may the chonkiest bird win!
Congratulations to the Hefty Horned Lark for being crowned the 2024 Fat Bird Week winner! Stay tuned for Wisconsin Fat Bird Week 2025.Fat Bird Week
Watch our webinar: “Four Ways to keep Wisconsin’s Birds Fat and Healthy”
Learn all about the easiest ways to help keep our native bird population fat, healthy, and flying. The four biggest actions people can take: plant native species, prevent window strikes, buy bird-friendly coffee, and participate in the Great Wisconsin Birdathon. At the webinar, the winner of Wisconsin Fat Bird Week will be officially announced!
You’ll hear from the following speakers:
- Amy Alstad (Holy Wisdom Monastery)
- Brenna Marsicek (Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance)
- Lisa Gaumnitz (SOS Save Our Songbirds)
- Soumika Gaddameedi (Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin)
Meet the contestants
Plump Pine Warbler
by Andy Raupp
Top Heavy Tree Swallow
by Richard Albert
Hefty Horned Lark
by Andy Raupp
Gluttonous Golden-Crowned Kinglet
by Charlotte Catalano
Dumpy Dark-Eyed Junco
by Warren Lynn
Bountiful Barn Swallow
by Joe Riederer
Rotund Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
by Andy Raupp
Chonky Canada Warbler
by Ken & Barb Wardius
Presented by
Why do we care about Wisconsin’s fat birds?
Fat, healthy birds benefit our environment in a variety of ways. As key pollinators, birds disperse seeds, pollinate plants, and help manage pests in farmlands and forests. Birds also have significant mental health benefits for humans and support Wisconsin’s $2.6 billion wildlife watching economy. Known as “canaries in the coal mine,” birds can alert both people and wildlife to unhealthy conditions, too. Source: SOS Save Our Songbirds
How does voting work?
The first round of voting opens at 9am CST on Friday, April 19th and voting will remain open for 48 hours. The second round of voting will open at 9am CST on Sunday, April 21st and remain open for 24 hours. The following rounds will all open at 9am CST and last 24 hours until the final round on Friday, April 26th. The winner will be crowned at the webinar on Tuesday, April 30th!
Gather your flock!
The Great Wisconsin Birdathon is Wisconsin’s largest fundraiser for bird conservation. It’s like a walk-a-thon style fundraiser, but instead of logging miles, our participants are logging bird sightings! Each year, bird enthusiasts from across the state raise support and awareness for bird conservation by forming a team or donating to a team.
The funds are collected and managed by NRF through the Bird Protection Fund. BPF projects include conservation of Wisconsin’s most threatened and endangered bird species; creation and protection of crucial breeding, stopover, and overwintering habitat; research and monitoring; and education and outreach.
Birdathon teams can participate any day from April 15th to June 15th, and donations are accepted from March 15th to June 30th. Participation is free and all skill levels are welcome to join.
Banner photo by Ken & Barb Wardius