Birds of Blue Mound State Park

During the summer, the park holds at least 75 nesting species, including, among many others (Links marked * exit DNR):

The crow-sized pileated woodpecker lives here, too! Ruffed grouse often scare hikers as they thunder up from the brushy trailside. The beautiful, mellow song of the wood thrush* is often heard in the twilight hours. Tiny house wrens* chatter, black-capped chickadees scold and the ovenbird often "gives out" with its staccato tee-cher, tee-cher, tee-cher call. In late spring and early summer you may be lucky enough to hear the long, loud tinkling song of the little winter wren*.

Blue Mound attracts red-tailed hawks and sometimes the eagle-size turkey vulture*, both species circling high above the mound riding the rising are currents.

Wild turkeys are also a common site in the park. Male turkeys (gobblers or toms) average 18-25 pounds in weight and females weigh 8 – 10 pounds. The wild turkey is primarily a woodland bird, preferring mature hardwood forest. You will probably see turkeys in small flocks of 6 to 20 birds.

During spring and fall migration periods, the park’s woods are often alive with birds. On a good day, in early May, it would be possible to see, or hear, 50 to 60 species of birds in just a few hours! It’s quite probable that in a single year’s time, more than 150 kinds of birds live in or migrate through the park.

At least 15 kinds of birds can be considered year-round residents. These residents, plus a dozen more winter "visitor" birds, would bring the birds to be seen in the winter up to perhaps 25 species.

For More Information

Ask Karl Heil, manager, (608) 437-5711