Climate change is altering the living conditions to which we have adapted, and this particularly affects wild species that have evolved over centuries to adapt to their natural habitats.
Researchers from the College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois conducted a study on the impact of climate change on birds, and their findings were published in the journal Science Direct.
Analyzing bird populations between 1980 and 2015 alongside climate data from the same timeframe, researchers discovered a moderate decline in both the overall number and diversity of birds, with a more significant decline observed in migratory species and birds adapted to specific ecosystems.
Co-author of the study, Lui Chen, an assistant professor at the University of Science and Technology in Hong Kong, notes that common birds like sparrows, which inhabit a wide range of habitats across North America, are less affected by climate change. According to the analysis, populations of common bird species decreased by about 2.5 per cent during the period from 1980 to 2015.
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Endemic species, such as the spotted owl and woodpecker, are much more affected by climate change because they require specific habitat conditions, making them highly vulnerable to any environmental changes. Chen explains that climate change was responsible for approximately a five per cent decline in the population between 1980 and 2015, with losses predicted to reach up to 16 per cent by the end of the century.
When it comes to migratory birds, although these species have the ability to move to more favorable locations, climate change can alter the living conditions at their final destination.
“These birds have generational patterns of migration. They will migrate regardless of obstacles and don’t know what awaits them at the other end. It might be too hot or too dry,” said study co-author Prof. Madhu Kana, adding that climate change can impact food supply along their migration route.
It is evident that climate change has a significant negative impact on birds, prompting Kana to emphasize that this underscores the need for more serious efforts to mitigate the climate crisis as soon as possible.
