United States Ramsar wetland
The Ridges Sanctuary
248 bird species recorded; the most in May.
Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0
This month here
68 species in January.73 species in February.103 species in March.141 species in April.219 species in May.188 species in June.163 species in July.159 species in August.163 species in September.130 species in October.96 species in November.84 species in December.
The birds you are most likely to see in the month you choose, those that come for the season first. It opens on today's month.

































































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- Resident all year
- Summer visitor comes to breed
- Winter visitor comes for the winter
- Passage migrant in spring and autumn
In numbers
248 species, counted.
Our own rating, from the records only: species (50 points), threatened species (20), migrants (20) and protected status — Ramsar, IBA, SPA, observatory (10).
- 248Speciesrecorded more than once
- 185Migrantssummer, winter or passage visitors
- 11ThreatenedVulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered (IUCN)
- 104,823Recordsopen records within 6 km
- 188 mAltitudeabove the sea
- 14Raptors
- 5Owls
- 22Waders
- 15Gulls & seabirds
- 32Ducks & geese
- 11Herons, ibises & grebes
- 1Storks & cranes
- 124Songbirds
- 24Other birds
From open records (eBird and others, through GBIF, licensed for any use). More birdwatchers mean more records: a quiet place may have more birds than it shows.
The checklist
All 248 species.
By group, with the year in twelve cells: the darker the cell, the more often the bird is recorded that month.
Raptors14 species
- Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus
- Turkey VultureCathartes aura
- MerlinFalco columbarius
- OspreyPandion haliaetus
- Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis
- Falco sparveriusFalco sparverius
- Hen HarrierCircus cyaneus
- Accipiter striatusAccipiter striatus
- Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterus
- Rough-legged BuzzardButeo lagopus
- Red-shouldered HawkButeo lineatus
- Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus
- Golden EagleAquila chrysaetos
- Falco atricapillusFalco atricapillus
Owls5 species
- Great Horned OwlBubo virginianus
- Barred OwlStrix varia
- Eastern Screech-OwlMegascops asio
- Northern Saw-Whet OwlAegolius acadicus
- Snowy OwlBubo scandiacusVU
Waders22 species
- KilldeerCharadrius vociferusNT
- Spotted SandpiperActitis macularius
- American WoodcockScolopax minor
- Grey PloverPluvialis squatarolaVU
- Semipalmated PloverCharadrius semipalmatus
- Eurasian WhimbrelNumenius phaeopus
- Solitary SandpiperTringa solitaria
- Wilson's SnipeGallinago delicata
- Greater YellowlegsTringa melanoleucaNT
- DunlinCalidris alpinaNT
- Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresNT
- Bartram's SandpiperBartramia longicauda
- Lesser yellowlegsTringa flavipesVU
- Least SandpiperCalidris minutillaNT
- Semipalmated SandpiperCalidris pusillaNT
- Short-billed DowitcherLimnodromus griseusVU
- White-rumped SandpiperCalidris fuscicollisVU
- American golden ploverPluvialis dominica
- Marbled GodwitLimosa fedoaVU
- SanderlingCalidris alba
- Baird's SandpiperCalidris bairdii
- WilletTringa semipalmata
Gulls & seabirds15 species
- Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis
- American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus
- Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia
- Bonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphia
- Common TernSterna hirundo
- Common LoonGavia immer
- Forster's TernSterna forsteri
- Franklin's GullLeucophaeus pipixcan
- Little GullHydrocoloeus minutus
- Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscus
- Great Black-backed GullLarus marinus
- European Herring GullLarus argentatus
- Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreus
- Red-throated LoonGavia stellata
- Laughing GullLeucophaeus atricilla
Ducks & geese32 species
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- MallardAnas platyrhynchos
- GoosanderMergus merganser
- Red-breasted MerganserMergus serrator
- Common GoldeneyeBucephala clangula
- BuffleheadBucephala albeola
- Hooded MerganserLophodytes cucullatus
- Wood DuckAix sponsa
- Blue-winged TealSpatula discors
- Bewick's SwanCygnus columbianus
- RedheadAythya americana
- Mute SwanCygnus olor
- Greater ScaupAythya marila
- Long-tailed duckClangula hyemalisVU
- Trumpeter SwanCygnus buccinator
- Lesser ScaupAythya affinis
- Eurasian TealAnas crecca
- White-winged ScoterMelanitta deglandi
- Ring-necked DuckAythya collaris
- Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillata
- American Black DuckAnas rubripes
- American WigeonMareca americana
- American ScoterMelanitta americanaNT
- Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeata
- Northern PintailAnas acuta
- GadwallMareca strepera
- CanvasbackAythya valisineria
- Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensis
- Harlequin DuckHistrionicus histrionicus
- Snow gooseAnser caerulescens
- Cackling GooseBranta hutchinsii
- Greylag GooseAnser anser
Herons, ibises & grebes11 species
- Double-crested CormorantPhalacrocorax auritus
- American White PelicanPelecanus erythrorhynchos
- Great White EgretArdea alba
- Great Blue HeronArdea herodias
- Green HeronButorides virescens
- Pied-billed GrebePodilymbus podiceps
- Horned GrebePodiceps auritusVU
- American BitternBotaurus lentiginosus
- Black-crowned Night-HeronNycticorax nycticorax
- Snowy EgretEgretta thula
- Little Blue HeronEgretta caerulea
Storks & cranes1 species
- Sandhill CraneGrus canadensis
Songbirds124 species
- Black-capped ChickadeePoecile atricapillus
- American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos
- American RobinTurdus migratorius
- Blue JayCyanocitta cristata
- Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis
- American GoldfinchSpinus tristis
- Song SparrowMelospiza melodia
- Agelaius phoeniceusAgelaius phoeniceus
- Chipping SparrowSpizella passerina
- American RedstartSetophaga ruticilla
- Red-eyed VireoVireo olivaceus
- Red-breasted NuthatchSitta canadensis
- Black-throated Green WarblerSetophaga virens
- Common GrackleQuiscalus quisculaNT
- Cedar WaxwingBombycilla cedrorum
- White-breasted NuthatchSitta carolinensis
- Northern House WrenTroglodytes aedon
- Common YellowthroatGeothlypis trichas
- Indigo BuntingPasserina cyanea
- Myrtle WarblerSetophaga coronata
- Northern RavenCorvus corax
- OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapilla
- Junco hyemalisJunco hyemalis
- Black-and-white WarblerMniotilta varia
- White-throated SparrowZonotrichia albicollis
- Barn swallowHirundo rustica
- Common StarlingSturnus vulgaris
- Pine SiskinSpinus pinus
- Field SparrowSpizella pusilla
- Eastern BluebirdSialia sialis
- Northern ParulaSetophaga americana
- Great Crested FlycatcherMyiarchus crinitus
- Mangrove WarblerSetophaga petechia
- Nashville WarblerLeiothlypis ruficapilla
- Golden-crowned KingletRegulus satrapa
- American Tree SparrowSpizelloides arborea
- Grey CatbirdDumetella carolinensis
- Brown-headed CowbirdMolothrus ater
- Purple FinchHaemorhous purpureus
- Eastern TowheePipilo erythrophthalmus
- Eastern KingbirdTyrannus tyrannus
- Winter WrenTroglodytes hiemalis
- Tree SwallowTachycineta bicolor
- Grasshopper SparrowAmmodramus savannarum
- Eastern phoebeSayornis phoebe
- Northern WaterthrushParkesia noveboracensis
- Eastern MeadowlarkSturnella magnaNT
- House finchHaemorhous mexicanus
- Eastern Wood-PeweeContopus virens
- Pine WarblerSetophaga pinus
- Blackburnian WarblerSetophaga fusca
- Toxostoma rufumToxostoma rufum
- Baltimore OrioleIcterus galbula
- Clay-colored SparrowSpizella pallida
- Rose-breasted GrosbeakPheucticus ludovicianus
- Northern Rough-winged SwallowStelgidopteryx serripennis
- White-crowned sparrowZonotrichia leucophrys
- Brown CreeperCerthia americana
- Palm WarblerSetophaga palmarum
- Swamp SparrowMelospiza georgiana
- Chestnut-sided WarblerSetophaga pensylvanica
- Ruby-crowned KingletRegulus calendula
- Magnolia WarblerSetophaga magnolia
- Hermit ThrushCatharus guttatus
- Least FlycatcherEmpidonax minimus
- Common RedpollAcanthis flammea
- Wood ThrushHylocichla mustelina
- Alder FlycatcherEmpidonax alnorum
- Tennessee WarblerLeiothlypis peregrina
- Canada warblerCardellina canadensis
- Marsh WrenCistothorus palustris
- Blue-gray GnatcatcherPolioptila caerulea
- House SparrowPasser domesticus
- Blackpoll WarblerSetophaga striataNT
- BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorusNT
- Bay-breasted WarblerSetophaga castanea
- Purple MartinProgne subis
- Vesper SparrowPooecetes gramineus
- Varied ThrushIxoreus naevius
- Scarlet TanagerPiranga olivacea
- Swainson's ThrushCatharus ustulatus
- Cape May WarblerSetophaga tigrina
- Grass WrenCistothorus platensis
- Wilson's WarblerCardellina pusilla
- Savannah SparrowPasserculus sandwichensis
- Blue-headed VireoVireo solitarius
- Mourning WarblerGeothlypis philadelphia
- Warbling VireoVireo gilvus
- Sand MartinRiparia riparia
- Pine GrosbeakPinicola enucleator
- VeeryCatharus fuscescens
- Shore LarkEremophila alpestris
- Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalis
- Willow FlycatcherEmpidonax traillii
- White-winged CrossbillLoxia leucoptera
- Lincoln's SparrowMelospiza lincolnii
- Rusty BlackbirdEuphagus carolinusVU
- American Cliff SwallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonota
- Red Fox SparrowPasserella iliaca
- Black-throated Blue WarblerSetophaga caerulescens
- Yellow-throated VireoVireo flavifrons
- Golden-winged WarblerVermivora chrysopteraNT
- Philadelphia VireoVireo philadelphicus
- Northern ShrikeLanius borealis
- Orange-crowned WarblerLeiothlypis celata
- Yellow-bellied FlycatcherEmpidonax flaviventris
- Buff-bellied PipitAnthus rubescens
- Carolina WrenThryothorus ludovicianus
- Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulus
- DickcisselSpiza americana
- Grey-cheeked ThrushCatharus minimus
- Olive-Sided FlycatcherContopus cooperi
- Blue-winged warblerVermivora cyanoptera
- Orchard orioleIcterus spurius
- Evening GrosbeakHesperiphona vespertinaVU
- Brewer's BlackbirdEuphagus cyanocephalusNT
- Connecticut WarblerOporornis agilis
- Yellow-headed BlackbirdXanthocephalus xanthocephalus
- Lapland LongspurCalcarius lapponicus
- Common crossbillLoxia curvirostra
- Northern MockingbirdMimus polyglottos
- Louisiana WaterthrushParkesia motacilla
- Summer TanagerPiranga rubra
- Sturnella neglectaSturnella neglecta
Other birds24 species
- Mourning DoveZenaida macroura
- Hairy WoodpeckerLeuconotopicus villosus
- Downy WoodpeckerDryobates pubescens
- Tsįįłkaałii bitłʼaaʼ halchíʼígííMelanerpes carolinus
- Yellow-shafted FlickerColaptes auratus
- Pileated WoodpeckerDryocopus pileatus
- Belted KingfisherMegaceryle alcyon
- Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavo
- Ruby-throated HummingbirdArchilochus colubris
- Ruffed GrouseBonasa umbellus
- Chimney SwiftChaetura pelagicaVU
- Rock DoveColumba livia
- Yellow-bellied SapsuckerSphyrapicus varius
- SoraPorzana carolina
- Eastern Whip-poor-willAntrostomus vociferusNT
- Red-headed WoodpeckerMelanerpes erythrocephalus
- Yellow-billed CuckooCoccyzus americanus
- Common NighthawkChordeiles minor
- American CootFulica americana
- Virginia RailRallus limicola
- Black-billed cuckooCoccyzus erythropthalmus
- Common PheasantPhasianus colchicus
- Rufous HummingbirdSelasphorus rufusNT
- Grey PartridgePerdix perdix
Monthly presence relative to all bird records that month, so a busy month does not inflate every species.
When to go
The most species in May.
Species recorded in each month, with the usual temperature and rain.
- Jan-1°/-5°42 mm
- Feb-2°/-6°38 mm
- Mar1°/-2°52 mm
- Apr5°/2°79 mm
- May9°/6°88 mm
- Jun14°/11°88 mm
- Jul20°/18°75 mm
- Aug21°/19°77 mm
- Sep18°/16°84 mm
- Oct12°/9°99 mm
- Nov6°/4°62 mm
- Dec2°/-2°58 mm
- Bar: species recorded that month.
- Temperature: average maximum / minimum (NASA, 1991–2020).
- Rain: monthly total.
The place
The Ridges Sanctuary.
Wisconsin
The Ridges Sanctuary is a wetland of international importance (Ramsar) in United States.
248 bird species have been recorded here more than once, in 104,823 open records.
The most recorded are the Black-capped Chickadee, the American Crow and the American Robin.
126 species come for the summer, 48 for the winter and 11 only pass through.
11 are threatened worldwide, including Horned Grebe, Long-tailed duck and Chimney Swift.
The most species are recorded in May.

Get there and watch
- Camp Cuestacampsite · 4.2 km · 4 within 10 km
- Ridges Inn & Suitesplace to stay · 0.3 km · 31 within 10 km
- Delta County Airport (ESC)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 72 km in a straight lineCar hire at ESC airport (Escanaba)Discover Cars · sponsored link↗
Plan the visit
A guided walk, a bed nearby, a car.
Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.
From above
The place and its surroundings.
The satellite image of the 6 × 6 km around the place, with the bird hides, towers and trails that OpenStreetMap shows.

Around, in OpenStreetMap
- 2visitor centres within 6 kmThe Ridges Sanctuary Nature Center
- 6car parks within 3 km
- 6restaurants and cafés within 3 km
- 4campsites within 10 kmCamp Cuesta, Aqualand Campground, Fish Creek Campground and 1 more
- 31places to stay within 10 kmRidges Inn & Suites, Blacksmith Inn On the Shore, Baileys Harbor Schoolhouse Inn and 28 more
- bird hides within 6 km
- observation towers within 6 km
- marked trails within 4 km
- viewpoints within 5 km
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit. A low number may just mean nobody has mapped it yet.
In our other atlases
Around The Ridges Sanctuary.
The lakes, beaches, islands, rivers and mountains around this place, and its night sky, in the family's atlases.
Figures from the sister sites' databases (Wikidata, HydroATLAS, GeoNames, OpenStreetMap). Links open when each site is online.
Photographs
The place, as people saw it.



Where these figures come from
| Name and type | Wikidata (Q7760720) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Birds | 104,823 open bird records within 6 km (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY 4.0 only; mostly eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology) |
| See these records | gbif.org |
| Species | GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0; Wikidata (CC0); Wikimedia Commons |
| Altitude | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Temperature and rain | NASA POWER (CERES SYN1deg, 2001–2020; MERRA-2) |
| What is around | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
| Sister atlases | Lakeyas, Darkskyas |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
The family
Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers, canyons, caves, dark skies, viewpoints, birdwatching or forests?
Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, in seven languages.


