Volunteer Ron Refsnider examines a Kirtland's warbler during banding operations in Adams County, Wisconsin, while warbler monitor Jennifer Goyette records data. USFWS photo by Joel Trick.

Color-banded male Wisconsin Kirtland's warbler prior to release in Adams County, Wisconsin. USFWS photo by Joel Trick.

Banding each of these birds with a unique combination of color bands allows us to track their movements on both the wintering grounds and the breeding areas. Being able to identify individual males at the Adams County site this year allowed us to determine the locations of territories of each male, and assisted in determining female and nest associations. Through time, being able to identify individually marked birds could provide insight into the mechanisms that allow Kirtland's warblers to find and utilize new nesting areas. This information may be helpful in understanding how birds find and use new habitats, which could assist in ongoing and future conservation efforts. This information may inform future decisions in habitat management and contribute towards making populations sufficiently secure for removal from the list of threatened and endangered species. Conservation efforts that benefit Kirtland's warblers 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.