DC Audubon

Description

This week the National Audubon Society released a new "State of the Birds" report on Birds and Climate Change . The results are sobering. During the past four decades (1966-2005), the winter ranges of the 305 bird species observed during Christmas Bird Counts have shifted northward by an average of 35 miles. Over 60 species have moved more than 100 miles north. Here are a few examples of birds from the report: have not traveled as far south during winter irruptions and are spending winters 433 miles north of their previous range. -Marbled Murrelet faces the dual threat of climate change and loss of old-growth habitat in the Pacific Northwest. -Red-breasted Mergansers now winter in the Great Lakes and upper Midwest in increasing numbers, representing a northward shift of 317 miles. -Pine Siskins are wintering 288 miles farther north despite the thistle offerings of hopeful backyard birdwatchers. -Boreal Chickadees (pictured), having moved 279 miles north, are becoming less common along the northern border of the United States. -Eastern and Western Meadowlarks have not moved north; the population of Eastern Meadowlarks has fallen 72% during the past four decades. These range shifts indicate that major changes are taking place in North American ecosystems. While we should not dismiss other potential influences like habitat destruction in the lower 48 states or wider availability of bird feeding stations in northern latitudes, there is one major transition at work. During the past four decades, the average January temperature in the lower 48 states has risen about 5

Products & services

Similar companies nearby