Ohio is blessed with a geographic orientation that brings us lots of birds - both numbers and species. Of the five states that border us, only one manages to eclipse our total species list of 412. Unfortunately for dyed-in-the-wool Buckeye fans, that state would be Michigan, whose list currently stands at 419. This isn't much of a difference, though, and we will eventually surpass them, just as we do in football.

Perhaps more important than high species lists are the large numbers of certain birds that Ohio plays an integral role in supporting, either as part of their migratory corridor or by providing breeding habitat. And since our state has strong influences from all directions - prairies from the west, unglaciated Appalachian plateaus on the south and east, and of course our great inland sea to the north, Lake Erie - we are critical to a broad suite of species.

From gulls to sparrows, Ohio harbors some of the best habitats of any Midwestern state for birds. The examples are many. Nineteen species of gulls have been documented, an amazing total for ANY state, and this is in large part due to the importance of Lake Erie as a migratory pathway and wintering area. This fantastic lake also is critical to many species of shorebirds, and it is important that we work to insure that suitable habitats are provided at key periods of their passage. Of the 48 species of shorebirds that have occurred here, many have evolved a critical dependence on western Lake Erie habitats as stopover locale to rest and refuel for the incredible trans-global migrations they undertake.

While rightly considered an ecological catastrophe, an unexpected but fortuitous benefit of surface coal extraction- strip mining - in southeastern Ohio has been the creation of enormous grasslands as a product of "reclamation." Many of us are familiar with The Wilds in Muskingum County, a good example of this sort of habitat. These grasslands have become key breeding areas for declining species such as the Henslow's Sparrow, and consequently Ohio now supports some of the best remaining populations of grassland breeders in the Midwest. Of course, these sites are sensational for wintering birds, too, in particular raptors. And with hundreds of thousands of acres of reclaimed surface mines, they are massive enough to alter the wintering range of Golden Eagles, and attract huge numbers of Northern Harriers, Rough-legged Hawks, and Short-eared Owls. The appearance of this winter's Prairie Falcon at The Wilds may become a regular event in this habitat.

Protection of outlying or edge-of-range habitats is key to preserving genetic diversity, and Ohio has a very significant example of a disjunct habitat. Hemlock gorges, such as those found in Hocking County, Mohican State Forest, and far northeastern Ohio are examples of a boreal habitat largely isolated from the core of this plant community far to the north. Coming along with these hemlocks are isolated southern populations of boreal breeders, such as Hermit Thrush, Blue-headed Vireo, Canada, Magnolia, and Blackburnian warblers, and Dark-eyed Junco. Not only are hemlock gorges one of Ohio's most beautiful habitats, they are also one of the most biologically significant. Between the hemlock gorges, the expanses of eastern deciduous forests that still cloak parts of Ohio, and other habitats, we support about 180 species of breeding birds annually. Of global importance is the group known as neotropical migratory birds. This group includes many perennial favorites such as Scarlet Tanager, Baltimore Oriole, and American Redstart. There are 61 species of neotropicals that breed in Ohio, wintering well to the south in places like Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Columbia. Protecting Ohio habitats for these birds - like our icon species for the Society, Cerulean Warbler- becomes vital on a global scale.

Of course, the Buckeye state is legendary as a migratory pathway for migrants, and the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area bird trail is famous among birders far and wide. On a good May day, the trees and thickets here can seem to drip with birds, and even the mundane becomes extraordinary, such as the massive packs of Blue Jays winging overhead. Please visit this site on May 8 this year, as that's the date of International Migratory Bird Day, and if you've not visited Magee on that day, you're in for a treat. Thousands of birders converge to observe the spectacular spring migration, and in addition to the joy of seeing big numbers of our more common species, someone often turns up a rarity like Kirtland's Warbler.

Birding brings dollars to the state, too, and our economic impact will only continue to increase. A study conducted by the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge in 2001 estimated 130,000 visitors - most of whom were probably there to observe birds at least on some level - who collectively pumped 5.5 million dollars into the local economy. That same year, the Ohio Department of Tourism calculated that visitors to Ohio spent 32.1 billion dollars, and as much as 400 million of this may have been eco-tourism money. That figure, too, should continue to grow. Birders are a large, diverse, well educated, and environmentally aware group as a rule, and our potential collective clout is tremendous.

Of the roughly 200 species of birds that have been known to nest in Ohio, three are extinct - Passenger Pigeon, Carolina Parakeet, and Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Another seven should be considered extirpated (locally extinct), although we once harbored established breeding populations - Merlin, Greater Prairie-Chicken, Piping Plover, Common Raven, Bewick's Wren, Golden-winged Warbler, and Bachman's Sparrow. Most of these species disappeared before there were people advocating their protection and taking steps to insure their survival. While their loss is a tragedy, it should also serve as a lesson as to the importance of birders banding together to form a collective voice that can speak for the birds.

—Jim McCormac, Columbus