The Kirtland's Warbler (Setophaga kirtlandii) is a formerly endangered habitat specialist that breeds mainly in young jack pine (Pinus banksiana) forests in northern Lower Michigan, USA. The species is conservation-reliant and depends on habitat management. Management actions have primarily focused on creating jack pine plantations, but the species also breeds in red pine (Pinus resinosa) plantations in central Wisconsin, USA. However, the plantations were not intended as breeding habitat and have suboptimal pine densities. While nesting success is similar between low-density red pine plantations and optimal jack pine habitat, it is not clear if low-density red pine plantations support high fledging survival. If high-quality nesting and post-fledging habitat are not synonymous, fledgling survival and breeding population recruitment may be low. We characterized survival, habitat use, and movement patterns of dependent Kirtland's Warbler fledglings in Wisconsin red pine plantations and compared fledgling survival between Wisconsin and Michigan. Mayfield cumulative survival estimates at 30 days post-fledging were 0.20 for Wisconsin fledglings and 0.43-0.78 for Michigan fledglings. Logistic exposure cumulative survival estimates for Wisconsin fledglings were 0.23-0.34 at 30 days post-fledging. Fledglings in Wisconsin used areas where vegetation cover and density of red and jack pine were high relative to available areas but not at greater proportions than what was available. Our findings demonstrate that red pine plantations with low pine densities were not equally suitable as nesting and post-fledging habitat, as fledgling survival rates were low. We hypothesize that reduced habitat structure, and not particular pine species, likely contributed to reduced fledgling survival in Wisconsin. Thus, we recommend including red pine as a component in managed Kirtland's Warbler habitat only if tree densities approach optimal levels.

During the breeding season, Kirtland’s Warblers (Setophaga kirtlandii) are strongly associated with young jack pine (Pinus banksiana) forests in northern Lower Michigan, USA. Since 2007, the species has been breeding in unusual habitat, red pine (Pinus resinosa) dominated plantations, in central Wisconsin, USA. Kirtland’s Warbler productivity and habitat use in red pine is not well understood, and the central Wisconsin population is at a range edge, a situation often associated with lower productivity. To compare range-edge and range-core populations, we estimated reproductive success and characterized habitat use of Kirtland’s Warblers in central Wisconsin red pine-dominated plantations during 2015–2017 using logistic regression models. We also monitored nests and fledgling success, and estimated nest survival using logistic exposure models. Trees were closer together and herbaceous vegetation was taller and denser within territories than at randomly located points outside of territories. Females selected nest sites with deeper dead ground vegetation and live vegetation that was taller and denser than was available at randomly located points within male territories. Nest success was not strongly influenced by within-patch habitat factors. Nest daily survival rate was 0.97 (95% CI = 0.94–0.98). The average number of young fledged per nest was between 2.5 and 2.8. Nest parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) was 22.7%. Overall, reproductive success in the peripheral central Wisconsin breeding population of Kirtland’s Warblers that used red pinedominated plantations was similar to that of Kirtland’s Warblers breeding in typical jack pine habitat in the range core. Young red pine-dominated habitat appears to approximate young jack pine in habitat quality for Kirtland’s Warblers, and this may provide managers some flexibility in habitat maintenance for this conservation-reliant species. Productivité de nidification de la Paruline de Kirtland et utilisation de l'habitat dans un milieu dominé par le pin rouge dans le Wisconsin, É.-U. RÉSUMÉ. Pendant la saison de nidification, les Parulines de Kirtland (Setophaga kirtlandii) sont fortement associées aux jeunes forêts de pins gris (Pinus banksiana) dans le nord du Michigan inférieur, aux États-Unis. Depuis 2007, l'espèce niche dans un milieu inhabituel, des plantations dominées par le pin rouge (Pinus resinosa) dans le centre du Wisconsin, aux États-Unis. La productivité et l'utilisation de l'habitat de la Paruline de Kirtland dans les forêts de pins rouges ne sont pas bien comprises, et la population du centre du Wisconsin se trouve à la limite de l'aire de répartition, une situation souvent associée à une productivité plus faible. Pour comparer les populations en bordure d'aire de répartition et celles au coeur de l'aire, nous avons calculé le succès de nidification et caractérisé l'utilisation de l'habitat des Parulines de Kirtland dans les plantations dominées par le pin rouge du centre du Wisconsin, en 2015-2017, au moyen de modèles de régression logistique. Nous avons également suivi les nids et le succès des jeunes à l'envol, et chiffré la survie des nids à l'aide de modèles d'exposition logistique. Les arbres étaient plus rapprochés et la végétation herbacée plus haute et plus dense à l'intérieur des territoires qu'à des endroits situés au hasard en dehors des territoires. Les femelles ont choisi des sites de nidification où la végétation morte était plus épaisse et où la végétation vivante était plus haute et plus dense qu'à des endroits situés au hasard dans les territoires des mâles. Le succès de nidification n'a pas été fortement influencé par les caractéristiques d'habitat à l'intérieur du territoire. Le taux de survie quotidien des nids était de 0,97 (IC 95 % = 0,94-0,98). Le nombre moyen de jeunes à l'envol par nid se situait entre 2,5 et 2,8. Le parasitisme des nids par les Vachers à tête brune (Molothrus ater) était de 22,7 %. Dans l'ensemble, le succès de reproduction de la population en périphérie du centre du Wisconsin de Parulines de Kirtland qui utilisaient des plantations dominées par le pin rouge était similaire à celui des Parulines de Kirtland nichant dans l'habitat typique de pins gris au coeur de l'aire de répartition. Les milieux dominés par les jeunes pins rouges semblent se rapprocher des milieux de jeunes pins gris en termes de qualité d'habitat pour les Parulines de Kirtland; au vue de ce résultat, les gestionnaires ont peut-être une certaine flexibilité dans le maintien de l'habitat pour cette espèce qui dépend de la conservation.

Shootings contributed to the historic decline of Whooping Cranes, and they continue to affect all remnants and reintroduced populations today. Here we examined the 27 confirmed shooting cases that have occurred since the Whooping Crane was listed as a Federally Endangered Species in 1967. In the past decade there has been a concerning increase in the number of shootings, especially in the reintroduced populations. In the period from 1967 to 1999 there were five documented shooting cases; between 2000 and 2016 there were 22 documented shooting cases. Since 2000, 77% of the confirmed shooting cases have taken place in the reintroduced populations; shootings account for 19% of known mortality in the Eastern Migratory Population and 24% in the Louisiana Nonmigratory Population. Most shooting cases are unrelated to a hunting season, although six of the nine cases in the Aransas Wood Buffalo Population have been related to hunting. In 63% of the cases a perpetrator was identified, and in 44% of the cases a perpetrator was punished for the crime. Cases have rarely been tried under the Endangered Species Act, but rather the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and state laws have been used. The severity of punishment for shooting a Whooping Crane has varied widely. To reduce the rate of Whooping Crane shootings, we recommend public awareness campaigns designed to raise pride in Whooping Cranes, in conjunction with advocacy to officials in the criminal justice system to increase penalties.