Joel Trick of the Green Bay Ecological Services Field Office tells Wisconsin birders about Kirtland's warblers. May 31, 2008 Adams County, Wisconsin. Photo by Patti Trick

Wisconsin Society for Ornithology members view a cooperative Kirtland's warbler. May 31, 2008 Adams County, Wisconsin. Photo by Joel Trick

The discovery of nesting Kirtland's warblers in Wisconsin in 2007 generated a considerable amount of interest and excitement in the Wisconsin birding community. Many Wisconsin birders are eager to observe a Kirtland's warbler in the state and add it to their life list. Due to the small numbers of birds and uncertainty whether this population can become established and grow, the Service has tried to discourage the public from visiting the site to avoid disturbance. In an effort to be responsive to the wishes of the public while still being protective, the Fish and Wildlife Service's Green Bay Field Office helped organize and conduct a field trip to allow Wisconsin birders to view the species. In cooperation with the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, USDA-Wildlife Services, and Plum Creek Timber Company, two field trips were held on May 31 of this year at the Adams County, Wisconsin, site where Kirtland's were found nesting in 2007. Participants met at a nearby gathering point, and were transported on a bus to the viewing site. Upon arrival, the group was split into three smaller groups, and each group took turns viewing a Kirtland's warbler, seeing a brown-headed cowbird trap in operation, and receiving presentations on commercial forest management and warbler ecology. Thanks to a very cooperative but unmated male, all 71 tour participants were treated to great views of a singing Kirtland's warbler. For many of the tour attendees, this was a life bird, or a species that they had never previously observed. Engaging and encouraging participation by WSO members will help build a strong constituency and support for Kirtland's warblers in Wisconsin. Establishing public support may be critical to future proactive management actions to benefit the species. Any such conservation actions which may be implemented to benefit the warbler are also expected to result in similar benefits to numerous other local nesting bird species, including multiple species identified in the Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan as Species of Greatest Conservation Need.