Spring bird migration is underway

Spring migration has arrived.

Birders across southern Wisconsin are reporting the return of robins, red-winged blackbirds, sandhill cranes, bluebirds and a large diversity of waterfowl, among other short-distance migrants that are the first to arrive each year.

As usual, migration is most evident in the southeast quarter of the state southward from Green Bay to La Crosse.

Farther north, snow and ice prevail, where trumpeter swans, a few Canada geese and bald eagles are the primary migrants so far.

Are you concerned about the effect of spring snowstorms on migrating birds? These storms have shaped bird migration for millennia, and most species can deal with short-term weather setbacks. You can help by:

• clearing or maintaining patches of bare ground.
• offering mealworms, chopped fruits and suet in addition to the usual seeds.
• keeping feeders full, dry, and sheltered from the conditions.

Read more in the latest Statewide Birding Report.