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Birds on Wisconsin's Natural Heritage Working List – last revised May 2016. Life history, where they are found in the state, photos and management information is available for many of these species. Please consider sharing your observations [exit DNR] with the Wisconsin Natural Heritage Inventory
Many bird avoidance dates have changed, we are in the process of making these consistent across all documents, but for the most recent dates please go to the bird calendar. The bird calendar contains required (Avoidance Period) and recommended (Conservation Period) dates for avoiding impacts to rare Wisconsin birds when planning management or development activities.
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Global Rank |
State Rank |
Federal Status |
WI Status |
WWAP | Mapped in NHI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coccothraustes vespertinus | Evening Grosbeak | G5 | S2B,S2N | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Euphagus cyanocephalus | Brewer's Blackbird | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Euphagus carolinus | Rusty Blackbird | G4 | S2B,S2N | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus | Yellow-headed Blackbird | G5 | S1S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Sturnella neglecta | Western Meadowlark | G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Sturnella magna | Eastern Meadowlark | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Dolichonyx oryzivorus | Bobolink | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Ammospiza nelsoni | Nelson's Sparrow | G5 | S1B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Ammospiza leconteii | LeConte's Sparrow | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Centronyx henslowii | Henslow's Sparrow | G4 | S2S3B | SOC | THR | SGCN | Y |
| Ammodramus savannarum | Grasshopper Sparrow | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Chondestes grammacus | Lark Sparrow | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Pooecetes gramineus | Vesper Sparrow | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Spiza americana | Dickcissel | G5 | S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Icteria virens | Yellow-breasted Chat | G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Setophaga citrina | Hooded Warbler | G5 | S2S3B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Oporornis agilis | Connecticut Warbler | G4G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Geothlypis formosa | Kentucky Warbler | G5 | S1S2B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Helmitheros vermivorum | Worm-eating Warbler | G5 | S1B | END | SGCN | Y | |
| Protonotaria citrea | Prothonotary Warbler | G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Setophaga cerulea | Cerulean Warbler | G4 | S2S3B | SOC | THR | SGCN | Y |
| Setophaga kirtlandii | Kirtland's Warbler | G3G4 | S1B | END | SGCN | Y | |
| Setophaga dominica | Yellow-throated Warbler | G5 | S1B | END | SGCN | Y | |
| Vermivora chrysoptera | Golden-winged Warbler | G4 | S3B | SOC | SC/M | SGCN | Y |
| Vireo bellii | Bell's Vireo | G5 | S2B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Lanius ludovicianus | Loggerhead Shrike | G4 | S1B | SOC | END | SGCN | Y |
| Catharus ustulatus | Swainson's Thrush | G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Corthylio calendula | Ruby-crowned Kinglet | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Poecile hudsonicus | Boreal Chickadee | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Perisoreus canadensis | Canada Jay | G5 | S2S3 | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Progne subis | Purple Martin | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Empidonax minimus | Least Flycatcher | G5 | S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Empidonax virescens | Acadian Flycatcher | G5 | S3B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Contopus cooperi | Olive-sided Flycatcher | G4 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Picoides arcticus | Black-backed Woodpecker | G5 | S1S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Melanerpes erythrocephalus | Red-headed Woodpecker | G5 | S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Antrostomus vociferus | Eastern Whip-poor-will | G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Chordeiles minor | Common Nighthawk | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Asio flammeus | Short-eared Owl | G5 | S1B,S3N | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Asio otus | Long-eared Owl | G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Chlidonias niger | Black Tern | G4G5 | S2B | SOC | END | SGCN | Y |
| Sterna forsteri | Forster's Tern | G5 | S1B | END | SGCN | Y | |
| Sterna hirundo | Common Tern | G5 | S1B,S2N | SOC | END | SGCN | Y |
| Hydroprogne caspia | Caspian Tern | G5 | S1B,S2N | END | SGCN | Y | |
| Phalaropus tricolor | Wilson's Phalarope | G5 | S1B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Scolopax minor | American Woodcock | G5 | S3S4B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Calidris canutus rufa | Red Knot | G4T2 | S1N | LT | SC/FL | SGCN | N |
| Bartramia longicauda | Upland Sandpiper | G5 | S2B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Himantopus mexicanus | Black-necked Stilt | G5 | S1B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Charadrius melodus | Piping Plover | G3 | S1B | LE | END | SGCN | Y |
| Grus americana | Whooping Crane | G1 | SXB | NEP | SC/FL | SGCN | N |
| Rallus elegans | King Rail | G4 | S1B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Coturnicops noveboracensis | Yellow Rail | G4 | S1B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Colinus virginianus | Northern Bobwhite | G4G5 | S1B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Tympanuchus phasianellus | Sharp-tailed Grouse | G5 | S1 | SC/H | SGCN | Y | |
| Tympanuchus cupido | Greater Prairie-Chicken | G4 | S1 | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Canachites canadensis | Spruce Grouse | G5 | S1S2 | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Falco peregrinus | Peregrine Falcon | G4 | S1S2B | END | SGCN | Y | |
| Buteo lineatus | Red-shouldered Hawk | G5 | S3S4B,S1N | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Accipiter gentilis | Northern Goshawk | G5 | S2B,S2N | SOC | SC/M | SGCN | Y |
| Bucephala clangula | Common Goldeneye | G5 | S2B,S5N | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Anas rubripes | American Black Duck | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Nyctanassa violacea | Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | G5 | S1B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Nycticorax nycticorax | Black-crowned Night-Heron | G5 | S2B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Ardea alba | Great Egret | G5 | S2B | THR | SGCN | Y | |
| Ixobrychus exilis | Least Bittern | G4G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Botaurus lentiginosus | American Bittern | G5 | S2S3B | SC/M | SGCN | Y | |
| Podiceps grisegena | Red-necked Grebe | G5 | S1B | END | SGCN | Y | |
| Loxia curvirostra | Red Crossbill | G5 | SUB,S2N | r-SIN | N | ||
| Loxia leucoptera | White-winged Crossbill | G5 | SUB,S2N | r-SIN | N | ||
| Cardellina pusilla | Wilson's Warbler | G5 | SUB,S4N | r-SIN | N | ||
| Vireo philadelphicus | Philadelphia Vireo | G5 | SUB,S2N | r-SIN | N | ||
| Anas americana | American Wigeon | G5 | S3N | r-SIN | N | ||
| Anas acuta | Northern Pintail | G5 | S3N | r-SIN | N | ||
| Spizella pusilla | Field Sparrow | G5 | S3B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Cardellina canadensis | Canada Warbler | G5 | S3B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Parkesia motacilla | Louisiana Waterthrush | G5 | S3B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Setophaga palmarum | Palm Warbler | G5 | S3B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Toxostoma rufum | Brown Thrasher | G5 | S4B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Hylocichla mustelina | Wood Thrush | G4 | S4B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Coccyzus americanus | Yellow-billed Cuckoo | G5 | S3B | m-SIN | N | ||
| Circus hudsonius | Northern Harrier | G5 | S3B,S2N | m-SIN | N | ||
| Gavia immer | Common Loon | G5 | S3B | m-SIN | N |
Rank and status: To learn more about species rank and status, see the working list key. WWAP: (Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan): SGCN (Species of Greatest Conservation Need) and monitoring and ranking SIN (Species with Information Needs). Mapped in NHI: (Natural Heritage Inventory): Y = Observations of these species are mapped into the NHI database.