By CHRISTIE MASTRIC

For the Mining Gazette

HOUGHTON — More than half of the 836 U.S. species of migratory birds are in decline. Since 1970, U.S. songbirds have declined 30%, which is almost 3 billion birds gone.

Seventy-eight species are now considered as threatened while 14 are listed as endangered.

These sobering statistics, provided by service forester Gary Willis of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Customer Service Center in Baraga, indicate that further action is needed.

A Bird Migration Forum is set for 6 to 9 p.m. May 9 at 135 Fisher Hall at Michigan Technological University. Giving the opening and closing remarks will be DNR wildlife biologist John DePue. Research associate Joseph Youngman will talk about “Migration of Waterbirds, Raptors and Passerines through the Keweenaw Peninsula” while Jennifer Owen, associate professor at Michigan State University, will talk about “Birds and Berries: The Importance of Native Fruit-Bearing Shrubs for Migrating Land Birds and the Challenges Migratory Birds Face as They Navigate a Changing Landscape.”

This event is the latest in a fascinating series of ‘Wildlife Through Forestry’ forums held in the western Upper Peninsula since 2017, said John Pepin, DNR deputy public information officer.

“These sessions link wildlife topics to the numerous ways habitat for birds and animals may be developed and enhanced for a range of species on private lands,” Pepin said in a news release.

The greatest threat to birds — and all wildlife — continues to be loss and/or degradation of habitat due to human development and disturbance, the DNR said. For migratory birds and other species that require multiple areas for wintering, breeding and stop-over points, the effects of habitat loss can be complex and far-reaching.

Proactive habitat enhancement across the landscape creates a healthier environment for animals and people, the DNR said, and researchers are determining those factors essential for migratory bird survival.

The purpose of the Bird Migration Forum is to bring awareness of the plight of migratory bird populations and provide instruction direct from researchers so that the landowner/homeowner can take decisive action to enhance the habitat on their land, the DNR said. The forum also will include a summary of bird migration and population numbers in the Keweenaw Peninsula.

“Scientists are pointing to the success of waterfowl and waterbird recoveries over the same time that are the direct result of research and resulting conservation efforts to restore and protect wetlands,” Willis said. “Swift conservation action can bring at risk birds back from the brink of extinction.”

Speaker backgrounds

Owen has extensively studied avian diseases and the vectors of transmission. She has conducted comparative research on the effects of invasive plant versus native plant communities on migrating bird and leads a Michigan State University research team that is partnering with colleagues from the U.S. and other countries to develop bio-surveillance plans for the U.S. Department of Defense to monitor and prevent infectious disease spread by migratory birds.

Since 1955, Youngman has studied bird migration to and through the western Upper Peninsula and has collected field data for numerous ornithological studies on the Keweenaw Peninsula and Isle Royale.

Michigan Tech Professor David Flaspohler, interim dean of the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, also will speak at the forum. His research and teaching focus on understanding how human activities influence animal and plant populations. He has studied migratory birds in the upper Midwest as well as Hawaii, Costa Rica, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil.

The forum is free and open to the public.