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