The stats are in and Northwest Ohio has soared into the lead in the race to call itself “The Warbler Capital of The World.”

During this year’s birding festival, entitled the Biggest Week in American Birding, 231 species were recorded at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area by the Black Swamp Bird Observatory and avid birdwatchers who came to the Lake Erie marshes from 44 states and four countries.

This was the second year for the 11-day festival held May 5-15, during the heart of the migratory bird season. According to the Ohio Division of Wildlife, 63,797 people visited Magee Marsh during the spring migration, an increase of more than 13,000 from last year. These birders conservatively spent an estimated $29.4 million, according to Kim Kaufman, BSBO executive director.

Those are impressive numbers for a fledging festival in just its second year. But, can Northwest Ohio claim the title, “The Warbler Capital of the World?”

There is another claimant--Mount Desert Island in Bar Harbor, Maine, home of Acadia National Park.

According to the Acadia Birding Festival website, Roger Tory Peterson, the famed ornithologist who published the first birding field guide in 1934, also dubbed Mount Desert Island “The Warbler Capital of the World.”

So which claim is legitimate?

Michael Good, founder and director of the Acadia Birding Festival, said birders registered 147 species including 20 warbler species during the four-day festival held at the end of May. Definitely a second place finish to our 11-day festival numbers of 231 species and 30 warblers.

Round one goes to Magee Marsh. More birds, more warblers. We can, at least for this year, legitimately add “The Warbler Capital of the World” to our other moniker “The Walleye Capital of the World.”

This friendly competition between two birding destinations should be encouraged. Good and Kaufman say interest in birding has skyrocketed in the last 10 years and will continue to do so as the Baby Boomers retire. Protecting birding habitat makes economic sense as well as ecological sense. According to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, birdwatchers in 2006 contributed $36 billion to the U.S. economy. An estimated 20 percent of all Americans are involved in the hobby, either by erecting backyard feeders, visiting local parks or booking bird watching trips.

Lake Erie is well-known locally as a destination for walleye fisherman, but its marshes are probably better known nationally and across the globe by birders. Last year, Kaufman said birders came here from Spain, Japan, Ecuador, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. They come, not only because they can add a significant number of birds to their life list, but also because of the prime setting Magee Marsh offers them.

Kaufman explains. These birds, which arrive in the spring in waves from The Caribbean and South America, rest and feed here before crossing the Great Lakes on their way to their breeding grounds. They are energetic and focused on feeding so they’re not shy. And, the males are colorful and singing because mating season is near. The Magee Marsh boardwalk is located in the middle of these feeding grounds and the trees and underbrush, still bare from the winter, allow for unimpeded, close-up viewing.

“You can’t see these birds like that anywhere else in the world. Literally, not anywhere else in the world,” Kaufman says.

Birders across the globe are thrilled with this venue. Two comments from the Biggest Week in American Birding Facebook site illustrate that. Debbie of Philadelphia writes, “Amazing experience at Magee Marsh. 28 warblers in 3 days. Thanks to all the hard-working people who make this event a success.” Laura of Rochester, New Youk, adds, “Had a fabulous trip to NW Ohio for the Biggest Week. You really have something special up there…”

Here’s one more posted on May 6, “Ethan Kistler, who just arrived last night from South Africa, reports that the fallout at Magee Marsh is remarkable, with flocks of 30 warblers at a time dropping out of the sky into the trees along the parking lot.”

Kaufman said this year’s festival also recorded a marked increase in local visitors coming out to enjoy what others around the world are enjoying. Many residents of Oregon, Port Clinton, Toledo and Fremont signed the guest book.

That’s good news. Such community support can help grow the festival and increase the economic impact birders can deliver to our backyard.

To learn more go to www.biggestweekinamericanbirding.com and www.acadiabirdingfestival.com. Comment at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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