Birds.com: Online Birds Guide with Facts, Articles, Videos, and Photos » global warming

Shifting Migrations Might Indicate Global Warming

Editor — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 11:30:35 +0000

Each year thousands of citizens in the US get involved with the annual Christmas bird count. They are not professional birders, but their counts do help biologists and other researchers to get a better idea of the grand scale of things. Over time this count has revealed that almost 60 percent of migratory birds are spending their winters further north than they did forty years ago.

According to studies, the American Robin and White-throated Sparrow are just two of the 305 bird species examined which showed a dramatic northward shift in their annual migratory patterns. While this does not prove global warming in itself, it is consistent with the sort of behavior you’d expect to take place in direct reaction to a steadily warming climate. The concern is not so much for the birds themselves, but for other non-migratory bird species and animals that are left behind to suffer through the heat. Kenn Kaufman, field editor for Audubon Magazine, stressed the interdependence of everything in an ecosystem when he said about the trend: “Everything is connected. Birds are not isolated; it’s an ecosystem. It’s a system and something that happens in one area is going to affect everything else.”

While bird ranges can change for a number of different reasons, such as urban sprawl, supplemented diets and deforestation, researchers have noted that the most likely explanation for why so many different migratory birds over such a broad area are choosing to winter further north is most likely global warming. The shift is not just affecting one or two species from one or two areas – its affecting a large number of species from a large number of areas. The phenomenon is simply too widespread to be attributed entirely to only one localized cause.

So where does the report released by the National Audubon Society leave bird lovers? It refreshes in our minds the need to not contribute to the many factors causing global warming. Not only can we change our own lifestyles and encourage others to do likewise, but if we live in an area where there are non-migratory birds, we can try to be aware of their needs, providing them with food, water and shelter so that they can survive the conditions as best as possible.

Climate Changes Affect Bird Populations in Europe

Editor — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:18:33 +0000

Terms such as global warming, carbon footprint and climate change are becoming part of every day vocabulary as people become more aware of the far reaching consequences of mankind’s abuse of the planet. Researchers at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Durham University and Cambridge University have been monitoring the effect of climate change on bird populations in the United Kingdom and have reached some disturbing conclusions.

Researchers have found that birds which favor warmer climates, such as the Cirl Bunting, Cetti’s Warbler and Dartford Warbler, are becoming more common across quite a varied range of habitats in Britain as temperatures rise. Although birding enthusiasts in these areas may welcome their new visitors, it is an indication that climate change is affecting birdlife, and not necessarily for the good. In the case of some northern species, this climate change is having a decidedly negative effect which can be seen in the falling numbers of species such as Fieldfare and Redwing, as well as the Slavonian Grebe, a bird whose range traditionally extended its southern margins as far as Scotland.

Researchers examined population trends of 42 bird species in relation to climate changes over a period of twenty-five years and their findings confirmed what they had suspected – the changes in climate over the past twenty years has had a profound effect on birdlife. Professor Brian Huntley from Durham University’s Institute of Ecosystem Science says that, taking into account that the U.K. is in the middle latitudes of Europe, researchers involved in this project expected that the ongoing climatic warming would favor bird species from the south of Europe, while adversely affecting northern bird species and the results of the research confirmed this. Professor Huntley has used the results of the research to assist him in compiling “A Climatic Atlas of European Breeding Birds”, which points to potential changes in distribution of Europe’s regularly occurring nesting birds and confirms that urgent action needs to be taken to minimize climatic change in order to avoid catastrophic impacts on birds.

With a lot of attention being focused on governments to resolve these environment-altering issues, hopefully something will be done before it is too late for many of the little feathered creatures that share our planet.

Increase your Knowledge at the Montana Bird Festival

Editor — Thu, 15 May 2008 08:41:36 +0000

Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana, will serve as the host venue for the 2008 Montana Bird Festival to be held 6 to 8 June. Montana Audubon will be joining up with Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society to invite birding enthusiasts to enjoy three days of seminars, workshops, field trips and much more.

More than twenty guided field trips are planned to take participants to the area’s premium birding locations, from local parks through to the majestic Pryor Mountains and Pompey’s Pillar. Birders will explore diverse habitats including prairies, wetlands, mountain forests and river beds. All field trips will be led by experienced and knowledgeable leaders who are sure to add to the educational value of the trip with interesting facts about each habitat and the many birds that live there.

Depending on which habitat they choose to visit, birders can expect to see Blackbirds, Orioles, Chickadees, Nuthatches, Creepers, Doves, Dippers, Ducks, Swans, Geese, Flycatchers, Grosbeaks, Finches, Sparrows, Buntings, Grouse, Hawks, Falcons, Eagles, Hummingbirds, Jays, Crows, Kingfishers, Kinglets, Larks, Nighthawks, Shrikes, Starlings, Swallows, Swifts and Thrushes.

The festival will be opened on the Friday evening by Zoo Montana. Guests can look forward to meeting some interesting animals, as well as a presentation about the native animal and bird species that intrepid adventurers Lewis and Clark discovered during their travels along the Yellowstone River. The seminars planned for Saturday afternoon will cover a range of fascinating topics, which will include: raptors; bird identification; birds of Yellowstone River; surveys relating to wetland birds; C.M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge; bird photography; oil and gas development threats; wind energy; global warming and climate change; and Ethiopian Birding and Culture.

On Saturday evening, keynote speaker Kevin Doherty’s presentation “Sage-grouse, Energy Development, and Conservation Planning” will address the impact that habitat loss is having on Sage-grouse populations in the Rocky Mountain West. The presentation will include a number of strategies aimed at protecting existing habitats, as well as plans for the restoration of lost habitats. As the Senior Ecologist with the National Audubon Society, Kevin Doherty is well qualified to address these vital issues.

An art show with the theme “Birds of the Big Sky Country” will be running in conjunction with the Montana Bird Festival. Visitors will be able to view the artworks at the Rocky Mountain College’s Ryniker-Morrison Gallery from 15 May, and an artists’ reception and awards ceremony will take place on 23 May 2008.

Tours through the Montana Audubon Conservation Education Center will give visitors insight into the ongoing efforts being made to ensure that the diverse local bird population will be around for future generations to enjoy. Workshops will be on offer to introduce the joys of bird watching to visitors who are new to this rewarding past-time. Certainly this popular event will have something for everyone – so be sure to make a note in your diary that 6 to 8 June 2008 is reserved for the Montana Bird Festival.

Experts Estimate Birds Will Be Grossly Affected By Global Warming

Editor — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:11:56 +0000

According to recent research and data, as many as 20-30% of all animal species will be at an increased risk of extinction if temperatures continue to rise. Experts estimate that an increase of more than 2.5 Â°C in average temperatures across the globe could have a deadly impact on existing animal species as it will make survival more difficult. This is especially the case for many birds.

The results come in the wake of a report conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2007. The changes will especially affect birds as their life cycles are often closely linked with the changes in season. If those changes become almost indiscernible, birds will have a hard time functioning as they should. Neotropical migrant species, for example, are signaled by changes in temperature, daylight and wind as to when they should begin their annual migrations to the south and when they should return. The changes in temperature also affect other aspects of the bird’s lives – such as the availability of flowers, seeds and other sources of food at certain destinations. Too little food could result in major deaths in certain bird species. In addition to this, encroachment on natural habitats of birds that rely on specific habitats is also pushing birds to the brink of extinction. All of these reasons tell us that global warming could desolate bird populations across the globe.

In fact, research over the past few decades already shows that birds are being affected by the change in climate. Some bird populations seem to be changing their range in relation to the change in temperature, shifting closer to the poles in order to find their ideal average temperatures and habitats. Studies have documented that several North American warbler species have already shifted their range northward during the course of the past 24 years – and warblers are not the only species to be affected. The Great Kiskadee, White-tippe Dove, Tropical Parula, Green Jay, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Tufted Titmouse, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue-gray Grantcatcher and Northern Mockingbird have also shifted their range – some by as many as 60 miles in the last 20 or so years.

Seabirds are also not unaffected by the trend and it has been discovered that the Sooty Shearwater has also shifted its migration routes northward. The changes in temperature also affect when these birds leave for warmer or cooler climes and some birds have been found to leave up to 21 days earlier than they would have just a few years ago. It is easy to note that the shift in bird behavior is a global phenomenon and so perhaps we should take it as a warning of how the irresponsible actions of much of the human race is slowly destroying the environment that we enjoy so much. Indeed, if trends continue it could be all over for the birds and we could be the ones heading north in search of some relief from the searing heat.