DNR celebrates 100-years of Migratory Bird Treaty

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other partners are kicking off a yearlong celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Migratory Bird Treaty, an effort to conserve birds that migrate across international borders.

This year marks the centennial of the Convention between the United States and Great Britain (for Canada) for the Protection of Migratory Birds. The Migratory Bird Treaty was signed August 16, 1916, and three other treaties were signed shortly after with Russia, Japan and Mexico.

During the 2016 Migratory Bird Treaty centennial celebration, monthly featured bird stories are sent to DNR Wildlife Viewing email subscribers. The DNR also hosts celebration events, such as a weekend of bird-based programming at state parks and visitor centers in June and an education program presented by DNR staff at schools and conservation groups.

Gregg Perez, a Tecumseh birder with nearly a decade’s worth of experience, says the Migratory Bird Treaty is crucial as it protects birds that sometimes travel thousands of miles to migrate.

“The birds are amazing travelers,” Perez said. “Some of them breed in Canada and then fly all the way to South America, and they’re passing through here more than once a year without a compass. It’s pretty incredible in regards to distance. The patterns have been established for a very long time.”

Migratory birds are beneficial to the environment, as they provide pollination and seed dispersal, as well as insect and rodent control, cutting costs for farmers. They also benefit the U.S. economy by offering recreational bird watching opportunities that create jobs. “Migratory birds are a good indicator of climate change,” Perez said. “We know most birds have ranges where they prefer a certain climate or temperature. Birds in general in the United States are slowly moving northward due to increased temperatures. One birding report said we should start seeing Carolina chickadees in Michigan.”

Perez added that migratory birds act as a “canary in the coal mine,” alerting humans of environmental changes. “If there are issues with pollution or pesticides that could poison them, we see numbers decline,” Perez said. “Then we can do a better job of being stewards of the land.

“The treaty is important because birds are just passing through,” Perez said. “No matter how much we do here as far as protection of birds and conservation in the United States, it’s equally important that they connect with their habitat all over the world. They’re global animals, and they don’t stay in one place. That’s the basis for the treaty, to help them out as much as possible.”

To learn more about the Migratory Bird Treaty centennial, visit www.fws.gov/birds/-MBTreaty100. To sign up for DNR Wildlife Viewing emails, visit www.michigan.gov/dnr and click on the red envelope.