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Sherrie Duris <[log in to unmask]>
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Fri, 15 Jun 2007 23:38:37 -0400
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http://www.fws.gov/midwest/News/Release07-59.html

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 14, 2007

Discovery of Rare Bird Nest is Cause for Celebration


Scientists and bird lovers are celebrating a milestone in the recovery of a highly endangered songbird as an active Kirtland’s warbler nest was discovered on private property in Wisconsin, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today.



The tiny Kirtland’s warbler, whose distinctive mating call can be heard up to a quarter of a mile away, lives primarily in jack pine forests in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. However, the species has been seen in recent years in other areas, including Wisconsin, Ontario and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. 



The nest was discovered by a birder who found the first Kirtland’s warblers in the area several weeks ago. Recognizing the significance of the discovery, this private citizen came forward and has been assisting the Fish and Wildlife Service and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in documenting the presence of Kirtland’s warblers in the state. 



“This development is a testament to decades of cooperative conservation among the states of Michigan and Wisconsin, private landowners, and organizations such as the Audubon Society,” said Robyn Thorson, regional director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Midwest Region. “This discovery proves that by working together, recovery and range expansion for an endangered bird are not only possible, but are happening as we speak.”



The nest was discovered on land in central Wisconsin owned by the Plum Creek Timber Company.



“Discovering the Kirtland's warbler nesting in managed forests in central Wisconsin is exciting and encouraging, and provides Plum Creek the opportunity to work further with the Service on enhancing Kirtland's warbler habitat in Wisconsin, as we are planning to do in Michigan's Upper Peninsula,” said Scott Henker, Wisconsin’s senior resource manager for Plum Creek.



The Kirtland's warbler was first described in 1857. Its nesting area was not known until the first nest was discovered in Oscoda County, Mich., in 1903. Scientists quickly recognized the species as rare and set aside special areas to protect it. The Kirtland’s warbler population plummeted from 432 singing males in 1951 to only 201 males in 1971.



Thanks to recovery efforts by federal, state and private partners, Kirtland’s warbler numbers have increased steadily since 1990, reaching 1,486 males in 2006, the highest number on record since population monitoring began.



Prior to this year's historic nesting in Wisconsin, no Kirtland's warblers have nested outside Michigan since nesting occurred in Ontario in the 1940s. In the past two years, several singing males have been found at a single location in Wisconsin, prompting speculation and optimism that the species would ultimately be found nesting in the state.



“Wisconsin is excited about having its first Kirtland's warbler nest, and we congratulate our partners in Michigan who have worked for so long to strengthen the Kirtland's warbler population,” said Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Scott Hassett. “Having this rare bird in Wisconsin is an honor and underscores our responsibility to keep providing quality habitat for wildlife. We look forward to working with Michigan in the future management of this rare pine barrens species.”



Now that the Kirtland’s warbler has been confirmed as a breeding species in the state, the Fish and Wildlife Service will look for opportunities to work with land managers of appropriate habitat in Wisconsin and encourage management practices that could benefit the species. An added advantage of managing habitat for the Kirtland’s warbler is that it would also provide benefits for numerous other bird species, as well as other plants and animals that depend on similar habitats.

In Michigan, the Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners, including the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Forest Service and the Michigan National Guard, have seen success with efforts to recover the Kirtland’s warbler through restoration of nesting habitat, control of the parasitic brown-headed cowbird, protection and public information, and the support and assistance of organizations like the Michigan Audubon Society and Kirtland Community College.



”Management partners in Michigan have worked for decades to restore the Kirtland's warbler population,” said Michigan Department of Natural Resources Director Rebecca A. Humphries. “Following this discovery, we look forward to working with our partners in Wisconsin to continue the efforts to conserve this species.”



The Kirtland’s warbler selects nesting sites in stands of jack pine between four and 20 years old. Historically, frequent natural wildfires created these stands of young jack pine. Modern fire suppression programs altered this natural process, reducing Kirtland’s warbler habitat.



To mimic the effects of wildfire and ensure the future of this endangered species, state and federal wildlife biologists and foresters annually manage forests through a combination of clearcutting, burning, seeding and replanting to promote warbler habitat. Approximately 3,000 acres of jack pine trees are planted or seeded annually on state and federal lands in Michigan. The resulting new plantations will provide habitat for warblers in the near future.



These successful cooperative management efforts have restored the Kirtland’s warbler throughout much of its historic nesting range in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. The presence of a healthy and expanding core population in this area has resulted in the dispersal and appearance of the birds in the Upper Peninsula, Canada and Wisconsin. 



In order to protect this fragile nest from disturbance, the Fish and Wildlife Service is not disclosing its precise location. Attempting to find, approach or photograph the nest will disturb it, and anyone who disturbs protected birds, their eggs or active nests is violating the Endangered Species Act. 



The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 96-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.




Good Birding!

Sherrie Duris
www.myspace.com/sherrieduris






Scientists and bird lovers are celebrating a milestone in the recovery of a highly endangered songbird as an active Kirtland’s warbler nest was discovered on private property in Wisconsin, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today.



The tiny Kirtland’s warbler, whose distinctive mating call can be heard up to a quarter of a mile away, lives primarily in jack pine forests in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. However, the species has been seen in recent years in other areas, including Wisconsin, Ontario and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. 



The nest was discovered by a birder who found the first Kirtland’s warblers in the area several weeks ago. Recognizing the significance of the discovery, this private citizen came forward and has been assisting the Fish and Wildlife Service and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in documenting the presence of Kirtland’s warblers in the state. 



“This development is a testament to decades of cooperative conservation among the states of Michigan and Wisconsin, private landowners, and organizations such as the Audubon Society,” said Robyn Thorson, regional director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Midwest Region. “This discovery proves that by working together, recovery and range expansion for an endangered bird are not only possible, but are happening as we speak.”



The nest was discovered on land in central Wisconsin owned by the Plum Creek Timber Company.



“Discovering the Kirtland's warbler nesting in managed forests in central Wisconsin is exciting and encouraging, and provides Plum Creek the opportunity to work further with the Service on enhancing Kirtland's warbler habitat in Wisconsin, as we are planning to do in Michigan's Upper Peninsula,” said Scott Henker, Wisconsin’s senior resource manager for Plum Creek.



The Kirtland's warbler was first described in 1857. Its nesting area was not known until the first nest was discovered in Oscoda County, Mich., in 1903. Scientists quickly recognized the species as rare and set aside special areas to protect it. The Kirtland’s warbler population plummeted from 432 singing males in 1951 to only 201 males in 1971.



Thanks to recovery efforts by federal, state and private partners, Kirtland’s warbler numbers have increased steadily since 1990, reaching 1,486 males in 2006, the highest number on record since population monitoring began.



Prior to this year's historic nesting in Wisconsin, no Kirtland's warblers have nested outside Michigan since nesting occurred in Ontario in the 1940s. In the past two years, several singing males have been found at a single location in Wisconsin, prompting speculation and optimism that the species would ultimately be found nesting in the state.



“Wisconsin is excited about having its first Kirtland's warbler nest, and we congratulate our partners in Michigan who have worked for so long to strengthen the Kirtland's warbler population,” said Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Secretary Scott Hassett. “Having this rare bird in Wisconsin is an honor and underscores our responsibility to keep providing quality habitat for wildlife. We look forward to working with Michigan in the future management of this rare pine barrens species.”



Now that the Kirtland’s warbler has been confirmed as a breeding species in the state, the Fish and Wildlife Service will look for opportunities to work with land managers of appropriate habitat in Wisconsin and encourage management practices that could benefit the species. An added advantage of managing habitat for the Kirtland’s warbler is that it would also provide benefits for numerous other bird species, as well as other plants and animals that depend on similar habitats.

In Michigan, the Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners, including the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Forest Service and the Michigan National Guard, have seen success with efforts to recover the Kirtland’s warbler through restoration of nesting habitat, control of the parasitic brown-headed cowbird, protection and public information, and the support and assistance of organizations like the Michigan Audubon Society and Kirtland Community College.



”Management partners in Michigan have worked for decades to restore the Kirtland's warbler population,” said Michigan Department of Natural Resources Director Rebecca A. Humphries. “Following this discovery, we look forward to working with our partners in Wisconsin to continue the efforts to conserve this species.”



The Kirtland’s warbler selects nesting sites in stands of jack pine between four and 20 years old. Historically, frequent natural wildfires created these stands of young jack pine. Modern fire suppression programs altered this natural process, reducing Kirtland’s warbler habitat.



To mimic the effects of wildfire and ensure the future of this endangered species, state and federal wildlife biologists and foresters annually manage forests through a combination of clearcutting, burning, seeding and replanting to promote warbler habitat. Approximately 3,000 acres of jack pine trees are planted or seeded annually on state and federal lands in Michigan. The resulting new plantations will provide habitat for warblers in the near future.



These successful cooperative management efforts have restored the Kirtland’s warbler throughout much of its historic nesting range in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. The presence of a healthy and expanding core population in this area has resulted in the dispersal and appearance of the birds in the Upper Peninsula, Canada and Wisconsin. 



In order to protect this fragile nest from disturbance, the Fish and Wildlife Service is not disclosing its precise location. Attempting to find, approach or photograph the nest will disturb it, and anyone who disturbs protected birds, their eggs or active nests is violating the Endangered Species Act. 



The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 96-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.




Good Birding!

Sherrie Duris
www.myspace.com/sherrieduris





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