2025 Bird of the Year: the red-headed woodpecker
Great
Wisconsin
BIRDATHON REPORT 2025
Critical funds raised for bird conservation by a record number of teams!
HIGHLIGHTS
The Great Wisconsin Birdathon continues to raise critical funds for Wisconsin’s birds. We raised $127,001 for the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin's Bird Protection Fund a new Birdathon record! We’re grateful for all our birders, donors, and sponsors who joined together to protect and conserve our native bird populations.
Discover team stats, species found, the projects being funded this year, and more highlights from our 2025 Birdathon in this report.
620+
91
283 birders across Wisconsin incredible teams
bird species spotted
“I love an excuse to bird and to introduce others to the activity.”
$
127,001 raised for bird conservation
BIRDING FOR A CAUSE
Over the past 13 years, the Great Wisconsin Birdathon has soared to new heights, raising more than one million dollars for the NRF's Bird Protection Fund!
These funds help “feather the nest” for Wisconsin's highest priority bird conservation projects. Birdathon participants flock together to protect our feathered friends at every stage of their life cycle in Wisconsin and on their migratory flyways.
A huge tweet of congratulations to our 91 teams across 39 Wisconsin counties who made this year an exceptional success! More than 620 participants joined in the birding fun to celebrate Wisconsin birds. The Birdathon continues to spread its wings and attract more eager-to-learn birders chirping with excitement about nature and conservation.
The Birdathon is welcoming to everybirdy! Teams choose how, when, and where to bird. We had teams and individuals watching their backyard feeders, birding solely by boat, and even staying awake for a full 24 hours—no rest for the bird-obsessed!
We were egg-cited to welcome 32 teams joining for the first time, along with many seasoned birdathoners returning to the flock. We were also proud to welcome 10 classroom teams this year to join the Birdathon fun. From families to coworkers, from classrooms to youth groups, from nonprofits to bird clubs, our birding community is ready to do what it takes to bring birds back.
Top Fundraisers
1. Cutright's Old Coots $27,637
2. Lake Superior eBirders $12,838
Our teams represented 39 counties this year!
3. Glacial Lakes Conservancy Chickadees $7,081
4. The Motmot Crew $6,555
5. River Raptors $6,144
Most Species Seen
1. The Lincoln Sparrows 204 species
2. BIPOC Flock 200 species
3. Good Godwits 194 species
3. Yes We Pelican! 194 species
4. The Motmot Crew 186 species
Classroom Teams
AFHS Birders, Adams-Friendship High School in Adams County
Edison Environmental Club, Edison Middle School in Brown County
Gulls Just Want to Have Fun! - Grantsburg ‘25, Grantsburg High School in Burnett County
Lincoln 3rd grade Lions, Lincoln Elementary School in Dane County
Mr. Dargatz's Nature Kindergarten, Woodside Elementary School in Waukesha County
Mr. Delain’s APES Class, West Bend High School in Washington County
RBMS Science, River Bluff Middle School in Dane County
UW Eau Claire Camping Club, University in Eau Claire County
UWSP TWS Student Chapter, University in Portage County
West High Whip-poor-wills, Madison West High School in Dane County
tied for third!
“My favorite part of the Birdathon is knowing I am a part of a birding spectacle that encompasses the whole state of Wisconsin. My team, route, and fundraising are just one small part of a larger movement with everyone cooperating to raise money and see birds.”
—2025 Birdathon participan
SEE A BIRD, SAVE A BIRD
Together, our birders spotted a record 283 bird species! That included 39 species considered Special Concern, 11 pecies considered Threatened, and 9 species onsidered Endangered in Wisconsin.
0+ teams spotted our Bird of the Year, the red-headed woodpecker! Through funding woodland habitat estoration and management initiatives, the Birdathon upports this “peck-tacular” Species of Special Concern.
A big chirp of thanks to local artist Brooke Weiland for reating our Birdathoner rtland's warbler, pip Connecticut
othonotary
Rare or Notable Birds Seen
Nelson’s sparrow
Yellow-throated warbler
Yellow rail
Northern bobwhite
Western tanager
Ross’s goose
...and many more
Black-bellied plover by Ryan Brady of team Lake Superior eBirders
arbler by ucky ensel of am Lincoln arrows
Mandy Quainoo
Ruff Kelp gull
Adams-Friendship School District - Team AFHS
Birders
Aldo Leopold Nature Center - Team Owl or Nothing
Baraboo Range Preservation Assoc. - Team
Baraboo Rangers
Benjamin F. Goss Bird Club - Team Goss Hawks
BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin - Team BIPOC Flock
Chippewa County Land Conservancy - Team Chirp Chasers
City of Greenfield - Team Greenfield Grebes
Feminist Bird Club - Madison Chapter - Team
Yes We Pelican!
Friends of McFarland Parks - Team McFarland Bird Festival
Friends of Owen Conservation Park - Team Owen Park Owls
Glacial Lakes Conservancy - Team GLC Chickadees
Holy Wisdom Monastery - Team Wrens of Wisdom Prairie
Madison FUN Friends of Urban Nature - Team Pewees Plodding Pedalling Paddling Prius Green Team
North Lakeland Discovery Center - Team Up North Hammerheads
Northwoods Land Trust - Team NWLTurkeys
Pheasants Forever - Team Funky Pheasants
Richland Center-Santa Teresa Sister City Project - Team Motmot Crew
Schlitz Audubon Nature Center - Team Schlitz
Audubon Screech Owls
Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance - Team Reckless Wrens, The Flockadelics
Tropical Wings - Team Lower Chippewa
Titmouseketeers, Team Tropical Wings
Van der Brohe Arboretum & Bird SanctuaryTeam Van der Brohe Arboretum & Bird
Sanctuary
Wausau Bird Club - Team Wausau Bird Nerds
MAKING LOCAL BIRD CONSERVATION PROJECTS POSSIBLE
Nonprofit organizations, classrooms, Bird Cities, and bird clubs that participate in the Great Wisconsin Birdathon have the option to keep 50% of the funds they raise for their own flock while the rest flies over to support NRF's Bird Protection Fund projects.
This year, we had 23 organizational teams that are collectively putting $23,370 back into their local bird conservation and outreach programs across our state.
What are they up to? They're creating birdfriendly windows, building and installing nest boxes, funding bird banding projects, reaching children and adults with educational materials, planting native plants, restoring habitat, and much more to keep our skies chirping with life!
23K+
$to local organizations
“This is a wonderful way to get people out birding and to fundraise for bird conservation and our land trust. Two things that are very important to me!”
—2025 Birdathon participant
ANNOUNCING THIS YEAR'S BIRD PROTECTION FUND PROJECTS
The Great Wisconsin Birdathon participants raise funds for the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin's Bird Protection Fund, which funds Wisconsin's highest priority bird conservation needs, selected by the advisory committee:
Advancing Bird Conservation within Wisconsin's Important Bird Area System
Wisconsin Bird Conservation Partnership
Audubon Conservation Ranching Audubon Great Lakes
Bird Conservation, Research, and Outreach with Tribal Partners Tribal Bird Conservation Projects
Building an Inclusive Bird Conservation Partnership for Milwaukee Lake Michigan Bird Observatory
Bus to Nature Program— BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin
Climate Lifeboat Initiative: Building Climate Resilience for People and Migratory Birds Osa Conservation
Endangered Bird Conservation Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesNatural Heritage Conservation
Long-term Bird Monitoring at Restoration Sites on the Oneida Nation Reservation Northeastern Wisconsin (NEW) Bird Alliance
Neotropical Flyways Project - Creating Stepping Stones for Migratory Birds in Urabá, Colombia
SELVA Investigación para la Conservación en el Neotropico
Restoring Historical Grassland in the Badger Army Ammunition Plant Important Bird Area Badger History Group, Inc
Smith-Reiner Drumlin Prairie Grassland Bird Habitat Enhancement The Prairie Enthusiasts
Save our Songbirds: Bird Protection in Southern Wisconsin through Community Outreach Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance
Whooping Crane Reintroduction International Crane Foundation
Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas II Book Publication Wisconsin Society for Ornithology
THANK YOU TO OUR 2025 BIRDATHON SPONSORS
