler was our 2023 Bird of the Year as part of our efforts to raise awareness about this rapidly declining species. Photo by Dan Behm.
Announcing the 2023 Bird Protection Fund recipients
The Great Wisconsin Birdathon supports NRF’s Bird Protection Fund. The funds our birders raise protect Wisconsin’s threatened and endangered birds by creating and protecting habitat, supporting research and monitoring projects, and making bird education and outreach initiatives possible. The Bird Protection Fund Committee, made up of a group of Wisconsin bird conservation experts, helps determine where the funds will have the most positive impact on our birds. We are proud to share this year’s funding recipients:
- Advancing Bird Conservation within Wisconsin’s Important Bird Area (IBA) System — Wisconsin Bird Conservation Partnership
- Audubon Conservation Ranching — Audubon Great Lakes
- Bird Conservation for All — BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin
- Change is Hard: Making Bird-friendly Actions Easy in Lakeside Communities — Lake Michigan Bird Observatory
- Grassland Expansion at Mounds View Grassland Preserve — The Prairie Enthusiasts
- Lincoln Creek Habitat Research and Restoration — Nearby Nature
- Long-term Bird Monitoring at Restoration Sites on the Oneida Nation Reservation — Northeast Wisconsin Audubon
- Neotropical Flyways Project — SELVA
- Piping Plover Conservation — Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
- Taking Action to Save Birds — SOS Save Our Songbirds
- Whooping Crane Reintroduction — International Crane Foundation
$26,000+ to Local Bird Conservation
I’m thrilled to dedicate an entire day to do what I love most — birding — all while raising funds for bird conservation.
Friendly Birding Competition
The BIPOC Flock team, representing the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, in the 2023 Great Wisconsin Birdathon. Photo courtesy of Jeff Galligan.
Top Fundraisers
- Cutright’s Old Coots $26,219
- Lake Superior eBirders $10,024
- River Raptors $6,570
- The Motmot Crew $6,282
- Finch Gang $4,869
Most Species Seen
- WARBling Vireos: 208 species
- Good Godwits: 203 species
- MuirLand Merlins: 178 species
- Lake Superior eBirders: 164 species
- Driftless Birders: 158 species
Thank you to all our birders and donors for making the 2023 season another record-breaking success!
Team Funky Pheasants, representing Pheasants Forever, in the 2023 Great Wisconsin Birdathon. Photo by Britta Petersen.
By Soumika Gaddameedi, Events and Donor Relations Coordinator (and coordinator of the Birdathon!)