Study Finds Northward Movement of Birds Proves Global Warming
February 11, 2009
The Audubon Society has compiled 40 years of data to conclude that global warming is real and having a negative effect on many species of birds. By using the annual Christmas Bird count the data shows that many species have moved further north for the winter.
Birds are among the most adaptable of wildlife – as long as they can find suitable habitat, they are able to travel substantial distances north, inland, or to higher latitudes. That is one of the things that make them sensitive environmental indicators – alerting us to ecological disruption, often before it directly affects us. Audubon’s new analysis reveals that many species that winter in the U.S. are moving significantly north – strong evidence that global warming is already altering their – and our – environment. However, Audubon’s analysis also showed that some birds, including the majority of grassland species, are not following the trend — even as temperatures climb. For these species disappearing habitat is taking an enormous toll and leaving them with nowhere to go – even as climate change is altering what habitat remains.
While a few species within this study have had significant expansion (wild turkey moved north 400 miles) the vast majority had much less expanding only 40 miles north in 40 years.
Our recently-released Birds and Climate report clearly shows that climate change is affecting birds – and our world – now. For the past 40 years, as our climate has warmed, birds have shifted their winter ranges further and further north. This ecological disruption is yet another wakeup call that we must act quickly to solve the climate crisis. The birds’ northward movement is another signal that climate change is here and action is needed now.
We need global warming legislation that will help birds and wildlife survive what is coming by protecting their habitats and will reduce global warming pollution 80 percent by 2050 to avoid the worst impacts of a rapidly changing climate.
I’ll admit that I don’t buy the global warming theory and find it to be more a movement to force social change and to attack traditional American values. United States is behind a number of countries when it comes to the production of energy using nuclear power. The same kooks that protest Capitalism and oil protest any attempts to switch to nuclear power. Solar and Wind power is still a ways off while nuclear could be brought on line pretty quickly if political changes were put in place.
I find it hard to believe that a study like this could even be taken seriously when you look at some basic facts. In the overall timeline of the world what is the percentage of time represented by the 40 years of this study? A small sliver compared to the age of the earth so how can one seriously say that global warming is taken place.
I suspect changes in habitat maybe even some unrelated to an increase in the average temperature. The expansion of humans, especially development of urban areas has increased for many species the availability of food and shelter making winters more bearable.
Many species have seen an expansion in overall population of the specie. Doesn’t it make sense that some of this movement north would be the population growing into that area and not necessarily a decline in the specie?
While I find the study interesting I’m not sure it has convinced me that global warming is a real threat to our planet. Many of the traditional global warming advocates have switched their terminology recently to Global Climate Changes but Audubon seems to have missed a few places on their site. It is important to change that phrase when parts of the country have received some significant winter weather the past few years and some are predicting a potential ice age.
Moose Droppings is a place that chronicles my journey, I’ll explore new places and ideas I’ll learn new things and I’ll teach the things I’ve learned to others. Join me on the adventure and hopefully it will help you in your outdoor endeavors.
Moose, this is a good post and it does open up some conversation to say the least. I did read your feeling on the subject but, how can you explain the ever so warming season changes and the changes in animal movement that I at least have realized.
In my opinion I believe in global warming basically for the fact of what I have been witnessing the past couple of years as well as what I have read. I feel that we as humans have taken earth and our environment for granted and now are kids and their kids are going to have to pay for that.
Again, this is only my opinion and I do thank you for sharing your as well.
Rick
Thanks for your comment. I do not doubt that the earth goes through warming cycles and cooling cycles. I also do not think you can take such a short period of time and predict a trend. While to humans 40 or 50 years seems like a long time but in the history of the world that is just a blink in time. Should we reduce our pollution? Sure I think we should. Should we set our civilization back 100 years by completely eliminating fossil fuels? I think not. Technology is not completely there yet to replace our current energy sources and in my opinion we shouldn’t scale back progress waiting for technology in alternative energies to catch up.
I don’t think it is a completely legitimate argument to make to say because some birds have moved their wintering grounds 40 miles north that it proves global warming. Here is one for you explain moose to me? The moose has expanded south as a kid growing up in New England I never saw moose they were only in the far north regions of Maine and New Hampshire. . Forty some years latter you have moose in Massachusetts and I believe Connecticut as well. Using the same logic they used for the study I guess we can assume that Global Cooling is taking place.
I don’t doubt we could be in a global warming cycle but I don’t buy the dire consequences Al Gore and his group of kooks put forth.
-Moose-