A new study uses 90 years of Christmas Bird Count data to show how birds have shifted amid a century of major environmental changes.
This month, scientists at the National Audubon Society published a study that analyzed how birds of the eastern United States have responded due to climate change and habitat availability in the last 90 years. Published in Global Change Biology, researchers determined that winter ranges of all birds have moved in response to climate change, and that bird species with specific habitat needs (e.g. grasslands or wetlands) are even more restricted by habitat availability in where they can exist in a climate-altered future. Few studies have yet to analyze how climate change and habitat suitability are linked with respect to bird populations, but the longevity of Audubon's Christmas Bird Count data set allowed Audubon researchers to explore this connection, with important implications for wildlife conservation efforts in the future.
Birds Tell Us Both Climate Action and Healthy Natural Spaces Are Key to a Secure Future
This month, scientists at the National Audubon Society published a study that analyzed how birds of the eastern United States have responded due to climate change and habitat availability in the last 90 years. Published in Global Change Biology, researchers determined that winter ranges of all birds have moved in response to climate change, and that bird species with specific habitat needs (e.g. grasslands or wetlands) are even more restricted by habitat availability in where they can exist in a climate-altered future. Few studies have yet to analyze how climate change and habitat suitability are linked with respect to bird populations, but the longevity of Audubon's Christmas Bird Count data set allowed Audubon researchers to explore this connection, with important implications for wildlife conservation efforts in the future.
Birds Tell Us Both Climate Action and Healthy Natural Spaces Are Key to a Secure Future