This webpage is:
home.roadrunner.com/~phunter1/MOBCAW.html
Last updated on 11/25/2011 by Paul Hunter
Who was Olmsted?
lakeparkfriends.org/frederick_law_olmsted.shtml
Milwaukee Olmsted
Bird Conservation Alliance
of Wisconsin (MOBCAW)
a local affiliate of the Bird Conservation Alliance
of the American Bird Conservancy.
birdconservationalliance.org/
Bird Conservation News Headlines . . .
wwbirdconservationalliance.org/news.htm
Our main focus is
advocating for management of habitats in northern Milwaukee County
for productive nesting habitat and for safe refueling for declining species
of migrant birds.
- Bird City Wisconsin: MOBCAW members support applications for Bird City status
by municipalities in the northern half of Milwaukee County.
birdcitywisconsin.org/
- Lake Park Birders and others monitor nesting boxes for Eastern Bluebirds
and follow the advice of the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin.
braw.org/
- MOBCAW members help Purple Martin Partners, http://puma-in-wi.blogspot.com/
put up apartment-style nesting boxes in the Milwaukee area
and follow the advice of the Purple Martin Conservation Association
http://purplemartin.org
- The Milwaukee County Avian Migrant Monitoring Project from 2006 - 2009
studies the quality of habitat for migrant birds in several parks
including Lake and Kletzsch via banding, blood sampling, transects and vegetation surveys
http://home.earthlink.net/~iltlawas/id16.html
Several species seen regularly in parks on the north side of Milwaukee
are on the United States Watch List of Birds of Conservation Concern:
- Sanderlings and Semipalmated Sandpipers stop on beaches along Lake Michigan in migration.
- Red-headed Woodpecker nest regularly in Lake Park
- Olive-sided Flycatchers, Wood Thrushes,
Golden-winged Warblers, Bay-breasted Warblers, and Canada Warblers
are rare to uncommon migrants in woodlands especially
along the Menomonee and Milwaukee River and
in the wooded ravines along Lake Michigan.
- abcbirds.org/abcprograms/science/watchlist/index.html
Our additional focus is supporting national efforts
to preserve and manage habitat for declining bird species.
birdconservationalliance.org/campaigns/index.htm
The national Bird Conservation Alliance (BCA) is a network of organizations
coordinated by American Bird Conservancy that have an interest in the
conservation, study, education, and observation of wild birds.
Member groups including international, national, state,
and local organizations (such as MOBCAW)
represent millions of concerned citizens, bird-watchers, and
professionals united for the conservation of birds.
American Bird Conservancy publishes:
- Bird Conservation magazine
abcbirds.org/newsandreports/birdconservation.html
- Bird Calls newsletter
abcbirds.org/newsandreports/birdcalls.html
To join MOBCAW:
Email Paul Hunter at
phunter1@wi.rr.com
to join MOBCAW.
(In September 2009, by consensus of the officers of MOBCAW, membership fees were eliminated.
We are also setting up an account to accept donations.)
Membership in Milwaukee Olmsted Bird Conservation Alliance
puts you on Paul Hunter's manual e-mailing list,
allows you to keep informed on the key issues that affect bird conservation
and to network with like-minded individuals to make a positive change for birds.
We encourage MOBCAW members to support efforts to conserve:
- wintering habitat for birds that breed in Wisconsin
in southern Central America, on the northwestern South America, and along the American Gulf Coast,
partnersinflight.org/pubs/ts/04-Connections/wi wi links.pdf
- Numbers of individuals of the top 15 species sorted by
percentage of their global populations that breed in Wisconsin:
rmbo.org/pif_db/laped/PED3.aspx
http://bluebirdslaugh.blogspot.com/2008/10/so-how-many-are-there-anyway.html
| % of Global Pop. | Species | Wisc. Population |
| 22.4 % | Golden-winged Warbler | 47,000 |
| 10.2 % | Sedge Wren | 670,000 |
| 8.7 % | Rose-breasted Grosbeak | 400,000 |
| 6.5 % | Henslow's Sparrow | 5,000 |
| 5.8 % | Gray Catbird | 610,000 |
| 5.3 % | Black-billed Cuckoo | 61,000 |
| 5.3 % | Scarlet Tanager | 120,000 |
| 4.7 % | Bobolink | 510,000 |
| 4.6 % | Eastern Wood-Pewee | 280,000 |
| 4.6 % | Song Sparrow | 2,500,000 |
| 4.5 % | White-breasted Nuthatch | 450,000 |
| 4.5 % | Chestnut-sided Warbler | 420,000 |
| 4.4 % | Ovenbird | 1,100,000 |
| 4.4 % | Baltimore Oriole | 260,000 |
| 4.3 % | American Goldfinch | 1,000,000 |
Wisconsin's natural habitats are important to:
common species (Catbirds, Song Sparrows and Goldfinches) and especially some
uncommon species (Golden-winged Warblers, Henslow's Sparrows, and Black-billed Cuckoos)
- breeding habitat in Canada for birds that migrate through Wisconsin:
partnersinflight.org/pubs/ts/04%2DConnections/ms%20br%20links.pdf
saveourborealbirds.org/birds.html
- breeding habitat in our own Upper Great Lakes Plain
partnersinflight.org/bcps/pl_16sum.htm
To stay abreast of conservation issues we encourage MOBCAW members to read
- BirdWire and other publications of the American Bird Conservancy:
- Bill Mueller's blog:
- Cornell's conservation page:
- Bird Life International:
Below are some bird conservation issues our MOBCAW coordinators are already working on:
Each of our three groups has regular birding outings:
birdiq.com/bird_walk/et.pdf
birdiq.com/bird_walk/index.html
Other potential issues for the future:
- Climate Change
- Pesticides and other toxic chemicals and pollutants
- Marine Bird Conservation and Oceans Issues
- Coastal Bird Conservation (e.g., wetlands, beaches, estuaries)
- Funding for Bird Conservation
- Endangered Species
- Energy Issues (e.g., oil and gas development, mining)
- Habitat loss
- Breeding endangerd species in zoos
- Cats Indoors!
- Managing urban parks for stop over habitat for migrants and nesting habitat for some species.
Simple Steps we all can take to preserve biodiversity and slow global warming
from Conservation International
borealbirds.org/
birdlife.org/
birdday.org/imbd2009.php
birds.cornell.edu/
Wisconsin’s breeding population of golden-winged warblers is decreasing by nearly 2% per year resulting in half the birds we had 40 years ago. Given that around 20% of the global population breeds in Wisconsin, residents of the state have tremendous stewardship responsibility
You can help in four ways:
- Donate to the Golden-winged Warbler Campaign, wisconservation.org/uploads/File/GWWA%20flyer.pdf
- Distribute posters (highlighting the ecology, possible reasons for the warbler’s decline, and 10 things anyone can do to help) to nature centers, libraries, schools, birding clubs, wildlife/bird conferences and other contact points with the public
- Distribute brochures (describing breeding habitat management) to landowners, land managers, and anyone who wants to know more about habitat requirements and management options.
- Help with nest searching and mistnetting and banding surveys in May and June 2009. Housing at Kemp Natural Resources Station in Woodruff, WI will be provided.
Contact Amber Roth, amroth@mtu.edu , at Michigan Tech University , get posters or brochures or help with banding surveys.
Tar sands exploration takes big toll on birds
Birder’s World Field of View
http://bwfov.typepad.com/birders_world_field_of_vi/2008/12/tar-sands-exploration-takes-big-toll-on-birds.html
As a landowner or land manager, you can make a big difference in helping birds. If you don't own land, you can help bird conservation by starting bird-friendly projects at your school or neighborhood park.
The Birds Without Borders – Aves Sin Fronteras® staff is proud to announce the completion of our manual for landowners in Wisconsin, the Midwest, and the eastern United States
zoosociety.org/Conservation/BWB-ASF/WiLandowner.php
Coordinators of Milwaukee Olmsted Bird Conservation Alliance:
National
Bird Conservation Alliance :
American Bird Conservancy
P.O. Box 249
4249 Loudoun Ave
The Plains, VA 20198
Bird Conservation Alliance
birdconservationalliance.org