Kirtland’s Warbler
Photo: Joel Trick of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters · CC BY 2.0

New World Warblers

Kirtland’s Warbler

Setophaga kirtlandii

NTNear Threatened
Family
New World Warblers (Parulidae)
Order
Passeriformes

Overview

Kirtland's warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii), also known in Michigan by the common name jack pine bird, or the jack pine warbler, is a small songbird of the New World warbler family (Parulidae). Nearly extinct just years ago, populations have recovered due to the conservation efforts of the Kirtland's Warbler Conservation Team and its members. The birds require large areas, greater than 160 acres (65 hectares), of dense young jack pine for breeding habitat. This habitat was historically created by wildfire, but today is created through the harvest of mature jack pine (Pinus banksiana), and planting of jack pine seedlings.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Breeds in young jack-pine mainly in northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan; winters in low scrub mainly in outer Bahamas.

Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.