Whitefish Bay Moving to Become a 'Bird City'

Whitefish Bay is joining other municipalities in applying to enter the Bird City USA program, which recognizes communities for their commitment to creating healthy habitats for birds.

The Whitefish Bay Garden Club is currently developing an application to become a Bird City community, and Bird City Wisconsin coordinator Carl Schwartz said the village will find out by the end of March whether its application was accepted. Whitefish Bay's $100 application fee will be split three ways between the village, the Whitefish Bay Garden Club and the Whitefish Bay Civic Foundation.

Schwartz said the Bird City program has two goals: to recognize communities that are creating favorable habitats for birds and to encourage communities to take additional steps for birds.

"Being recognized as a bird city makes an important statement about the community," he said. "It shows that the community sees itself as committed to making the conditions in the community satisfactory or adequate for birds to reside on a permanent basis and raise families by committing to maintain native habitats, mitigate problems with cats left outdoors, do something about window collisions and do something about invasive species. All of these things not only do good things for birds but make communities overall healthier."

When a community is awarded designation, they receive a Bird City flag, plaque and street signs that displays their achievements in conservation.

Modeled on the “Tree City USA” program, a community needs to meet at least seven of the 22 criteria created in order to become an official Bird City.

The village already meets some Bird City criteria, such as being in compliance with Wisconsin's Smart Growth law for land use planning and resource management; having a park system with habitats for multiple bird species; offering property owners information on control or removal of invasive plant species, as evidenced in the Big Bay Weed Out; the community's representation in the Christmas Bird county bird monitoring program and participating in the Tree City USA program for the past 17 years.

The village has two remaining criteria, one of which was addressed at last week's Village Board meeting. Trustees agreed to recognize May 12 as National Migratory Bird Day, and the Whitefish Bay Garden Club and Whitefish Bay Civic Foundation are partnering to hold a celebration for the day as part of the annual Green Day in the Bay event.

The village will also be in compliance with the second missing requirement when the existing Cats Indoor program is put on the village website and bulletin board. The program encourages cat owners to keep their felines indoors to prevent bird deaths and prevent feline illnesses and death.

Bayside is already a Bird City community, and last night, Fox Point trustees for moving forward with an application. 

There are a total of 39 communities with the Bird City status.