OAK HARBOR – Little birds become a powerful voice as Oak Harbor was declared the warbler capital of the world at the kickoff to the Biggest Week in American Birding.
“If Port Clinton can be the walleye capital of the world, then we can be the warbler capital of the world,” Kim Kaufman, executive director of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, said at the Biggest Week in American Birding opening ceremony.
The ceremony took place May 8, the first day of the Biggest Week, in the lobby of the Maumee Bay Lodge, with hundreds of birders packed in the space.
It was 2008 when Kaufman envisioned the Biggest Week declaration for all of Northwest Ohio.
“We think it’s really important to think about our hometown roots, the place where we live, the place where you can find the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, Magee Marsh and the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, the thing that binds all of those together is the Village of Oak Harbor,” Kaufman said. “Oak Harbor is the address for all three of those critical birding organizations and agencies, and I’m proud to say the village leadership gets it.”
In addition to being an address, she applauded their conservation efforts for birds by addressing the No. 1 cause of mortality for migratory birds: roaming outdoor cats.
“This mayor and that village council had the courage to stand with us, to implement the program, to pass legislation that essentially banned outdoor roaming cats in the Village of Oak Harbor,” Kaufman said. “It has become the model for many municipalities. It takes guts to wade into that very controversial and emotionally charged issue.”
The village council, in conjunction with the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, passed a resolution declaring Oak Harbor as the official warbler capital of the world.
Among the officials who helped kick off the event were Oak Harbor Mayor Quinton Babcock and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo.
“I have to say that birds really do bring people together,” Babcock said. “I think that the way that you all root for each other in the birding community really resonates with people in Oak Harbor. We’re really pleased with the recognition that the Black Swamp Bird Observatory has given us as the Warbler Capital of the World not only aligns with all the importance of the assets that Kim has already talked about, but also just the way the birding community resonates with the Oak Harbor community.”
Kaptur began with the announcement that she, together with Congressman Bob Latta, R-Bowling Green, introduced a bipartisan resolution proclaiming May 8 through May 17, 2026, as “National American Birding Week.”
In addition to the beauty of birds and their ability to make people smile as they bring people together, she spoke of the economic impact of birding to Northwest Ohio.
“Of course, these birds don’t distinguish between countries. What’s wonderful is that you can see, when they come up here from South America, for example, they come up here to Lake Erie and then go to the north shore of Lake Erie in Canada,” Kaptur said. “I very much support, obviously, our freshwater kingdom here. It is the largest body of freshwater on Earth. We have to tend it, not just for our own generation, but for those that will follow, and it will become more precious with each passing day.”
She also addressed the economic impact of the birds.
“Across our nation, nearly 96 million birders contribute more than $90 billion in job income each year. That is not just recreation — that is an economic engine rooted in conservation,” Kaptur said. “Each spring, an estimated 3.5 billion birds representing over 350 species make their journey north, many pausing along the shores of our Great Lakes to rest and refuel before crossing those vast freshwater horizons. In Northwest Ohio, we are blessed to witness this living miracle.”
Representatives of Gov. Mike DeWine and Auditor Keith Faber were also on hand, presenting proclamations on behalf of their offices.
“Gov. DeWine, maybe we don’t agree on everything, but his sincere commitment to natural resources has done amazing things for the state, and Congresswoman Kaptur has done more for Lake Erie, arguably, than any other elected official that I am aware of,” Kaufman said.
Contact Roger LaPointe at 419-332-2674.
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Oak Harbor the warbler capital of the world
Reporting by Roger LaPointe, Port Clinton News Herald / Fremont News-Messenger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
