Climate change and birds

Some of the bird species known to have already experienced substantial impacts of climate change include the piping plover, chinstrap penguins, Cassia Crossbill, Carnaby's Black Cockatoo, Black-tailed godwit, and Ethiopian Bush-crow. Scientists have done a lot of work to study how climate change affects birds. Like other animals, birds feel the changes caused by humans. Researchers look at how birds' life cycles change over many years, study how evolution pushes birds to adapt, and even compare old birds from museum collections with birds living today to see how they look different now.

Predicting where birds will live in the future because of climate change is very important. This helps people know how to protect birds and stop them from disappearing because of a changing world, which is key to reducing extinction risk from climate change. Even plans to fight climate change, like using wind power, can affect birds differently. But the environmental impact of wind power is thought to be much smaller than the big problems birds face from the continuing effects of climate change.

Causes

Further information: Climate change and Effects of climate change

Climate change has made the Earth warmer by about 1.1 °C (2.0 °F) since the Industrial Revolution. This warming happens because of gases in the air that trap heat, called greenhouse gas emissions. How much warmer it gets in the future depends on whether we take steps to reduce these emissions. If we act quickly, the temperature might rise by less than 0.4 °C (0.72 °F). But if we don’t take action, the Earth could warm up by around 3.5 °C (6.3 °F) by the end of the century.

Effects

Birds are changing in response to climate change. Studies have shown that some birds are getting smaller, with shorter legs and longer wings. This change helps them cope with hotter temperatures. For example, birds in the Amazon have been getting lighter and their wings longer over the past few decades.

Climate change is also affecting when birds migrate and breed. Some birds are leaving for their summer homes earlier in the spring. This shift can sometimes cause problems if the birds arrive before or after the best time to find food. However, some birds, like the Great Tit, have adapted well to these changes by adjusting their breeding times.

Extinction

Scientists have studied how climate change affects birds. They look at changes in birds' lives over many years and compare old bird specimens from museums to modern birds. This helps us understand how birds are changing because of our changing world.

Effects of climate change mitigation activities

Climate change mitigation helps most bird species by limiting the harmful effects of climate change. Some strategies, like forest management for reducing fire risks, can create better homes for birds. Certain farming methods for renewable biomass might also support more bird species than traditional farming.

However, some mitigation efforts can accidentally harm birds. For example, wind farms can be dangerous for birds like white-tailed eagles and whooper swans because birds may not see the turbines clearly. Placing wind turbines in more visible spots or in better locations could help reduce these risks. While wind turbines do cause bird deaths, they are responsible for fewer bird deaths per unit of energy produced compared to fossil fuel power stations.