
Upcoming events & field trips
Our community, events, and field trips are open to all BIPOC Birders at any level, and allies. We invite you to join in the fun, learn something new, connect with others, and become part of this great group! We are family- and kid-friendly and encourage anyone who has an interest in learning about birds and the outdoors to join us! Field trips are free to attend, and do not require RSVP.



Celebrating Black Birders' Week: A day at the Zoo
Join us for Black Birders Week 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin with the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance, and Henry Vilas Zoo! This special event is a great way for you to explore the Zoo before it opens to the public, looking and listening for wild birds that visit the property as well as captive birds that are on exhibit.
Photo by Eric Kilby FCC

Annual Woodcock Walk - Madison
We are excited to host our annual Woodcock watch in Madison! Join us as we search for these cool little birds as they "peent" and do their quirky and elaborate courtship fights that are called "sky dances.”

Winter Walk at Seminary Woods - Milwaukee
Join us for a walk through Seminary Woods in St Francis, just south of Milwaukee! Seminary Woods is a beautiful woodland that often attracts winter finches, many species of woodpeckers, and owls.
Photo by Rita Flores Wiskowski.

An Evening with Author Christian Cooper - MKE
Christian Cooper is a NY Times best-selling author, with his debut memoir, Better Living Through Birding. A book signing with the author will follow the public presentation. This event is hosted in collaboration with Urban Ecology Center and Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters.
Image courtesy of Milwaukee Public Library.

Birds and People with Christian Cooper - MSN
Don’t miss this inspiring evening with Christian Cooper, Emmy-winning host of Extraordinary Birder and bestselling author of Better Living Through Birding! This event will take place in the Playhouse Theater at Overture Center for the Arts in Madison Wednesday, March 12, with in-person and virtual viewing options.
This event is part of the Birds and Beyond series.

Herding Cats: Tips on Leading Hikes
This training covers what works as well as what might not work, how to start and finish, what to do in the middle, how to manage the group (without their knowing you're managing them), how to handle mixed groups of kids and adults, and how to answer difficult questions. Free to attend; in person and online options!
Photo by Kaitlin Svabek/Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance.
Women and Girls in Science - Milwaukee
This event is part science fair, part job fair for kids ages 10 and up. Local scientists, engineers, and women in STEAM fields will share their stories, expertise, and engage you in hands-on activities.
Photo by Rita Flores Wiskowski.

Joint Event: Owling at Paradise Valley
Join us for an exciting afternoon and evening of birding and observing Short-eared Owls as they hunt for meadow voles and other prey.
Photo by Rita Flores Wiskowski.

Birds & Climate Science
Join Davin Lopez, an endangered species biologist with the Department of Natural Resources since 2005, to learn what birds can teach us about the impacts of climate change. Davin will discuss overall climate change trends in Wisconsin, along with how these trends are impacting birds, ecosystems, and people.
This event is part of the Birds and Beyond series.

Winter Waterfowl & Gulls
Join us for a winter walk celebrating winter waterfowl and gulls! Bring your friends and family for a walk along the shores of Lake Waubesa as we bird Lake Farm Park!
Photo by Dexter Patterson.

Learning to Bird at the MKE Zoo
Hoping to turn a loved one into a full-fledged bird nerd? Looking to sharpen your bird identification skills? Just need a bird-related excuse to visit the Milwaukee County Zoo? Join us!
Photo by Rita Flores Wiskowski.

Madison-Area Christmas Bird Count
The Madison-area Christmas Bird Count is the BIPOC Birding Club’s event for the month of December!
Photo by Dexter Patterson

Milwaukee-Area Christmas Bird Count
The Milwaukee Christmas Bird Count is the BIPOC Birding Club’s event for the month of December! Each year, birders around the country participate in Christmas Bird Counts (CBC).
Photo by Rita Flores Wiskowski.

Exploring the Urban Ecology Center of the Menomonee Valley (MKE)
We’ll bird at the Urban Ecology Center of the Menomonee Valley, a great place to look for migrating songbirds!
Photo courtesy of the Urban Ecology Center.

Fall Birding at Picnic Point (MSN)
Join us at the Picnic Point entrance to the UW Lakeshore Nature Preserve for a fall birding walk where we’ll be keeping a special eye out for waterfowl! 🦆
Photo by Dexter Patterson.

Birding at Turville Point (MSN)
Turville is a gem in the heart of the concrete jungle of Madison. With restored prairies and woodlands stretching along glacial Lake Monona, it offers great views and lots of great birding habitat.

Introduction to the Carity Prairie (MKE-area)
The Milwaukee Area Land Conservancy is inviting the BIPOC Birding Club to the Carity Prairie, which is 23 acres of land in the suburb of Franklin that the conservancy is preserving and restoring.
Photo by Rita Flores Wiskowski.

Fall at the International Crane Foundation
Join the BIPOC Birding Club for a trip to the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, where we will learn about their important mission and see their work in action.
Photo by Arun Christopher Manoharan.

Birding Walk at the Farley Center (MSN-area)
Join us in birding the Natural Path Sanctuary! Set amidst 25 acres of woods and meadows on the Farley Center land, the sanctuary is a way to preserve the natural beauty in perpetuity.
Photo courtesy Farley Center’s Natural Path Sanctuary.

Swift Night Out + Swift Week (MSN)
Swift Night Out is back and it’s bringing additional pop-up events! Join us for a community gathering of seated birding with the migrating Chimney Swifts!
Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt.

Evening Birding in Sheridan Park (MKE-area)
Join us for a short walk at Sheridan Park. We’ll go where the birds take us which may include walking the paved biked trail, taking a steep winding trail down to the beach, and/or walking across the lawn for views along the bluff.

Birding at Nine Springs (MSN)
Join us for a walk looking for migratory shorebirds at Nine Springs in Madison, WI!

Late Summer Birding at Lake Park (MKE)
It might be late summer for us, but it is early fall for birds. Join us for a walk as we check out the resident birds and hope to see some early migrants at one of Milwaukee’s best migratory hot spots.

Bats and Birds at Dawn
Pack up a folding chair and bins and join us early for a pre-dawn bat swarm watch and a morning birding walk!
Photo courtesy of WDNR.

Return to Havenwoods State Forest
The inaugural Milwaukee area BIPOC Birding Club event was at Havenwoods, Wisconsin’s only urban state forest. We explored this beautiful land at the cusp of winter. Join us as we return in June to an area that has many nesting bird species including willow flycatchers, blue birds, many species of sparrows, indigo buntings and more.
Photo by Rita Flores Wiskowski.

Badger Lands Army Ammunition Plant
Join us for a day of birding at the historic Badger Army Ammunition Plant! We’ll be on the lookout for notable grassland bird species, including Bell’s Vireo. Whether you're a seasoned birder or just starting out, this is the perfect opportunity to connect with nature and like-minded individuals.

Black Birders Week event: Raptors & Habitats at Fair Meadows
Join the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin, Feminist Bird Club of Madison, and Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance for an awesome Black Birders Week event celebrating black birders and the birds they love!
Photo by Gary Shackelford.

Birding by Boat: Cherokee Marsh South (FULL)
Join SoWBA and the BIPOC Birding Club of Wisconsin for a slow paddle exploring the incredible diversity of Cherokee Marsh. Get a great experience looking for spring birds, insects, and aquatic plants by boat; we expect to see species like Green Heron, Kingfishers, swallows, Sora, and more!
Photo by Jeff Galligan.

Great WI Birdathon 2024: Team BIPOC Flock
Warnimont Park in Cudahy (southern Milwaukee County) is close to 250 acres and covers a variety of habitats that attract migrating birds including prairie, deciduous woods, ravines and more. Its east border is Lake Michigan. The bird species count is 234 including a number of rarities that show up every spring and have included Western Kingbirds, Northern Mockingbirds, Blue Grosbeaks, Prairie Warblers and many more.
Photo by Arun Christopher Manoharan

Spring Birding at Wetland Woods
Wetland Woods, as the name suggests, consists of diverse habitats including woods of mature maples and oaks, prairies, streams, and wetlands. We will be sure to see early migrants and resident birds throughout. The boardwalks give us access to the wetlands, and easy trails will lead us through the woods and prairies.

Birding 101 (FULL)
CLASS FULL - If you love all things nature and want to get to know the birds you'll find in and around Madison, this class is for you. This four-part class is taught annually by Jeff Galligan and Chuck Henrikson, done in partnership with Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance.
Photo by Kelly Colgan Azar