Prairie Warbler (Dendroica discolor) Michael E. Petrucha Status: State Endangered
Michigan. June, 2007 © Robert Epstein This species sponsored by Richard Brewer & Katy Takahashi and also by Benzie Audubon Club This yellow-breasted, black-striped jewel with unglaciated eastern part of the state (Peterjohn and Rice 1991). Bruner (1998), states that the rising, buzzy song is not aptly named. Prairie Warblers are found almost exclusively in Instead of grassy prairies, it breeds in shrubby the southern half of Indiana with only four old fields and early successional forests and records for the northern third of the state. dunes. In Michigan, the Prairie Warbler is Prairie Warblers in Illinois are found mainly in extremely rare in the UP and rare in the LP. It the extreme southern part of the state (Kleen et breeds throughout most of the eastern United al. 2004). In Wisconsin, they are found States and southern Ontario. Prairie Warblers scattered throughout the state, being found on winter in Florida, Caribbean islands including 17 of 1,132 (1.5%) atlas quads (Frank 2006). The Bahamas, Cuba, Bermuda, and Hispaniola, This is similar to Michigan’s Prairie Warbler and the Caribbean coast of Central America distribution with records in 25 of 1,925 (1.3%) (Nolan et al. 1999). townships.
Distribution Barrows (1912), characterized Prairie Warblers Prairie Warblers are found in all of the as “not common” in Michigan, but common in surrounding states and Ontario. In Ontario, they certain locations. It was considered an are primarily found along the southeastern shore uncommon local resident in Berrien, Ottawa, of Georgian Bay with no substantial changes Crawford, Oscoda, Otsego, and Cheboygan between their first and second atlases Counties by Wood (1951). Payne (1983) (Southerland and Harris 2007). In New York, described the Prairie Warbler as uncommon and Prairie Warblers have their highest local in the UP, and most numerous in the LP concentration in the southern half of the state jack pine plains. During MBBA I, Prairie (Smith 2008). Pennsylvania has Prairie Warblers were still being found in Lake Warblers throughout the state absent only from Michigan dunelands and sandy abandoned the highly urbanized Coastal Plain and Eastern farmlands, but scarce or absent from the jack Lake sections (Leberman 1992). Ohio’s Prairie pine plains and Kirtland’s Warbler censuses, Warblers are mainly found in the southern and despite finding many nests there in the middle
© 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center Prairie Warbler (Dendroica discolor) Michael E. Petrucha Status: State Endangered decades of the 1900s (Walkinshaw 1991). 0.09% of the UP blocks, 0.86% of the NLP Currently, Prairie Warblers are very rarely blocks, 0.52% of the SLP blocks, and 0.49% of found on the Kirtland’s Warbler census (pers. the total blocks. In MBBA II however, they obs.). were found in 0.05% of the UP blocks, 0.67% of the NLP blocks, 0.40% of the SLP blocks, and Distribution is virtually unchanged from MBBA 0.38% of the total blocks. Breeding Bird I. Presently, Prairie Warblers breed in 0.16% of Survey data also shows a decrease in Prairie UP townships, 2.35% of northern LP townships, Warblers of 4.45% in Region 3 from MBBA I to and 1.27% of southern LP townships. This MBBA II. During the MBBA I period, BBS compares to 0.49% of UP townships, 2.37% of routes found 0.8-0.9 Prairie Warblers per route, northern LP townships, and 1.72% of southern during the MBBA II period, numbers dropped to LP townships during MBBA I. All three 0.5-0.6 birds per route. From 1966 to 2007, regions showed a decrease from MBBA I, BBS numbers show over a 2% decrease for continuing a decline noted by Walkinshaw North America (Sauer et al. 2008). New York, (1991). which has shown an unexplained increase of 4 %, is an exception (Smith 2008). Michigan’s Prairie Warblers are found in three distinct scrub-shrub habitats: 1) early Conservation Needs successional Lake Michigan dunelands where Data from MBBA I was used in the 1989-1990 shrubs are intermixed with dune grass; 2) jack DNRE review of Michigan’s listed species, and pine barrens burnt 10-20 years prior, such as they recommended that Prairie Warbler be Kirtland’s Warbler breeding habitat; and 3) upgraded to threatened status (McPeek and recently burnt areas of former pineries Brewer 1991). It was classified as threatened in dominated by shrubs and small trees 1990 (Felsing 1994) and elevated to endangered (Walkinshaw 1991). All three are characterized in 1999 (MI-DNR 1999). The National by dry, sandy soils. Audubon Society has included the Prairie Warbler on its Watchlist 2007 as a yellow Breeding Biology species, indicating declining or rare status (NAS Prairie Warblers leave their wintering grounds 2009). Habitat loss and cowbird parasitism are starting in March, with most gone by the end of two commonly mentioned reasons for April arriving in Michigan by the first half of population decline (Cooper 2000, NAS 2009, May (Southwell 2001). MBBA II recorded only Southwell 2001). four townships with Confirmed breeding. One was a nest with young on 27 June. The other For Michigan, other unknown factors seem to be records were of adults feeding young with dates in play as Prairie Warblers were at one time far ranging from 17 June to 9 July. more numerous in Kirtland’s Warbler habitat than currently. Mayfield (1960) found Prairie Abundance and Population Trends Warblers in at least 30% of Kirtland’s Warbler Walkinshaw (1991) considered Prairie Warbler sites. Walkinshaw (1983) noted Prairie peak population years as the 1950s and early Warblers in 12% of Kirtland’s Warbler 1960s. Partners in Flight estimates Michigan’s territories. Walkinshaw (1959) observed Prairie Prairie Warbler population at 160, which is Warblers on 43 of 49 days in the Lovells area 0.01% of the 1,400,000 global population (PIF for an average of 3.24 (0-18) birds per day for 2007). Atlas block data shows a decrease in the years 1932-1953. There has been an every region from MBBA I to MBBA II. In the increase in the amount of habitat available for MBBA I period, Prairie Warblers were found in Kirtland’s Warbler, which would also be
© 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center Prairie Warbler (Dendroica discolor) Michael E. Petrucha Status: State Endangered suitable for Prairie Warblers. Currently, 38,000 Kirtland's Warbler recovery plan. U. S. acres are suitable for Kirtland’s Warblers each Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington D. C year in Michigan (Byelich et al. 1985). Cooper, J.L. 2000. Special animal abstract for Cowbirds have been removed annually in these Dendroica discolor (Prairie Warbler). areas since 1972 (USFWS 2008). Since there Michigan Natural Features Inventory. appears to be an abundance of adequate Lansing, MI. breeding habitat in Michigan, research is needed Felsing, F. 1994. Prairies Warbler (Dendroica on the specifics of Prairie Warbler breeding discolor). In McPeek, G.A., and R.J. Adams habitat requirements (Cooper 2000). Ongoing (eds.). 1994. The Birds of Michigan. research at Michigan State University should Indiana University Press, Bloomington and help answer some of these questions (K. Kahl Indianapolis, IN. pers. comm.). MSU is trying to better Frank, J. 2006. Prairie Warbler. In Cutright, understand specific land cover composition and N.J., B.R. Harriman, and R.W. Howe. 2006. structure characteristics of breeding territories to Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Wisconsin. develop a predictive management tool. Wisconsin Society for Ornithology. Waukesha, WI As in MBBA I, Prairie Warblers continue to be Kleen, V.M., L. Cordie, and R.A. Montgomery. found in Lake Michigan dunelands, and these 2004. The Illinois Breeding Bird Atlas. areas need continued protection. In the Illinois Natural History Society Special Caribbean wintering areas, Wunderle and Waide Publication No. 26. Champaign, IL. (1993) found Prairie Warblers in various second Leberman, R.C. 1992. Prairie Warbler. In growth habitats and brushy fields. They Brauning, D.W. Ed. 1992. Atlas of considered Prairie Warblers common and Breeding Birds in Pennsylvania. University widespread in all habitats in the Dominican of Pittsburgh Press. Pittsburgh, PA. Republic and one of the two most abundant Mayfield, H.F. 1960. The Kirtland’s Warbler. migrant species in The Bahamas. Cranbrook Institute of Science Bulletin No. Fragmentation in Caribbean habitats does not 40. Bloomfield Hills, MI. seem to be a factor in Prairie Warbler decline. McPeek, G.A. and R. Brewer. 1991. Priorities Wunderle and Waide (1993) reported no and perspectives in conservation. In difference between large and small tracts in Brewer, R., G.A. McPeek, and R.J. Adams species richness or migrant density. Jr. (eds.) 1991. The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Michigan. Michigan State University Literature Cited Press. East Lansing, MI. Michigan Department of Natural Resources Barrows, W.B. 1912. Michigan Bird Life. (MI-DNR). 1999. Department of Natural Special Bulletin. Michigan Agricultural Resources Wildlife and Fisheries Divisions College. Lansing, MI. endangered and threatened species. 13 pp. Bruner, A.W. 1998. Prairie Warbler. In National Audubon Society (NAS). 2009. Castrale, J.S., E.M Hopkins, and C.E. Watchlist 2007. Keller. 1998. Atlas of Breeding Birds of
© 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center Prairie Warbler (Dendroica discolor) Michael E. Petrucha Status: State Endangered Partners in Flight (PIF). 2007. PIF Landbird Walkinshaw, L.W. 1983. Kirtland’s Warbler: Population Estimates Database [web The Natural History of an Endangered application]. Version 2004. Rocky Species. Cranbrook Institute of Science Mountain Bird Observatory. Bulletin No. 58. Bloomfield Hills, MI.
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