MT. PLEASANT, MI (MPRN)-- The Kirtland’s warbler, an endangered Michigan songbird, no longer
needs the protection of the Endangered Species Act.
That’s according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The bird was among the first animals in the U.S. to be listed at risk of extinction.
Warblers only nest in young jack pine trees found in Michigan, Wisconsin and Ontario.
In 1974 there were 167 breeding pairs left. Today, that number is estimated at over 2,300.
Dan Kennedy is with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
“So it’s a great conservation success story that is uniquely Michigan.”
Kennedy says the Kirtland's Warbler will need to see the same conservation efforts in the future because the bird is “conservation reliant.”