STATE BIRD CHANGE S.B. 740: COMMITTEE SUMMARY
Senate Bill 740 (as introduced 9-30-03)
Sponsor: Senator Patricia L. Birkholz
Committee: Local, Urban and State Affairs
Date Completed: 5-19-04
CONTENT
The bill would create a new act to make the Kirtland's warbler (Denroica kirtlandii) Michigan's official bird. Currently, the American robin, or migratory thrush (turdus migratorius), is the State bird.
BACKGROUND
The Kirtland's warbler, a Federally listed endangered species, is considered to be one of the world's rarest birds. During a 1998 census of the bird's population, slightly more than 800 singing male birds were counted. Its only consistent breeding range is in Michigan's dense jack pine forests in a swath about 100 miles long and 60 miles wide within the Au Sable River drainage area. The birds are about 5-1/2 inches long, blue-gray to gray-brown above, with a streaked back and yellow below. The species is known for the male's loud, distinctive song which can be heard during the early June mating season. The females do not sing.
The Kirtland's warbler was first described by Ohio naturalist Dr. Jared P. Kirtland when a specimen was collected near Cleveland. Its nesting range was not discovered until about 1900. The birds spend the winter in the Bahamas.
Legislative Analyst: J.P. Finet
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.
Fiscal Analyst: Bill Bowerman
Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. sb740/0304