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The Bird Sanctuary

Situated on the rolling glacial outwash sand plain that extends from Burnett to Bayfield counties, the property features a large pine barrens with widely scattered clumps of jack pine, northern pin oak (hill’s oak), and occasional red (norway) pine. The plant community is characteristic of the presettlement vegetation that once covered much of northwestern Wisconsin.

Maintained by fire, the barrens are one of the best sharp-tailed grouse habitats in Wisconsin. Shrubs present are american hazelnut, sweet fern, early low blueberry, and prairie willow. Ground layer species include big bluestem, little bluestem, rough blazing star, wood lily, hoary puccoon, new jersey tea, pasque flower, butterfly weed, and wood betony (lousewort).

The Bird Sanctuary, officially called the Douglas County Wildlife Management Area (DCWMA), is a 4,000 acre property that is managed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and leased from Douglas County (except for 994 acres that are state owned). 240 acres of the property were designated the Solon Springs Sharptail Barrens State Natural Area by the DNR in 1968.

Bird life is dominated by species, which require extensive open landscapes including the rare sharp-tailed grouse, upland sandpiper, northern harrier (marsh hawk), clay-colored
sparrow, red-tailed hawk, and vesper sparrow.

Other birds include sora rail, spotted sandpiper, short-eared owl, rough-legged hawk, eastern bluebird, rufous-sided towhee, gray catbird, brown thrasher, vesper sparrow, american woodcock, and ruffed grouse.

In addition to sharp-tailed grouse, principal wildlife includes white-tailed deer, coyote,
plains pocket gopher, and american badger. Other mammals include black bear, gray (timber) wolf, thirteen-lined ground squirrel, red squirrel, eastern gray squirrel, and
least chipmunk.

Amphibians, turtles, and reptiles include eastern tiger salamander, blue spotted salamander, cope’s gray tree frog, eastern american toad, western painted turtle,
eastern hog-nosed snake, smooth green snake (grass snake), and northern prairie skink.

Recreational activities include hiking, bird watching, berry picking, wild flower observation, picnicking, and dog trials by permit.