Golden-winged warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) habitat preference in Michigan's northern lower peninsula.

Abstract

Populations of birds are often limited by habitat, competition, and lack of food resources. The Golden-winged Warbler population has been steadily declining globally and in the Great Lakes region presumably due to a combination of these factors. In this study, we conducted point counts at 10 upland and 10 lowland randomly selected sites in Emmet and Cheboygan counties and recorded all birds and estimated plant coverage. Based on research of Golden-winged Warbler habitat, we predicted Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) to be more abundant in lowland areas as opposed to upland areas with comparable early succession. However, we did not find a significant difference between Golden-winged Warbler's habitat preference between upland and lowland sites. However, the results must be cautiously interpreted given the methodological limitations of our study.