Wisconsin · Summer breeder

Wood Thrushs in Wisconsin

When wood thrushes are present in Wisconsin, when they nest, which native Wisconsin plants feed them, and how to host them in a USDA 3b–6a yard.

Thrushes (Turdidae)Wood ThrushHylocichla mustelina

Status in Wisconsin: Summer breeder
Nesting window: June–July
Broods: 1–2 per season
Hardiness zones: USDA 3b–6a

When to expect wood thrushes in Wisconsin

Wood Thrushs are summer residents in Wisconsin, arriving shortly before nesting begins in June and leaving after the young are independent. Through the season they feed on beetles, ants and caterpillars.

Humid continental, with two Great Lakes shorelines, northern forest and southern prairie-oak savanna.

Nesting in Wisconsin

Across Wisconsin, wood thrushes typically nest from June–July. Nest site: mud-lined cup in understory saplings. Females lay 3–4 eggs, incubate for 11–14 days, and young leave the nest after 12–15 days.

Warm, humid summers.

Wood Thrushs don't use nest boxes. Keep dense native shrubs and trees such as eastern red cedar, serviceberry, winterberry for nest sites.
Delay heavy pruning of shrubs until after July.

Native Wisconsin plants that attract wood thrushes

Of the regional native plants we track for Wisconsin, these 8 provide food or cover wood thrushes use:

Eastern red cedar

Juniperus virginiana · Tree

Dense evergreen roost cover and bluish 'berries' eaten through winter.

Serviceberry

Amelanchier arborea · Tree

Early-summer berries arrive exactly when nestlings are being fed.

Winterberry

Ilex verticillata · Shrub

Deciduous holly holding red fruit into mid-winter.

Staghorn sumac

Rhus typhina · Shrub

Fruit clusters persist all winter as emergency food.

Smooth sumac

Rhus glabra · Shrub

Red fruit heads hang on through winter.

White oak

Quercus alba · Tree

Acorns plus hundreds of caterpillar species for nestling food.

Bur oak

Quercus macrocarpa · Tree

Drought-hardy prairie oak with large acorns and a heavy insect load.

Black cherry

Prunus serotina · Tree

Summer fruit and one of the top caterpillar host trees.

Feeding wood thrushes through the Wisconsin year

Needs shady, moist woodland with leaf litter; declining by more than half since 1966.

Best foods: .
In Wisconsin's summer: offer water and insect foods; natural food is abundant.

Full diet breakdown for wood thrushes · Best feeder for wood thrushes

Frequently asked

Are wood thrushes in Wisconsin year-round?

No. Wood Thrushs are summer breeders in Wisconsin and leave for the winter.

When do wood thrushes nest in Wisconsin?

Nesting in Wisconsin typically runs June–July, with 1–2 per season. Clutches are 3–4 eggs, incubated for 11–14 days.

What native plants attract wood thrushes in Wisconsin?

Eastern red cedar, Serviceberry, Winterberry, Staghorn sumac, Smooth sumac, White oak, Bur oak, Black cherry are native plants in Wisconsin that provide food or cover for wood thrushes.

Other backyard birds in Wisconsin

Northern Cardinal Eastern Bluebird Black-capped Chickadee Purple Martin Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Goldfinch Tufted Titmouse White-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Blue Jay House Finch Purple Finch Ruby-throated Hummingbird Mourning Dove American Robin Dark-eyed Junco White-throated Sparrow Song Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Red-bellied Woodpecker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Baltimore Oriole Orchard Oriole Rose-breasted Grosbeak Evening Grosbeak Pine Siskin Common Redpoll Indigo Bunting Eastern Towhee Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Phoebe Chimney Swift Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Screech-Owl Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird American Tree Sparrow House Sparrow European Starling Canada Jay Eurasian Collared-Dove

Sources

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.