Three decades ago, a bird census counted fewer than 400 Kirtland’s warblers, a small, golden-chested songbird that nests in young jack pine forests in the upper Midwest. On Tuesday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed the bird from the endangered species list, pointing to a remarkable recovery in the population due to work by the government, conservationists, landowners and charities.
“The delisting of Kirtland’s warbler is cause for celebration and proof the Endangered Species Act works,” said Shawn Graff of the American Bird Conservancy. “But this warbler is still among the rarest, most range-restricted migratory songbirds in North America. It is conservation-reliant, meaning that continued management efforts are imperative for the population to hold its ground and continue to expand.”
The Trump administration in August announced plans to significantly weaken the Endangered Species Act, making it easier to remove species from the endangered list and weaken protections for threatened species.
The warbler was one of the first species to be designated, in 1967, as being at risk of extinction. Key to its recovery was forestry management, removing mature trees and planting new jack pines. At times, the warbler was seen only in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Its range since has expanded to the Upper Peninsula, Wisconsin and Ontario. Its population recovered to more than 2,300 breeding pairs in 2015, exceeding the goal of 1,000 pairs. The warbler spends the winter in the Bahamas.