Kirtland's warbler (Dendroica kirtlandii) is an endangered species and one of the rarest members of the North American wood warbler family. Its entire breeding range is limited to a seven-county area of north-central Michigan. The restricted distribution of the Kirtland's warbler and its specific niche requirements have probably contributed to low population levels throughout its existence, but human activity has had a large impact on their numbers over the past hundred years.

The first specimen of Kirtland's warbler was taken by Samuel Cabot in October 1841, and brought on ship in the West Indies during an expedition to the Yucatan. But this specimen went unnoticed until 1865, long after the species had been formally described. Charles Pease is credited with discovering Kirtland's warbler. He collected a specimen on May 13, 1851 near Cleveland, Ohio, and gave it to his father-in-law, Dr. Jared P. Kirtland, a renowned...