Backyard birds in Waukesha, Wisconsin
Which birds visit Waukesha yards, when they nest at this latitude, and when to be out for the dawn chorus, all worked out from Waukesha's own coordinates.
- Coordinates
- 43.012°, -88.231°
- Population
- 71,970
- June 21 daylight
- 15 h 22 min
- December 21 daylight
- 9 h 0 min
- Sunrise mid-April / late June
- 6:12 AM / 5:13 AM
- Nesting vs state average
- about the same time as the state-wide average
- Hardiness zones (state)
- USDA 3b–6a
Nesting timing in Waukesha
The state guides give nesting windows for Wisconsin as a whole, weighted toward where most people live (about 43.4°N). Waukesha is at 43.0°N. Going by Hopkins' bioclimatic law, spring events move about four days per degree of latitude, so breeding here starts about the same time as the state-wide average. Elevation and nearby water also play a part.
Daylight triggers breeding. Waukesha goes from 9 h 0 min of daylight at the winter solstice to 15 h 22 min in June, a 6 h 22 min swing.
- Northern Cardinal — state window May–August
- Eastern Bluebird — state window May–August; box hole 1 1/2 in round (1 9/16 in for Mountain/Western overlap)
- Black-capped Chickadee — state window May–July; box hole 1 1/8 in round
- Purple Martin — state window June–July; box hole 1 3/4–2 1/8 in round, or starling-resistant crescent (3 × 1 3/16 in)
- Downy Woodpecker — state window May–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- Hairy Woodpecker — state window May–June; box hole 1 1/2 in round
- American Goldfinch — state window August–September
- Tufted Titmouse — state window May–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- White-breasted Nuthatch — state window May–June; box hole 1 1/4 in round
- House Wren — state window June–August; box hole 1 to 1 1/8 in round
Birds you can expect in Waukesha
Year-round residents (54)
Northern Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers, American Goldfinchs, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatchs, Blue Jays, House Finchs, Purple Finchs, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Dark-eyed Juncos, Song Sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Pileated Woodpeckers, Red-breasted Nuthatchs, Brown Creepers, Evening Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Screech-Owls, House Sparrows, European Starlings, Canada Jays, Eurasian Collared-Doves, American Crows, Common Ravens, Cooper's Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Barred Owls, Great Horned Owls, American Kestrels, Wood Ducks, Wild Turkeys, Northern Bobwhites, Mallards, Great Blue Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Eastern Meadowlarks, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Red Crossbills, Field Sparrows, Hooded Mergansers, Canada Gooses, Bald Eagles, Red-shouldered Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, Northern Saw-whet Owls, Black-backed Woodpeckers, Horned Larks, White-winged Crossbills, Rock Pigeons
Summer breeders (65)
Eastern Bluebirds, Purple Martins, House Wrens, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, White-throated Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Common Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Baltimore Orioles, Orchard Orioles, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Indigo Buntings, Eastern Towhees, Gray Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Eastern Phoebes, Chimney Swifts, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Pine Warblers, Wood Thrushs, Great Crested Flycatchers, Eastern Kingbirds, Scarlet Tanagers, Hermit Thrushs, Gray Catbirds, Lark Sparrows, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, American Redstarts, Black-and-white Warblers, Prothonotary Warblers, Ovenbirds, Yellow-breasted Chats, Palm Warblers, Red-eyed Vireos, Warbling Vireos, Eastern Wood-Pewees, Least Flycatchers, Cliff Swallows, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Bank Swallows, Common Nighthawks, Eastern Whip-poor-wills, American Coots, Killdeers, Spotted Sandpipers, American Woodcocks, Green Herons, Great Egrets, Black-crowned Night Herons, Turkey Vultures, Ospreys, Merlins, Savannah Sparrows, Swamp Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows, Dickcissels, Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Bobolinks, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Brewer's Blackbirds
Winter visitors (11)
Common Redpolls, American Tree Sparrows, Sharp-shinned Hawks, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Winter Wrens, Pine Grosbeaks, Snow Buntings, Lapland Longspurs, Common Redpolls, Hoary Redpolls, Bohemian Waxwings
Cold, snowy winters; boreal finches visit the north.
When to watch: dawn chorus in Waukesha
Songbirds sing hardest in the 30–60 minutes before sunrise, and most of all in spring. In Waukesha, sunrise is around 6:12 AM in mid-April, 5:13 AM at the June solstice and 7:20 AM in late December (local time, America/Chicago). Fill feeders the evening before so the first birds find food.
Native plants for Waukesha yards
Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.
Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.
Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.
Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.
Red fruit heads hang on through winter.
Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.
Late-summer berry clusters taken by over 40 bird species.
Lipid-rich red fruit fuels fall migrants.
Nearby cities in Wisconsin
- New Berlin — 7 mi away, nesting about the same time as Waukesha
- Brookfield — 7 mi away, nesting about the same time as Waukesha
- Muskego — 9 mi away, nesting about the same time as Waukesha
- West Allis — 11 mi away, nesting about the same time as Waukesha
- Menomonee Falls — 13 mi away, nesting about the same time as Waukesha
- Franklin — 13 mi away, nesting about the same time as Waukesha
Frequently asked
What birds live in Waukesha all year?
Year-round residents across Wisconsin include Northern Cardinal, Black-capped Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch. All of them visit backyard feeders in Waukesha.
When do birds start nesting in Waukesha?
Waukesha sits at a different latitude from Wisconsin's population centre, so nesting runs about the same time as the state-wide average, going by the rule of about 4 days per degree of latitude.
What time does the dawn chorus start in Waukesha?
Songbirds start singing about 30–60 minutes before sunrise. In Waukesha, sunrise is around 6:12 AM in mid-April and 5:13 AM in late June.
Sources
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Wisconsin
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- GeoNames gazetteer (city coordinates & population)
- NOAA Solar Calculator methodology
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.