Kirtland's Warbler

Kirtland's Warbler in Michigan

Setophaga kirtlandii

Identification. A medium-sized warbler with blue-gray back, yellow underparts streaked with black on flanks, and the diagnostic tail-pumping behavior. Males sing a loud, low-pitched song from jack pine tops in late May and June.

Status in Michigan. Breeding endemic of the northern Lower Peninsula, expanding into the UP and Wisconsin. Kirtland's Warbler is the bird most identified with Michigan. The species breeds almost exclusively in young jack pine stands between 5 and 20 years old in the northern Lower Peninsula, with the population core in Crawford, Oscoda, and Kalkaska counties. Recent range expansion has put small numbers into the Upper Peninsula and across the border into Wisconsin and Ontario.

Habitat. Young jack pine plains, typically 5-20 years post-fire or post-harvest, on sandy outwash soils.

Where to find Kirtland's Warbler. Best viewed during ranger-led tours from Mio and Grayling in late May and June. Self-guided viewing is restricted to protect breeding habitat. The Kirtland's Warbler Festival in early June draws birders from across the country.

Best Michigan counties for Kirtland's Warbler. Crawford, Oscoda, Kalkaska, Iosco, Ogemaw. Click any county above to see recent Kirtland's Warbler sightings and hotspot information.

Conservation. Removed from federal endangered species list in 2019 after one of the most intensive single-species recovery programs in U.S. history. Population is now stable at roughly 2,300 singing males. Habitat is managed through coordinated jack pine harvest and replanting by the USFS, Michigan DNR, and partners.

The sightings table below this section pulls live Kirtland's Warbler reports from eBird across all 83 Michigan counties, refreshed every 15 minutes. For comprehensive historical records and global range information, the eBird species profile and Cornell Lab of Ornithology Birds of the World account are the authoritative references.

Edited by Chris Izworski, Bay City, Michigan. Sightings data from eBird, updated every 15 minutes.