Kirtland's Warbler

2008 Nesting Season Summary

Kirtland's warbler singing male

Photo by USFWS; Joel Trick

During the 2008 annual census, a total of 1,803 singing males were counted, an increase from 1,707 in 2007. The total count included 1,791 from Michigan with an additional 9 males observed in Wisconsin, and 3 males observed in Ontario, Canada. Follow this link for a review of previous survey data.

Five nests were documented in central Wisconsin and one nest was discovered in Canada. This was the second consecutive year that nesting has occurred outside Michigan.

54 cowbird traps captured 3,135 cowbirds, aiding in efforts to prevent nest parasitism. Over 144,000 cowbirds have been trapped during the 37 years of this program.

For information about the brown-headed cowbird and how it affects migratory birds, see Cornell's fact sheet.

Cowbird Trap

Management of jack pine forest continues in the Huron-Manistee National Forest, Hiawatha National Forest, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service lands, and Michigan State lands. In 2007, the Michigan DNR regenerated 1,543 acres, the USFS regenerated 1,548 acres, and the USFWS regenerated 90 acres. This is a total of 3,181 acres of jack pine habitat regenerated.

775 visitors from 40 States, Washington D.C., and 3 foreign countries attended U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Forest Service Kirtland's warbler guided tour programs in 2008. Follow this link for information about the guided tours.

The Kirtland's Warbler Recovery Team has a collaborative working relationship with Bahamians to document the warbler's wintering habitat and assure its protection in the Bahamas. In the Bahamas, over 120 Kirtland's warblers have been banded since the winter of 2002-2003.

Cooperators in Kirtland's Warbler Recovery

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service	USDA Forest Service	Bahamas National Trust	Michigan Department of Natural Resources