10-26-21 once endangered kirtland’s warbler population stable

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich, (AP) — The once-endangered Kirtland’s warbler is maintaining healthy numbers. State and federal officials reported Monday on the latest census of the songbird. It nests primarily in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula as well as the Upper Peninsula, Wisconsin and Ontario. The population was estimated at 4,490 following the June survey. That’s down slightly from the last full count in 2015, but officials say the population is stable. The Kirtland’s warbler fell victim to habitat loss and cowbird invasions. Only a few hundred remained by the late 1980s. But a habitat restoration plan helped the species bounce back.