1,707 singing males; 4,500 overall
1,707 singing males; 4,500 overall
Endangered
Kirtland's Warblers may have always been uncommon; however, in 1974 and 1987, the number of singing males was estimated to be only 167. Since 1990, the population has been increasing fairly steadily. In 1998, the number was estimated to be at its highest level until that time, with 805 singing males. The Michigan Singing Male Survey hit a new high in 2005 with 1,415 singing males according to the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). In 2006, that number rose to 1,479, and in 2007 the number was 1,707. If we assume that every male has a female, then the best, albeit rough, population estimate for Kirtland's Warbler at the beginning of the breeding season is 3,400, and the best estimate after the breeding season is about 4,500.
The Kirtland's Warbler endures primarily because people maintain its habitat. In 2006, almost 4,000 acres were burned or cut to regenerate young jack pines. Outside the official management area, this habitat occurs in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and in parts of Wisconsin. Brown-headed Cowbirds have also been a serious problem. Prior to current control measures, more than half the nests were being parasitized. Habitat fragmentation, recreational cabins, and predators like cats are also threats.
Active land management for this species started in the late 1950's and intensified in 1974 when the Kirtland's Warbler was declared Endangered. Since 1975, a recovery team has directed conservation efforts in Michigan and neighboring states. Coordination with the government of the Bahamas began in 2002. This species is at the top of most conservation lists, including America's
Top Ten Most Endangered Birds (2006).
The Recovery team estimates that at least 38,000 acres of proper habitat are needed each year and that this breeding area should be part of a 190,000 acre system. Today, many more acres and several new sites would be needed to reach that figure. Cowbird trapping has reduced parasitism rates from 70 percent to three percent, tripling the rate of warbler reproductive success.
The Kirtland's Warbler is a rising celebrity that attracts thousands of birders from around the world. Michigan Audubon has been leading a campaign to make this songbird the State Bird, a proposal that had still not been adopted by summer 2007. The participation of private landowners like the Plum Creek timber Company is vital to the creation of new habitat for this species and to its future.
Between mid-May and early July, look for the Kirtland's Warbler by joining an official tour with the
U.S. Forest Service near Mio, Michigan.
Become involved in the
Important Bird Areas program in Michigan.
Attend the
Kirtland's Warbler Festival, usually held during the second weekend of May, on the campus of Kirtland Community College in Roscommon, Michigan. Special tours are offered for seeing the warbler.
Support the conservation and restoration of the rare jack pine habitat, on which this warbler depends. Learn more about Michigan's efforts to grow the
Jack Pine Ecosystem.
If you live in the area of north-central Michigan where Kirtland's Warblers breed, be sure to
keep your cat indoors.
Find out about
actions you can take including Audubon programs and activities.
Read more about Kirtland's Warblers in Wisconsin: "
Discovery of Rare Bird Nest is Cause for Celebration," the USFWS press release for June 2007.
For more information on Kirtland's Warbler, including what you can do to help, contact the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division, Natural Heritage Program, P. O. Box 30180, Lansing, MI 48909-7680. Kirtland's Warbler CONTACTS: Raymond Rustem, (517) 373-1263.
Learn more about this species and other birds through
these resources.
Endangered Species - Kirtland's Warbler.
2007 Nesting Season Summary.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Endangered Species. Accessed 11 Nov 2007.
Mayfield, Harold F. 1992. Kirtland's Warbler. In
The Birds of North America, No. 19 (A. Poole, P. Stettenheim, and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, DC: The American Ornithologists' Union.
