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Warbler Migration in Ohio with Kenn Kaufman
The “Warbler Capital of the World” on Lake Erie’s shore
© Lorie Shaull
Every spring in Northwest Ohio, the shores of Lake Erie transform into a birder’s paradise. Birder and author Kenn Kaufman, who lives in this area, says that of the many species that migrate through here, one group of vibrant, vivacious songbirds stands out from the rest: warblers. Trees leaf out later in the season along the lakeshore, making the tiny warblers easier to see as they forage for food. Northwest Ohio has earned a reputation as the Warbler Capital of the World among birders in the know. But Kenn wishes everyone could glimpse the beauty of warbler migration, even if they don’t make it to the Warbler Capital.
BirdNote®
Warblers in Northwest Ohio with Kenn Kaufman
Written by Ariana Remmel
This is BirdNote.
[Yellow Warbler singing in Northwest Ohio, ML 157958971]
Every spring in Northwest Ohio, the shores of Lake Erie transform into a birder’s paradise. Birder and author Kenn Kaufman, who lives in this area, says that of the many species that migrate through here, one group of vibrant, vivacious songbirds stands out from the rest.
Kenn Kaufman: Right now, there's a Yellow Warbler up here in this willow above our heads. The warblers are just so popular here because so much of the time warblers are up at the tops of trees, and they're very hard to see. But in early spring here, the trees leaf out later right on the edge of the lake than they do inland, and these birds are very hungry and they're feeding out in the open. So the warblers are much easier to see here than they are most places.
Many birds such as this Yellow Warbler traveled thousands of miles from the tropics and need to refuel before crossing the vast expanse of Lake Erie to their breeding grounds in Canada. You don’t even need binoculars to see trees adorned in warblers, singing and foraging in plain sight.
Kenn Kaufman: We happen to have these protected areas right along the lake that are perfectly set up for birds and birders.
Northwest Ohio has earned a reputation as the Warbler Capital of the World among birders in the know. But Kenn wishes everyone could glimpse the beauty of warbler migration, even if they don’t make it to the Warbler Capital.
Kenn Kaufman: I would like for everyone to see warblers, just to experience the magic of them sometime. Just to experience this, this little scrap of life, this thing that weighs less than an ounce that wears these incredible colors and makes this amazing journey.”
To learn more about watching warblers, start at our website, BirdNote DOT ORG. I’m Ariana Remmel.
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Content Director: Allison Wilson
Producer: Mark Bramhill
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Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Yellow Warbler ML 157958971 recorded by G. Friesen.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2022 BirdNote September 2022
Narrator: Ariana Remmel
ID# kaufmank-01-2022-09-09 kaufmank-01
Ariana Remmel
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