{"id":15669,"date":"2021-05-05T10:21:19","date_gmt":"2021-05-05T14:21:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=15669"},"modified":"2021-05-05T10:30:03","modified_gmt":"2021-05-05T14:30:03","slug":"birds-and-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/birds-and-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Protect Birds by Addressing Climate Change"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When Harriet Lawrence Hemenway and Minna B. Hall founded Mass Audubon<\/a> in 1896, they were committed to ending the cruel practice of killing birds for fashion. Since then, Mass Audubon has continued its dedication to protecting birds through the threats they\u2019ve faced over the decades \u2013 and now that means addressing climate change<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

North, North, and Away <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Both plants and animals\u00a0live in predictable\u00a0environments, and one of the most important parts in defining\u00a0these environments\u00a0is\u00a0their\u00a0temperatures.\u00a0But\u00a0climate\u00a0change\u00a0is causing temperatures to\u00a0increase\u00a0world-wide.\u00a0As Massachusetts gets warmer,\u00a0the plants and insects that comprise these environments are shifting northward\u00a0– and we\u2019re seeing birds follow them away from the Commonwealth.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Higher temperatures also provide a suitable environment for the spread of invasive pest and plant species \u2013 both of which reduce healthy Northern hardwoods forested habitat.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4<\/em>9<\/em>% of <\/em>the <\/em>Massachusetts\u2019 breeding forest bird species <\/em>we studied <\/em>are highly vulnerable.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Black-throated Blue Warbler \u00a9<\/em> Terri Nickerson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Commonwealth\u2019s Black-throated Blue Warbler and Yellow-rumped Warbler are expected to decline as the Northern hardwood trees they call home are overtaken by more heat tolerant species. Ruffed Grouse, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, and Wood Thrushes are also expected to be vulnerable to the reduction of Northern hardwoods forested habitats as a result of this shift in dominant tree species. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changing Seasons <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our seasons are changing, impacting bird food sources and nesting behaviors. With milder, shorter winters and earlier springs (among other shifts) \u2013 the environmental cues that typically trigger breeding or nesting behavior and the emergence of food are thrown out of whack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

66% of<\/em> the<\/em> Massachusetts<\/em>\u2019<\/em> breeding, long-distance migrants <\/em>we studied <\/em>are highly <\/em>or likely <\/em>vulnerable. <\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Tree Swallow in nest box.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Migratory species, like Tree Swallows, can only make minor modifications to their migration schedules to coincide with the shifting peak abundance of their food. The dissonance between migration and breeding schedules and shifting seasons can adversely affect breeding birds\u2014 especially if available food sources are insufficient to raise their young. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rising Sea Levels <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

With tides creeping farther up our shores, sea level rise<\/a> is swallowing important marsh and beach-nesting habitat of coastal bird species. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

56% of<\/em> <\/em>the <\/em>Massachusetts\u2019 breeding<\/em>, coastal-nesting species<\/em> we studied<\/em> <\/em>are highly vulnerable.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Piping Plover and chicks \u00a9<\/em> Lia Vito<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

These, often already threatened, species now contend with the effects of sea level rise. Least Terns, Piping Plovers, and Saltmarsh Sparrows nest in habitats that are slowly being overtaken by this climate impact in addition to the increasing frequency and severity of storms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We Can Make a Difference <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s come together to protect birds by working to solve climate change in two ways: by adapting to climate change (withstanding its current impacts) and mitigating climate change (reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and removing them from the atmosphere). Visit massaudubon.org\/climate<\/a> for how you can start doing both. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Harriet Lawrence Hemenway and Minna B. Hall founded Mass Audubon in 1896, they were committed to ending the cruel practice of killing birds for fashion. Since then, Mass Audubon has continued its dedication to protecting birds through the threats they\u2019ve faced over the decades \u2013 and now that means addressing climate change.  North, North, and Away  Both plants and animals\u00a0live in predictable\u00a0environments, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":126,"featured_media":15671,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[386,178],"tags":[28,246,150],"class_list":["post-15669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-birds-birding","category-climate","tag-birds","tag-climate-action","tag-climate-change"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/05\/2664Terri_Nickerson27068.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-44J","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13968,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/the-early-bird-sings-a-tale-of-climate-change\/","url_meta":{"origin":15669,"position":0},"title":"The Early Bird Sings a Tale of Climate Change","author":"Rishya N.","date":"May 13, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"As buds bloom and seedlings sprout, you can hear the familiar chorus of American Robins in your backyard, signaling the arrival of spring. 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