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Photo © Lana Hays
Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivorum), listed as Endangered in Wisconsin, is found in southern counties, often on steep W- or S-facing slopes dominated by mature oaks with a dense understory, in large forest tracts such as the Baraboo Hills and Wyalusing State Park. The required avoidance period is May 15 - August 1. See the species guidance document for avoidance measures and management guidance from the Natural Heritage Conservation Program.
The table below provides information about the protected status - both state and federal - and the rank (S and G Ranks) for Worm-eating Warbler (Helmitheros vermivorum). See the Working List Key for more information about abbreviations. Counties shaded blue have documented occurrences for this species in the Wisconsin Natural Heritage Inventory database. The map is provided as a general reference of where occurrences of this species meet NHI data standards and is not meant as a comprehensive map of all observations.
Note: Species recently added to the NHI Working List may temporarily have blank occurrence maps.
| Summary Information | |
|---|---|
| State Status | END |
| Federal Status in Wisconsin | none |
| State Rank | S1B |
| Global Rank | G5 |
| Tracked by NHI | Y |
| WWAP | SGCN |
This document contains identification and life history information for Worm-eating Warbler. It also describes how to screen projects for potential impacts to this species, lists avoidance measures, and provides general management guidance.
Worm-eating Warbler Species Guidance [PDF]
Click to view a larger version. Please considering donating a photo to the Natural Heritage Conservation Program for educational uses. Photo use
Photo © Lloyd Spitalnik.
The Worm-eating Warbler is a rare resident of extensive upland hardwood forests in S WI due to its sensitivity to habitat fragmentation.
Photo © Lana Hays.
The table below lists the natural communities that are associated with Worm-eating Warbler. Only natural communities for which Worm-eating Warbler is "high" (score=3) or "moderate" (score=2) associated are shown. See the key to association scores for complete definitions. Please see the Wildlife Action Plan to learn how this information was developed.
| Natural community | Score |
|---|---|
| Southern Dry-mesic Forest | 3 |
| Oak Woodland | 2 |
| Pine Relict | 2 |
| Southern Dry Forest | 2 |
The table below lists the ecological landscape association scores for Worm-eating Warbler. The scores correspond to the map (3=High, 2=Moderate, 1=Low, 0=None). For more information, please see the Wildlife Action Plan.
| Ecological landscape | score |
|---|---|
| Western Coulee and Ridges | 3 |
| Southeast Glacial Plains | 1 |
| Southwest Savanna | 1 |
Ecological priorities are the combinations of natural communities and ecological landscapes that provide Wisconsin's best opportunities to conserve important habitats for a given Species of Greatest Conservation Need. The 10 highest scoring combinations are considered ecological priorities and are listed below. More than 10 combinations are listed if multiple combinations tied for 10th place. For more information, please see the Wildlife Action Plan.
* Ecological priority score is a relative measure that is not meant for comparison between species. This score does not consider socio-economical factors that may dictate protection and/or management priorities differently than those determined solely by ecological analysis. Further, a low ecological priority score does not imply that management or preservation should not occur on a site if there are important reasons for doing so locally.
Conservation actions respond to issues or threats, which adversely affect species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) or their habitats. Besides actions such as restoring wetlands or planting resilient tree species in northern communities, research, surveys and monitoring are also among conservation actions described in the WWAP because lack of information can threaten our ability to successfully preserve and care for natural resources.