Climate change and birds

Vanessa Torti (M.S.)

Increasing evidence indicates that climate change is affecting the life history, distribution and abundance of wildlife. However, to date, there have been very few long-term, continental-scale studies of the effects of climate change on birds, and it is not known whether these effects differ across species, locations, or habitats.

I am studying the effects of climate change on breeding dates of six North American birds. The species chosen have wide ranges and are ecologically diverse: killdeer, American coot, eastern bluebird, red-winged blackbird, song sparrow, and American robin. Data from the past 50 years have been compiled from the four largest Nest Record Card Programs in North America and are now being analyzed in relation to temperature.

This study will contribute to our understanding of the relationship between avian reproductive success and climate change. Steps taken now to understand these phenomena may lead to better informed measures to protect populations in the future.