Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus) Mike Bishop
Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Ottawa Co., OH. 5/8/2009 © Willie McHale This species sponsored by Fred & Alyce Townsend and by Bob & Sue Copland. (Click to view a comparison of Atlas I to II)
A walk through just about any forested area in forests persisted (Barrows 1912). Currently, the Ovenbird is widely distributed across the state, Michigan during June or July will be rewarded occurring in every region. with the unmistakable “teacher-TEACHER-
TEACHER” song of the Ovenbird. This wood The Ovenbird’s distribution in Michigan, and warbler, with the thrush-like appearance and indeed range-wide, is centered throughout the habit, is one of the most common forest species UP and Northern LP. Its statewide distribution of the upper Midwest with its region-wide range follows a basic pattern of higher densities in centered around the Great Lakes Basin (Van forested areas versus much lower densities in Horn and Donovan 1994). The greatest agricultural, industrial or urban locales. densities of Ovenbirds are found in Michigan, Consequently, the eastern half of the SLP shows northern Wisconsin, and northeastern the lowest densities particularly around the Minnesota. The rest of its range includes much heavily populated urban areas of Detroit, Flint, of eastern North America from Canada south to Lansing/Jackson and the primarily agricultural Alabama and Georgia and west through the lands of the thumb. In comparing the upper Great Plains to Alberta. The species distribution of Ovenbirds between MBBA I and winters from southernmost Florida, throughout MBBA II, these are the only regions that show the Caribbean and south to Mexico and Central an apparent retraction of range. Even so, America. The bird’s name is derived from its corridors within these locations contain characteristic dome-shaped, ground nest that breeding populations where larger forests still reminded early naturalists of the familiar old- exist. world earthen ovens.
Breeding evidence was lower in the Distribution southeastern LP and along the southern border Prior to settlement, the Ovenbird was and higher in the NLP and UP. Overall, undoubtedly well represented in the avifauna of changes in breeding evidence between MBBA I the state’s forested areas (Pinkowski 1991). and MBBA II were very small. Of the Even with the extensive habitat loss that townships surveyed that reported breeding occurred after settlement, the Ovenbird was still evidence, the UP showed an increase from common where larger contiguous blocks of 81.3% to 86.6%, the NLP an increase from undisturbed hardwood and mixed-hardwood
© 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus) Mike Bishop
89.7% to 90.4%, and the SLP a decrease from Abundance and Population Trends 60.5% to 51.2%. (Click to view trends from the BBS) BBS data for the Ovenbird across its entire Differences in the levels of breeding evidence range show a significant small increase during were relatively unchanged as well. The overall 1966-2007 (Sauer et al. 2008). For USFWS change in breeding confirmations dropped from Region 3, which includes the Upper Midwest 11.3% in MBBA I to 9.4% in MBBA II. and western Great Lakes the increase is a bit probable breeding evidence rose from 39.8% to more substantial and statistically significant. 46.5% and possible breeding evidence dropped The increase appears even more substantial for from 25.2% to 18.8%. By region, the SLP Michigan even though it is not statistically showed declines in all levels of breeding significant. This is probably due to the fact that evidence reported, whereas the NLP and UP the protocols for MBBA I and MBBA II showed increases in probable and confirmed document distribution but are less able to evidence but decreases in possible evidence. substantiate population trends. However, looking at a time period encompassing the two Breeding Biology Atlases, 1983 – 2007, there has been no Ovenbirds arrive in the LP by late April and the significant change in Michigan (Sauer et al. UP by early May (McPeek and Adams 1994, 2008). Comparing breeding evidence collected Chartier and Ziarno 2004). Breeding spans a from MBBA I and MBBA II does not indicate relatively long period for a Neotropical migrant, any significant changes in the distribution of taking place between late May and early Ovenbirds throughout the state. Consequently, August, with fledging completed as late as late the current trend for Ovenbird populations August (Van Horn and Donovan 1994). By throughout its Michigan range has been one of early August the birds have quit singing and stability. Similar trends have been found in the migration begins toward the end of the month second breeding bird atlases for both Ontario reaching its peak in mid September. By the and New York (Burke 2007, McGowan 2008). middle of October most Ovenbirds have left the state and over-wintering is very rare (McPeek Conservation Needs and Adams 1994, Chartier and Ziarno 2004). Because Ovenbirds are considered area sensitive, requiring relatively large, contiguous Breeding was confirmed in only 14.8% of the tracts of mature forest for breeding, loss or townships surveyed in MBBA II. Given the fragmentation of forests would certainly impact cryptic nature of the nests and the generally shy their numbers in Michigan and throughout their habit of the bird, this is hardly surprising despite range (Van Horn and Donovan 1994). While its widespread occurrence. It should also be development in the SLP continues to cause pointed out that the protocols for MBBA II fragmentation, the outlook in the less populated emphasized finding nests less than the first atlas NLP and UP would encourage higher breeding did (KNC 2004). The number of townships success for the species there. Furthermore, loss reporting probable breeding evidence was of habitat on the wintering grounds could result 52.1%. This was determined by counting in range-wide declines as well. As has been singing males which are far more conspicuous reported previously, collisions with buildings, than the species’ camouflaged ground nests. cell towers, and wind turbines, all of which are increasing in number, will continue to exact a toll on Ovenbird populations (Taylor 1972, Shire et al. 2000, Erickson et al. 2001).
© 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus) Mike Bishop
Literature Cited 5.15.2008. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland, USA. Barrows, W.B. 1912. Michigan Bird Life. Shire, G.G., K. Brown, and G. Winegrad. 2000. Special Bulletin. Michigan Agricultural Communication Towers: A Deadly Hazard College. Lansing, Michigan, USA. to Birds. American Bird Conservancy. Burke, D. 2007. Ovenbird (Seiurus Washington, D.C., USA. aurocapillus). Pages 510-511 in M.D. Taylor, W.K. 1972. Analysis of Ovenbirds Cadman, D.A. Sutherland, G.G. Beck, D. killed in central Florida. Bird-Banding Lepage, and A.R. Couturier, editors. Atlas 43:15-19. of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, 2001- Van Horn, M.A., and T. Donovan. 1994. 2005. Bird Studies Canada, Environment Ovenbird (Seirus aurocapillus). Account 88 Canada, Ontario Field Ornithologists, in A. Poole and F. Gill, editors. The Birds Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and of North America. The Birds of North Ontario Nature. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. America, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Chartier, A.T., and J. Ziarno. 2004. A Birder’s USA. Guide to Michigan. American Birding Association, Inc.. Colorado Springs, Suggested Citation Colorado, USA. Erickson, W.P., G.D. Johnson, M.D. Strickland, Bishop, M. 2011. Ovenbird (Seiurus D.P. Young Jr., K.J. Sernka, and R.E. Good. aurocapillus). in A.T. Chartier, J.J. Baldy, 2001. Avian Collisions with Wind and J.M. Brenneman, editors. The Second Turbines: A Summary of Existing Studies Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas. Kalamazoo and Comparisons to Other Sources of Avian Nature Center. Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. Collision Mortality in the United States. Accessed online at:
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