Migrating Piping Plover at Manitowoc, Wisconsin. - FWS photo by T. Prestby

Maintaining wetlands that provide stopover habitat for birds migrating along Lake Michigan’s shoreline has been identified by the Wisconsin Lake Michigan Stakeholders Habitat-Species Work Group as a key component for building a sustainable Great Lakes ecosystem. Recently the Habitat-Species Work Group, lead by co-chairs by Mark Holey from Fisheries and Louise Clemency from Ecological Services, met to examine the importance of stopover habitat along Lake Michigan and develop an action plan to ensure adequate habitat is available.

Representatives from land trusts, conservation organizations, the Wisconsin DNR, county governments, University of Wisconsin extension, and shoreline property owners saw preliminary results from a habitat model being developed by migratory bird biologist from The Nature Conservancy and the Department of Natural Resources that identifies and ranks Great Lakes migratory bird stopover habitat. The meeting was especially productive to bring migratory bird biologists who are working to identify stopover habitat needs together with local land trusts interested in learning about how they could support migratory bird populations through land protection.