Wisconsin Songbirds

Northern Cardinal. Ryan Brady

More than half of Wisconsin’s 226 bird species — considered “ours” because they nest here — are classified as songbirds. These 123 birds all belong to the order Passeriformes and share a distinctive toe arrangement — three facing forward and one backward — to help them perch. All have mastery of their vocal organ and learn their songs. Adult tutors help them finetune the template song they possess at hatching. Most songbirds sing to attract mates or establish territories.

Most songbirds migrate from Wisconsin for winter while others are “resident” birds year-round. Still other species mostly or partially migrate but some individuals remain during winter, as catalogued below. Learn more about each species with Cornell University’s All About Birds guide and download their mobile app, Merlin Bird ID.

Migratory songbirds

Acadian Flycatcher

Alder Flycatcher

American Redstart

Baltimore Oriole

Bank Swallow

Barn Swallow

Bell's Vireo

Black-and-white Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

Black-capped Chickadee

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Blue Grosbeak

Blue-headed Vireo

Blue-winged Warbler

Bobolink

Brewer's Blackbird

Brown-headed Cowbird

Brown Thrasher

Canada Warbler

Cape May Warbler

Cedar Waxwing

Cerulean Warbler

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Chipping Sparrow

Clay-colored Sparrow

Cliff Swallow

Common Grackle

Common Yellowthroat

Connecticut Warbler

Dark-eyed Junco

Dickcissel

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Kingbird

Eastern Meadowlark

Migratory songbirds

Eastern Phoebe

Eastern Towhee

Eastern Wood-Pewee

Field Sparrow

Golden-winged Warbler

Grasshopper Sparrow

Gray Catbird

Great Crested Flycatcher

Henslow's Sparrow

Hermit Thrush

Hooded Warbler

Horned Lark

House Wren

Indigo Bunting

Kentucky Warbler

Kirtland's Warbler

Lark Sparrow

Least Flycatcher

LeConte's Sparrow

Lincoln's Sparrow

Loggerhead Shrike

Louisiana Waterthrush

Magnolia Warbler

Marsh Wren

Mourning Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Northern Parula

Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Northern Waterthrush

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Orchard Oriole

Ovenbird

Palm Warbler

Pine Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler

Migratory songbirds

Purple Martin

Red-eyed Vireo

Red-winged Blackbird

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Savannah Sparrow

Scarlet Tanager

Sedge Wren

Song Sparrow

Swainson's Thrush

Swamp Sparrow

Tree Swallow

Veery

Vesper Sparrow

Warbling Vireo

Western Meadowlark

White-eyed Vireo

White-throated Sparrow

Willow Flycatcher

Winter Wren

Wood Thrush

Worm-eating Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow-bellied Flycatcher

Yellow-breasted Chat

Yellow-headed Blackbird

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Yellow-throated Vireo

Yellow-throated Warbler

Non-migratory songbirds

American Crow

Black-capped Chickadee

Boreal Chickadee

Canada Jay

Great Tit

Tufted Titmouse

Common Raven

European Goldfinch

House Finch

House Sparrow

Mostly migratory songbirds

American Robin

American Goldfinch

Brown Creeper

Carolina Wren

Cedar Waxwing

Evening Grosbeak

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Northern Mockingbird

Pine Siskin

Purple Finch

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Red Crossbill

Partially migratory songbirds

Blue Jay

European Starling

Northern Cardinal

White-breasted Nuthatch