Join in on a week of feathered fun!
The Urban Ecology Center presents the Fifth Annual Brew City Birding Festival, a wonderful week of bird-themed field trips, lectures, family-friendly programs and activities, and bird watching opportunities. All are welcome!
New for 2021!
Backyard Naturalist Series Subscriptions
Includes all Virtual Brew City Birding Festival events
Simplify your registration by subscribing to the Backyard Naturalist spring/summer series. Every Friday morning at 9:00 am we explore the wonders of our backyards through talks, guest lectures, and workshops. This subscription automatically registers you for the entire series through the end of August and as a bonus, you are also registered for all of the Brew City Birding Festival virtual events (what we used to call the Frequent Flyer Pass). Purchase a subscription now and you're all set, just bring your inquisitive mind to the weekly lectures and the festival!
Purchase your Backyard Naturalist Series Subscription today!
For more information, contact Tim Vargo at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (414) 964-8505.
Brew City Birding Festival Schedule
Check out the full schedule of adventures, workshops, birding opportunities, field trips, and more below!
Tuesday, May 4
Early Morning Bird Walk at Menomonee Valley
Menomonee Valley | Tuesday, May 4 | 8-10 am | Free
(For adults and accompanied children) Kick-start your day with fresh air and bird song. Interested bird watchers of all ability levels are invited to explore Three Bridges Park for birds with us. Registration required. Meet at the Menomonee Valley Passage Bridge.
Birding by Canoe
Washington Park | Tuesday, May 4 | 9-11 am | $15 – $25
(For everyone) Whether you are a birder or a first time learner, join us for a birding journey on the water. You will explore the lagoon at Washington Park in search for some feathered friends. Who knows what other natural treasures we may find.
Virtual – An Ornithologist Goes to the Movies, a Debunking
Virtual (register for link) | Tuesday, May 4 | 6-7 pm | Free – $10
(For everyone) Birds have been an important part of the media for millennia. From 10,000 year-old cave drawings, to themes in classical symphonies, we’ll look at the intersection of birds and the arts to debunk myths and celebrate birds!
Wednesday, May 5
Big Green Birding Bike Ride!
Washington Park | Wednesday, May 5 | 8 am-4 pm | $9 – $14
(For adults) Get exercise, enjoy fresh air and see how many birds we can find in one day using no fossil fuels! Bring a lunch, bike, and binoculars. Bikes and binoculars are available to borrow. Masks and registration required.
Early Morning Bird Walk at Washington Park
Washington Park | Wednesday, May 5 | 8-10 am | Free
Kick-start your day with fresh air and bird song. Interested bird watchers of all ability levels are invited to explore Washington Park for birds with us. Registration is required. Meet in the parking lot next to the Washington Park UEC building.
Virtual Painting Workshop – Night Owl
Virtual (register for link) | Wednesday, May 5 | 7-8:30 pm | Free – $10
(For everyone) Grab a paintbrush and join us for an evening of painting. Capture the beauty of owls at night and get creative while guided step by step by local artist and MIAD graduate, Maggie Szpot.
Thursday, May 6
Birding & Brews for Beginners
Thursday, May 6 | 7:30-9:30 am | $9 – $14
(For everyone) Grab some Colectivo coffee and join community programs educator Erin for some early morning beginner birding. We’ll meet at the McKinely Marina parking lot an then venture into Veterans Park to hopefully spot some feathered friends.
Early Morning Bird Walk at Riverside Park
Riverside Park | Thursday, May 6 | 8-10 am | Free
Kick-start your day with fresh air and bird song. Interested bird watchers of all ability levels are invited to explore Riverside Park for birds with us. Registration required. Meet in front of the Urban Ecology Center building.
Virtual – Calling all Bird Nerds to Trivia Night!
Virtual (register for link) | Thursday, May 6 | 7-9 pm | $5 – $10
(For everyone) Celebrate all things nature and birds by enjoy an evening with fellow nature nerds. Each round will have a different nature based theme so come test your limits and enjoy a laugh or two with friends, family, or just yourself!
Friday, May 7
Virtual – Birds – The Beautiful, The Bizarre and the Brand-new
Virtual (register for link) | Friday, May 7 | 9 - 10 am | Free – $10
(For everyone) Millions of years of evolution on a dinosaur spin off has produced truly unbelievable adaptations. We’ll sort through the beautiful chaos for the strangest tales and what we’ve learned since last year’s festival.
Virtual – Intro to eBird – Birding in a Technological World
Virtual (register for link) | Friday, May 7 | 3-4 pm | Free – $10
(For everyone) Do you often hear about an app and website called eBird but don’t know where to start? Learn the basics including how to submit a checklist and search for birds seen around you. Join birders from around the world on eBird!
Virtual – Kirtland’s Warbler versus the Brown-headed Cowbird – An Evolutionary Arms Race
Virtual (register for link) | Friday, May 7 | 6 - 7 pm | Free – $10
(For everyone) Explore the life history of the Brown-headed Cowbird and how its presence and breeding habits have affected vulnerable bird populations, especially that of the Federally Endangered Kirtland’s Warbler.
Virtual – Effects of Eco-Travel on Wildlife and Communities
Virtual (register for link) | Friday, May 7 | 7-8 pm | Free – $10
(For everyone) This presentation by Mitch Ost will focus on Birding and Gorilla watching in Uganda and how they can help preserve nature and enrich local communities. Birding is a great vehicle for exploring the multiple habitats of a nation.
BACKYARD BIRDING BLITZ - Saturday, May 8
Virtual - Backyard Birding Blitz
Virtual via Youtube Live and Zoom | Saturday, May 8 | 7:45 am -3 pm
Registration is required for this program.
(For everyone) Spring is finally here, bringing warmth, energy and birds to our lives! Join us for a virtual birding adventure from your backyard or neighborhood as we collectively try to document as many birds as we can without using fossil fuels. This is the perfect FREE event for families, those who have never birded in their lives, or for those who have been doing it their whole lives.
- UEC staff will be on Youtube live answering all your questions on birds throughout the duration of the event.
- A live-stream banding demonstration from Al Sherkow, Master Bird Bander as he explains bird banding using mists nets
- raffle prizes will be awarded to successful checklist submissions.
See you there!
Many thanks to our sponsor!
