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| Sparrow - Image by Beverly Buckley from Pixabay |
1. Numerous bird species have already shifted their behavior in response to the sort of hotter and drier weather predicted by climate change models.
2. Birds are a good taxonomic group for studying environmental change as they are easily observed by researchers and citizen scientists.
3. Migration distance and prevalence (commonness of bird) are the biggest predictors of behavior shifts in response to extreme weather.
4. Birds that are year-round residents or that migrate only short distances were observed less often following a week of extreme heat compared to normal weather conditions. However, birds cannot afford to reduce their activity for long as they need to be active to forage for food.
5. Species that appear less frequently during extreme weather may shift their nesting locations to cooler locations. Others may die if they don’t find a habitat more amenable to their feeding or breeding habits.
6. Longer distance migrating birds (tropical migrant birds) are more frequently observed after a week of extreme heat because they are often exposed to warm, tropical temperatures and are able to tolerate them as such birds are insect-eaters and could be pursuing insects that are active on hot days.
7. Common species are affected by seasonal drought whereas less common birds are observed less frequently after extended drought and some birds are specialized to a certain habitat or food source, which drought could disrupt.
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