Singing male Kirtlands warbler Adams County, Wisconsin June 6, 2007 Photo by Joel Trick

The first nest of the Kirtland's warbler ever documented in Wisconsin was discovered by a private citizen in June of 2007 in central Wisconsin.  The careful observations of this individual eventually resulted in the documentation of at least 8 male and 3 female Kirtland's warblers, and the discovery of 3 different nests.  The Fish and Wildlife Service, Wisconsin DNR, and the landowner, Plum Creek Timber Company, quickly coordinated to monitor the nests and protect the area from disturbance during the nesting season. 

Representatives of the Green Bay Field Office and the Wisconsin DNR reported on Wisconsin events to the Kirtland's Warbler Recovery Team at their July 2007 meeting in Oscoda, Michigan.  Following the meeting, Service and DNR representatives were given a tour of Kirtland's warbler breeding habitat, and discussed management methods that could be implemented in Wisconsin. 

Kirtland’s warblers are vulnerable to nest parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds, and one of the key factors contributing to the success of the Kirtland’s warbler recovery program in Michigan is the ongoing cowbird control in the nesting areas.  A similar effort may be required to ensure nesting success in Wisconsin, where at least one of the Wisconsin nests was parasitized by brown-headed cowbirds, likely resulting in the loss of all Kirtland's warbler nestlings from that nest.

Wisconsin DNR has received a Citizen-based Monitoring grant to do surveys for Kirtland's warblers throughout Wisconsin in 2008.  The Green Bay Field Office will assist in identifying sites to be surveyed, and in coordinating survey efforts.  Wisconsin DNR has also committed to use a portion of their Endangered Species Act Section 6 funding to monitor the breeding site in 2008, and to conduct proactive cowbird trapping.

Confirmation of breeding Kirtland's warblers raises the possibility that other areas within the state could be managed to benefit the species.   We will be working over the winter months with land managers of jack pine habitat, including the State, the Forest Service, County foresters, and private timber companies, to explore opportunities to manage the habitats to benefit the Kirtland’s warblers.  Management of habitat to benefit Kirtland's warblers would be expected to result in additional benefits to numerous other species, including multiple species identified in the Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan as Species of Greatest Conservation Need.