BirdNote; Kirtland's Warbler - A Conservation Success

BirdNote®

Kirtland’s Warbler—A Conservation Success

Written by Bob Sundstrom

This is BirdNote.

[Kirtland’s Warbler song, https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/104072101#_ga=2.142683633.554819994.1…, 0.00-0.08]

The song of a Kirtland’s Warbler is a rare sound, heard mostly in Michigan, Wisconsin, or Southern Ontario, where a population of about 2300 pairs nest. That may not seem like many birds, but it’s a big improvement - and a comeback story worth talking about.

[Kirtland’s Warbler song, https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/104072101#_ga=2.142683633.554819994.1…, 0.00-0.08]

State and federal efforts, combined with the work of community volunteers, have brought the Kirtland’s Warbler back from the brink of extinction in the 1970s. It was taken off the Endangered Species List in 2019.

Kirtland’s Warblers breed in young jack pine woods that, many years ago, would have experienced wildfire on a fairly regular basis. Since most wildfires are now quickly controlled, humans must directly manage the bird’s habitat to provide these young trees. American Bird Conservancy and the Kirtland’s Warbler Conservation Team have taken the initiative, in partnership with federal and state agencies.

As Mike DeCapita of the US Fish and Wildlife Service says:

“... the very significant increase to record numbers of the Kirtland’s Warbler population in the last few years has been very gratifying to all of us that have worked so long to recover this species, because it makes us realize that we do have the knowledge and the tools to recover this very vulnerable and rare species.”

For BirdNote, I’m Mary McCann.

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Producer: John Kessler

Executive Producer: Sallie Bodie

Editor: Ashley Ahearn

Associate Producer: Ellen Blackstone

Assistant Producer: Mark Bramhill

Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. ML195780 recorded by B McGuire.

BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.

© 2020 BirdNote February 2020 Narrator: Mary McCann

ID# KIWA-02 KIWA-02-2020-02-25

Mike DeCapita excerpt from YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVgAWRqpwBQ 12:42-13:04

fsummary American Bird Conservancy https://abcbirds.org/blog/kirtlands-warbler-recovery/https://www.fws.go…

https://www.fws.gov/Midwest/endangered/birds/Kirtland/index.html

https://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/news/conservation/cowbird-trapping-pr…