I am just a citizen of Michigan trying to make a change for the better, in the name of Conservation. I hope you will join this cause that will do a lot for wildlife and the economy of Michigan.

The robin was designated the official state bird of Michigan in 1931 after a survery held by the Michigan Audubon Society. The American Robin is a very common and easily identifiable bird. This bird is also the state bird of two other states, Connecticut and Wisconsin.

It is time for a change in the state bird and it should become the Kirtland’s Warbler. This once critically endangered song bird was brought back from the brink of extinction by the State and Federal government working together.  In 1974, there were roughly 350 birds counted, and as of today we are well over 4,000 birds. This is a story worth celebrating and sharing.  This bird nests primarily in Northern Michigan, and since 1997 has been found in Ontario and Wisconsin.  99% of Kirtland’s Warblers nest in Michigan, we should take great pride in this.

Reasons for supporting this change:

1.     To share the great comeback story of the Kirtland’s Warbler.

2.     The Kirtland’s Warbler is soon to be delisted from the Endangered Species List.

a.     Increase awareness for this beautiful bird which will be needed once removed from the list.

3.     Increased awareness for this bird will help Northern Michigan’s “Eco-Tourism”

a.     Michigan can gain more from the 47 million birdwatchers (birders) ages 16 or older in the United States, making up roughly 20 percent of the nation’s population, who spent an estimated $41 billion on trip related expenditures and equipment, added $107 billion dollars to the economy, supported 666,000 jobs and generated $6 billion in State tax revenue and $7 billion in Federal tax revenue, according to USFWS

See page 10 of The Biggest Week in American Birding guide(http://issuu.com/presspublications/docs/americanbirding2014reduced/1?e=5908354/7426066) to see the economic impact of raising awareness about birds in an area. in just a few short years of awareness the economic impact to a small area in northern Ohio went from $19 million being pumped into the area to almost $40 million. That is a lot of money for people and the state and I believe Michigan could have something similar.

4.     A simple change in the state bird would be a “feather in the cap” for the State of Michigan and conservation

Links to Information:

Birding Economics: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1163&context=usfwspubs

Kirtland’s Warbler:  http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/birds/Kirtland/kiwafctsht.html

Kirtland’s Warbler Initiative:  http://www.huronpines.org/program.asp?pjt=gv&gid=6

 

How to see this bird: http://www.michiganaudubon.org/kirtlandswarbler.html