Rare Wisconsin Bird Flies into the Record Books Again

MADISON - Wisconsin conservation biologists are eagerly awaiting the return of Kirtland's warblers, hopefully including an Adams County bird that flew to fame in 2015 when researchers found it wintering 1,500 miles away in the Bahamas.

The bird has since returned to Adams County at least three times to nest and been a father twice over, adding to Wisconsin's growing population of this endangered species and knowledge about the rare songbird's habits and habitats.

"We're looking forward to seeing if he comes back in 2019," says Davin Lopez, the Department of Natural Resources conservation biologist leading DNR's efforts.

"This bird has been doing exactly what we want him to do: return to his hatch site and have a family. He also has been an excellent scientific subject, showing the value of the information we can learn from banding and monitoring," Lopez adds.

The bird hatched in 2014 in Adams County, and was one of six fledglings to have bands attached to their leg that year to help track if the young warblers would return to the breeding site in following years. The bird became known as ABPI, short for the color and order of the bands on his leg (Aluminum, Blue, Purple, Indigo).

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View the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Wisconsin Kirtland’s Warbler 2018 Nesting Season Report HERE.