A Historic Nest And Other Bird News To Hoot About!
Here is some Wisconsin bird news worth hooting about!
Earlier this fall, Wisconsin recorded its first confirmed barn owl nest in 22 years, thanks in part to a La Crosse family whose backyard provided just the right habitat.
Read the rest of the DNR’s news release and learn where to report your sightings of this owl with the iconic, white heart-shaped face and "bloodcurdling" scream.
A record number of singing male Kirtland's warblers was detected in 2021 in Wisconsin. / Photo Credit: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
A Record Chorus Of Kirtland’s Warblers
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and other partners confirmed a record number of singing Kirtland’s warbler males in 2021.
“The 39 males represents our highest count ever!” reports Davin Lopez, who leads the DNR’s Kirtland’s warbler efforts. The bird, listed as endangered in Wisconsin, was detected in Jackson, Marinette, Vilas, Douglas and Adams counties.
“We are optimistic as our population continues to expand numerically and geographically,” Lopez said. Wisconsin's population provides an important backup to the core Kirtland's warbler population in Michigan that was recently removed from the federal endangered species list.
Ashley captained the Indigoing Places team in the 2021 Great Wisconsin Birdathon. She and her mother recorded 88 species and raised $277 for birds. / Photo Credit: Melissa Kesling
Bird Lovers Raise A Record Amount To Support Feathered Friends
Hundreds of Wisconsin bird lovers participating in the 2021 Great Wisconsin Birdathon raised a record-breaking $107,915 for seven priority bird projects. Sixty-five teams of more than 300 people spent 24 hours recording the birds they saw and collected pledges for the Birdathon, an annual fundraiser organized by the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin. Plans are underway for the 2022 event – look for registration in March.
Read more about the projects receiving funding from the 2021 event, including efforts to help some of the bird species featured in this email. Well done Birdathoners!
Getting A Handle On Bird Habitat
The Wisconsin Bird Conservation Partnership, of which the DNR is a member, has completed its assessment of 93 sites identified as Important Bird Areas, according to Craig Thompson, who leads bird conservation efforts for DNR. Information from the assessment will inform decisions about potential funding to accelerate conservation action for Wisconsin’s birds. Habitat loss is the primary driver of bird declines in Wisconsin and elsewhere.
Learn more about Important Bird Areas in Wisconsin.
A piping plover parent and chick shown in a file photo. Click on the image to see field footage of piping plover chicks being released after they were banded in July 2, 2021 at the Apostle Islands' Long Island to track their movements. / Photo Credit: Joel Trick
Piping Plovers Pair Up In Record Numbers
Wisconsin’s breeding population of endangered piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) reached an all-time high of 11 pairs in 2021, reports DNR Conservation Biologist Sumner Matteson, who leads state efforts with federal, tribal, state and local partners to recover the shorebird's populations.
Five piping plover pairs nested at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on Lake Superior and six at the Cat Island Restoration Chain in lower Green Bay. Nest predation was an issue in lower Green Bay during 2021, but the plovers are clearly finding Wisconsin’s natural and restored sites to their liking, boding well for 2022.
Click here to see Matteson's field footage of piping plover chicks being released after they were banded in July 2, 2021 at the Apostle Islands' Long Island.
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