Birds of Wisconsin

What birds are common in Wisconsin?

The birds you are most likely to run into in Wisconsin right now are Common Grackle, Ruddy Duck, and Tree Swallow. Birders reported 200 species across Wisconsin on eBird during October 7–13, 2026 — the 18below are the ones that turned up on the most of those days, which is as close to “common” as sightings data gets.

• Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula

  Reported on all 3 of the 3 days checked

• Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis

  Reported on all 3 of the 3 days checked

• Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor

  Reported on all 3 of the 3 days checked

• American Coot Fulica americana

  Reported on all 3 of the 3 days checked

• Sandhill Crane Antigone canadensis

  Reported on all 3 of the 3 days checked

• Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis

  Reported on all 3 of the 3 days checked

• Rusty Blackbird Euphagus carolinus

  Reported on all 3 of the 3 days checked

• Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata

  Reported on all 3 of the 3 days checked

• European Starling Sturnus vulgaris

  Reported on all 3 of the 3 days checked

• Redhead Aythya americana

  Reported on all 3 of the 3 days checked

• Lesser Scaup Aythya affinis

  Reported on all 3 of the 3 days checked

• American Wigeon Mareca americana

  Reported on all 3 of the 3 days checked

• American Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus

  Reported on all 3 of the 3 days checked

• Wood Duck Aix sponsa

  Reported on all 3 of the 3 days checked

• American Golden-Plover Pluvialis dominica

  Reported on all 3 of the 3 days checked

• Common Merganser Mergus merganser

  Reported on all 3 of the 3 days checked

• Northern Pintail Anas acuta

  Reported on all 3 of the 3 days checked

• Lapland Longspur Calcarius lapponicus

  Reported on all 3 of the 3 days checked

How this is measured: eBird publishes, for each day, every species reported anywhere in Wisconsin. We count how many of the 3 days sampled (October 7–13, 2026) each species appears on and rank by that count — nothing here is estimated or modelled. Species tied on days are ordered by the total number of individuals in those records. Rarities work the other way round: rare bird alerts tell you when a bird that is not common shows up near you.