KIRTLAND’S WARBLER

The Kirtland’s warbler is also known as the Jack Pine warbler. Nearly all the world’s Kirtland’s warbler population nest right here in Michigan’s Northern Lower Peninsula. They make their nests on the ground and only breed in young jack pine forests that are five to twenty years old. This habitat was historically created by large wildfires. The pine cones of the jack pine only open and release seeds during high temperatures, typically during a forest fire.  After years of conservation efforts and jack pine ecosystem management, the once endangered songbird was removed from the endangered species list in 2019. Today the Kirtland’s warbler remains one of North America’s rarest and most range-restricted songbirds.