Ontario Kirtland's Warbler Recovery

Watch the latest video and explore the Land Manager’s Guide to learn how you can help support one of Canada’s most enigmatic endangered birds—and play a role in bringing back a lost ecosystem of the Oak Ridges Moraine.

The recovery of the Kirtland’s Warbler in Ontario would be a major conservation success. But the impact of this work extends far beyond a single species. This restoration effort is helping rebuild rare young pine–oak ecosystems that once shaped the Moraine and are now critically scarce, yet essential to a wide range of species at risk.

The work is part of the Ontario Kirtland’s Warbler Restoration Project, launched at a time of growing concern for the species’ future. The most recent 2025 census documented a significant decline in the global Kirtland’s Warbler population, with breeding pairs dropping by roughly 30% since 2021. A primary driver of this decline is the ongoing loss of suitable breeding habitat, as the species depends almost entirely on young jack pine forests that are now limited across its range.

While it will still be several years before the restored habitat at MapleCross Featherstone is ready to support Kirtland’s Warblers, the land is already responding. Early monitoring has documented several species at risk using the site, including Eastern Whip-poor-will, Yellow-banded Bumble Bee, Monarch butterfly, Eastern Red Bat, and Hoary Bat—species that are increasingly rare across southern Ontario due to habitat loss and fragmentation.

The rapid return of these species, even in the earliest stages of restoration, is a powerful signal that this landscape is once again becoming valuable habitat. It underscores the urgent need to restore young, open forest ecosystems—not only for Kirtland’s Warblers, but for many other species whose survival depends on them.

To help scale this work a guide for Managing Forest for Kirtland's Warbler Habitat in Ontario was developed. Designed for landowners, land managers, municipalities, and conservation practitioners, the guide provides practical, science-based guidance on identifying, creating, and managing young pine–oak and open woodland habitats. Land managers are encouraged to reach out with questions, explore opportunities for collaboration, and learn how their lands can play a meaningful role in rebuilding this rare and increasingly important ecosystem.

KIWA Land Manager Guide FINAL.pdf

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