Many Local Birds May Disappear

Audubon just released a new scientific report, Survival by Degrees, that forecasts how various climate warming scenarios impact the ranges of specific bird species. The study considers summer and winter ranges currently and at increased average global temperatures of 1.5C, 2.0C, and 3.0C. The study concludes that over 60% of North American birds will be threatened by climate change and over 100 species face extinction. Some of our local birds adversely impacted by climate warming are:

  • Snow Goose – likely to become extinct. At 3.0C increase it will lose 98% of its breeding grounds.
  • Savannah Sparrow
  • Sage Thrasher
  • Townsend’s Warbler
  • Wilson’s Warbler
  • Dark Eyed Junco
  • And others

This report is well worth reading. There is a link to an interactive site where you can select a specific bird to see how its range is impacted. We are heating our planet through our consumption of fossil fuels. Birds are “canaries in the mine”, a hotter climate drastically effects humans as well as birds.