Bird City, Milwaukee County is a monthly column celebrating the 11 cities, towns, and villages that have achieved Bird City status within Milwaukee County. Citizens of these locations have made bird conservation a priority, protecting land, writing ordinances, and educating the public on issues concerning our avian neighbors. You can learn more about the Bird City Network by visiting its website. This month: the City of Milwaukee (part 1).

We’ve been north, south, east, and west across good ol’ Milwaukee County, and we’ve covered every Bird City…except for the big kahuna itself.

Nestled in the center of the county and butting up against the great Lake Michigan is none other than our county’s namesake: the City of Milwaukee. The city touts a “High Flyer” Bird City status, and for good reason. A wide variety of individuals and organizations, from park friends groups and other nonprofits to city officials and even big corporations have dedicated time and resources to make Milwaukee a better place for birds and other wildlife. As with everywhere, there’s still a ton of work to be done, but this column has first and foremost celebrated the great birding spots within these Bird Cities while providing some education on bird-related topics.

Since the city is so vast I’m breaking this article up into two, and providing a great birding location for every month in the year so that you can celebrate birds throughout 2025. Of course, that means double the Q&As, but I’ll introduce this month’s guest later on. For now, let’s explore the “Good Land.”

January: McKinley Beach

We’re starting on Lake Michigan which means starting on McKinley Beach. In the summertime you can experience killdeer, which have the unfortunate habit of nesting on busy public beaches. So, all you beach babes and dudes better look out for eggs during a good beach day. For more varied birding, I suggest hitting McKinley Beach up in the winter. It’s a great time to spot uncommon shorebirds like the Ruddy Turnstone or Purple Sandpiper. These hearty birds stop along Lake Michigan and other coastlines during the winter but usually don’t stay at McKinley for long. So be the early bird and go catch that bird if you want to add it to your Wisconsin life list. McKinley is also a great location for winter ducks, chilling their webbed feet out in the waves.

Ruddy Turnstone

Before heading to the beach I suggest a Colectivo Coffee pit stop. Get yourself a warm and floofy drink at the lakefront location and admire the elegant cream city brick. Aesthetically, it’s my favorite of the local chain’s many locations. While the Colectivo brand isn’t as charming as it once was, it’s exciting to see Milwaukee-made success that’s also really delicious. That potato bacon burrito hits the spot every time.

Purple Sandpiper

February: South Shore Park and Yacht Club

We’ll follow Lake Michigan down 794 to February’s destination. Like McKinley Beach, South Shore Yacht Club is a common place for rare shorebird stopovers. Amidst mallards, geese, and gulls one can spot anything from American Avocets to a Mandarin Duck. To be completely clear, no one should ever expect to spot a Mandarin Duck in Milwaukee, ever. The one that made the news in 2023 was an escapee, but I bring it up because once it escaped, the duck, like countless unexpected birds before it, found the Yacht Club to be an appealing destination. I’ve written about a small flock of Willets showing up in the spring, but the Yacht Club is worth paying attention to any time of year because it’s a place to expect the unexpected. As with January’s recommendation, expect to see more waterfowl variety on the lakeshore in February and the other winter months.

Willet

Five minutes from South Shore Park is one of Milwaukee’s most unique and historic movie theaters. The Avalon Atmospheric Theater is dubbed “atmospheric” for its brilliant ceiling. Hundreds of tiny lights sprinkle the ceiling, collectively forming an indoor night sky that makes the movie-watching experience one of a kind. The Neighborhood Theater Group, which also owns the Rosebud and Times cinemas, does a fantastic job curating screenings of flicks new and old. They allow guest curators, including the fine folks in charge of this here website, to host monthly screenings. My wife and I had the (guilty) pleasure of seeing Batman & Robin on the big screen (this is my official plea to give Batman Forever the Avalon treatment), and next month gives comedy film fans the chance to relive the 1994 Jim Carrey (ahem, The Riddler) classic Dumb And Dumber. You can also expect the latest Hollywood films, and the Milwaukee Film Festival generally utilizes the theater for festival screenings each year.

Red-Breasted Mergansers

March: Downer Woods

While most birds nest in the summer, the Great Horned Owl is one of North America’s earliest nesters. Why? Because the nights are longer in the winter, this nocturnal hunter has an advantage during our dark winter months. By the time March swings along their young have gotten old enough to spot, and while most of the good nesting spots are in county areas that are not Bird Cities (I’m looking at you Oak Creek and St. Francis), there are a few spots in the city where you might come across fledglings. One of those spots is Downer Woods. Located on the UW-Milwaukee campus (and discussed in great detail in this Milwaukee Record article from 2017), Downer Woods is a great greenspace for stressed-out students. The 20-plus-acre area is heavily forested, making it a prime spot for Great Horned Owls to stash and raise their young. That, and maybe get in a campus party or two.

Great Horned Owl fledglings

If you’re going to go out owling then you’re going to be up a little later than most birders. So, I recommend swinging down to Oakland Gyros on your way out of UWM Panther territory. Some might call it a cliche pick, but I’m calling it a staple. On a Friday or Saturday, this East Side favorite is open past bar close, so there’s plenty of time to hit up the Miramar Theatre for a show or the Downer Theatre for a late night movie… or, ya know, a countless number of bars after searching for owls and still have time for the best gyro sandwich in Wisconsin. (The USA? Maybe even the world?!)

April: Riverside Park & Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum

Let’s stick to the East Side. Even better, let’s stick a stone’s throw away from Oakland Gyros. Located on the east bank of the Milwaukee River, this woodland and buffer zone habitat hugs the Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum for 40 acres of urban nature goodness. The arboretum side is home to a bevy of natural grasses and shrubs, thanks to a partnership between many organizations including the Rotary Club of Milwaukee and the Urban Ecology Center (UEC), which operates a facility on the property. This partnership is one of many achievements that contribute to Milwaukee’s “High Flyer” Bird City status, and for good reason. According to Bird City, the area is considered the most significant and biologically diverse native ecosystem in Southeast Wisconsin. When the habitat is diverse so is the wildlife, which makes the spot perfect for the Milwaukee birder. A mixture of hawks and other birds of prey can be found year-round, while warblers and other migrants are expected in the spring months, and that’s only scratching the surface. The UEC hosts bird walks at Riverside Park every Thursday Morning, except for holiday weekends.

Red-Tailed Hawk eating a vole

Closer to the UWM campus is a new gaming store for anyone interested in nerd-related activities. Old Guard Games opened in May and is designed like no other store in the area. Lion statues greet visitors outside the front door, and the interior is adorned with statues of medieval knights. They have a great selection of board games, painting supplies, and miniatures games—perfect for anyone who has the post-AdeptiCon itch after wargaming’s biggest event hits Milwaukee in March of 2025. The store proudly showcases the incredible work being done by local painters, so you can get a little Milwaukee art fix while diving into an incredibly addictive hobby that will keep my your bank account in check.

May: Lake Park

According to eBird, more species of birds have been spotted at Lake Park than in any other Milwaukee County location. A fixture of our community for over a century, Lake Park is a gorgeous venue sporting landmarks that include the North Point Lighthouse, a grand staircase, and five bridges. This Fredrick Law Olmstead masterwork is filled with natural beauties too. Most people rightfully marvel at the park’s waterfall which flows down one of the park’s five ravines. Those ravines, and the park’s proximity to Lake Michigan, are the keys to its birding success. Migratory birds position themselves along different points of the tree canopy. Ravines give humans easier access to these different variations in height, allowing us to see more of these small bright-colored birds. Like other locations on this list, habitat variation pluses the park and gives the City of Milwaukee a crown jewel birding destination. For those who want to be “in the know,” I suggest joining the Birders of Lake Park Facebook group, which regularly schedules bird walks during peak birding times. If there’s one spot in the city to hit, it’s Lake Park, and you’ll get the most bang for your birding buck in the springtime.

Northern Parula

Hopefully the Milwaukee Bucks will get their act together so that you can visit Fiserv Forum after birding for playoff basketball in May. Regardless, any conservation-minded birder should champion this downtown monument of concrete and glass. Last month I talked about the issues surrounding bird collisions that are common in large urban cities. While it’s a problem Milwaukeeans should care about, we can also take pride in owning the world’s first-ever bird-friendly arena. The bird-friendly arena is the brainchild of Bryan Lenz, the former director of Bird City Wisconsin. Bryan, who now works for American Bird Conservancy as their collisions campaign manager, worked tirelessly alongside Bucks management and stadium contractors to create a facility that minimizes see-through glass and controls nighttime lighting. So add that to the win column. No seriously. We need it this year.

Blue-Headed Vireo

June: Washington Park

We’re wrapping this month’s article up with two west side favorites. Before discussing Washington Park we’re going six minutes up the road to grab lunch or dinner at Uppa Yard. This Jamaican restaurant is a top 10, maybe even top 5 Milwaukee dining destination for me. Every appetizer, meal, and dessert I’ve ordered has kept my mouth watering for a cuisine that’s not found nearly enough across the city. It’s hard to pick just one thing, so I recommend going with friends and splitting dishes. That being said, if you’ve never had their rice and beans soaked in oxtail gravy you haven’t experienced everything that’s good in this world.

After visiting Uppa Yard you’ll need to walk some calories off, and Washington Park has you covered. It’s another historical Olmsted creation that used to house the Milwaukee Zoo, which gives you a sense of its size. At 130 acres, Washington Park is an impressive urban playground for wildlife. The park’s scenic lagoon is a magnet for wetland species, and you can be sure to find summer favorites like the Northern House Wren across the park. Like Riverside Park, the Urban Ecology Center has a location here. They’re amazing stewards of the park, with wide-reaching education opportunities and wide-ranging research projects. Their bird walks happen Wednesday mornings, and every Friday morning they hold ROOT (Restoring Our Outdoors Together) volunteer opportunities that range from seed plantings to invasive species removal.

Northern House Wren

Great Blue Heron

EC is a vital organization that Milwaukee is lucky to have, and this month’s Q&A gets us talking with their research team. Bird banding is one of the many tools scientists use to broaden our understanding of our feathered friends. Locally, UEC works with the U.S. Geological Survey to band birds at their Washington Park location. I reached out to UEC researcher Amanda Tokuyama to discuss their efforts.

Q&A With Amanda Tokuyama, GIS & Field Data Manager for the Urban Ecology Center

Milwaukee Record: Before we dive into bird banding I was wondering if you would speak on the Urban Ecology Center’s research team as a whole. You have a lot of great initiatives and I feel like it’s important for people to get a sense of the breadth of work the team does. When and why did you decide to add bird banding to your areas of research?

Amanda Tokuyama: Bird banding at the UEC started over 20 years ago, long before my time at the UEC. It was added because in addition to our weekly bird walks, it helps us better understand urban bird diversity and has allowed us to contribute to a variety of research projects related to bird migration while engaging students, volunteers, and the public in a unique way that fosters a sense of wonder and love of nature.

UEC bird banding team

MR: I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to join you last year for bird banding at Washington Park. It’s a very involved process that involves a lot of knowledgeable and dedicated hands. What does your team look like and what does it take to become a bander?

AT: Our team is composed of banders, scribes, and extractors. Banders handle and put bands on the birds, scribes write down the data the banders collect, and extractors help get birds out of our mist nets and to the banding table. Some people do all three, and some just scribe. Some of them are employed as wildlife biologists and some of them have jobs in a different field but are passionate about birds and banding. We have two Master Banders. These are individuals who hold a USGS permit we work under and are responsible for supervising the banding process. They act as mentors to individuals like me who are training to become banders. Becoming a bander involves observing other banders to learn the process, becoming familiar with the type of data we collect, and lots of practice handling birds and gathering data from them.

Tricky Fall Warblers are properly identified by studying trusty info sheets

MR: What kind of measurements do you take and what can they tell us about the birds?

AT: As far as measurements go, we universally weigh the bird and get the length of its wing. But we also look at their body and wings and score things like how much fat they have stored, how worn their feathers are, if they are molting, and more. All of these pieces can act as clues that guide us to determining how old a bird is and what sex it is. Looking over the whole bird can also tell us if they’re getting ready to lay eggs, sitting on a nest, or are ready to breed.

Small birds like this Magnolia Warbler are weighed after being gently placed into a pill bottle. Larger birds are placed in aluminum cans.

MR: It’s amazing to be up close to these birds. Do you have a favorite banding encounter or a bird that you look forward to banding?

AT: My favorite banding encounter was a Northern Rough-Winged Swallow. Swallows tend to have pretty good eyesight and rarely get caught in our nets so getting one was pretty special. We were able to look at the characteristic barbs on the edge of their wings that give them their name which was cool because it’s not something you’d be able to see through binoculars if you encountered them while birding.

Birds are lightly blown to check their fat deposits, which determine how healthy a bird is

MR: Part of the fun of banding is that once they’re released, there’s potential for other organizations to find these same birds too, providing a picture of how birds migrate. Have any of UEC’s banded birds been found elsewhere? Anywhere fun or unexpected?

AT: To my knowledge we haven’t had birds caught at other stations yet. But we recently got a Motus tower put up at our Riverside Park branch which really gives us a greater chance of encountering birds banded elsewhere and allows us the possibility to add these tags to our banding process. Motus uses radio telemetry to track migratory species. The idea is to have a grid of these towers across the world that would ping if a tagged animal flies within its range. It’s not super common to see banded migratory birds again, but adding telemetry tags offers the opportunity to track where our birds go without anyone having to physically capture them again.

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