Michigan

Songbird Protection Coalition

​​​About Us

The Songbird Protection Coalition is an all-grassroots effort of diverse participants and include: advocates for animals, avid hunters, bird hobbyists, environmentalists, falconers, farmers, kids, wildlife rehabilitators, and most of all - the average citizen.

The SPC was founded by concerned citizens in January 2000; after a close, but failed, attempt to create a shooting season on mourning doves.  In 2004, fringe factions were successful in passing a bill in a lame-duck session to allow the target shooting of doves in Michigan.

Our mission and goal has always stayed the same: to keep traditional protections in place for non-game native wild birds in Michigan.

Our diverse grassroots coalition of concerned citizens, businesses, and non-profit organizations successfully protected Michigan's official Bird of Peace, the mourning dove, on the November 2006 ballot referendum that resulted in all 83 counties voting protecting mourning doves as non-game backyard songbirds.

Consistent with more than 40 years of public opinion polls, when put to a fair public vote, 69 percent of Michigan voters agreed - there is no reason to shoot doves!

​The coalition has remained active to ensure Michigan's long heritage of protecting mourning doves, sandhill cranes, and other traditional non-game wild birds is respected. Mourning doves and sandhill cranes have been protected in Michigan for more than 110 years.  Thank you for helping to keep Michigan a safe refuge!