Bad news for birds

The National Audubon Society recently released a study examining the potential effect of climate change on bird species in the continental United States and Canada, and the prognosis doesn’t look good. The study shows that rising temperatures will threaten more than half of bird species living in that area. 

The study examined 588 species and found that 314 are at risk, with 126 in danger of severe declines by 2050. A further 188 species face the same fate by 2080, with extinctions possible if habitat changes due to global warming persist. 

“The results of this study are our wake-up call,” said Audubon North Carolina Executive Director Heather Hahn.

Researchers analyzed more than 40 years of historical climate data and millions of historical bird records from the U.S. Geological Survey’s North American Breeding Bird Survey and the Audubon Christmas Bird Count to understand the links between where birds live and the climatic conditions that support them. 

To read the report, visit climate.audubon.org.