Kirtland’s Warbler remains on federal endangered species list in Wisconsin

By Patrick Lynn

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) has removed the Kirtland’s Warbler from protection under the Federal Endangered Species Act in Michigan—but the bird remains protected in Wisconsin.

The songbird met recovery goals after “years of intensive habitat management,” in lower Michigan, where the core population lives. But those goals haven’t been met yet in Wisconsin, so the bird remains on the state’s endangered and threatened species list.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Natural Heritage Conservation is working to continue conservation work to increase the state’s small but growing population. 

Davin Lopez from the WisDNR will present an online program discussing the bird’s status, and how Wisconsin is working to improve the bird’s status in the state. The program will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 7 p.m.

Lopez will discuss the highly-specialized nesting requirements and other challenges to maintaining a healthy population of warblers. 

Lopez has been with WisDNR since 2005. In 2011, he joined the Bureau of Natural Heritage Conservation (formerly known as “Endangered Resources”) where he serves as the state Whooping Crane reintroduction coordinator and state lead for the Kirtland’s Warbler conservation project. Previously, he was the statewide coordinator of the WisDNR’s Chronic Wasting Disease program.

Registration for the free online program is available by Zoom link at www.aldoleopoldaudubon.org under “Programs,” or at https://bit.ly/2Fwpd3t.