Natural History Wanderings

The threats of rigid migration schedules and changes in climate

A study of songbird migrations reveals that although an entire species may have arrival dates that vary by as much as three weeks, individual birds tend to leave their winter grounds within a day or two of when they left last year.  This create concern as changes in climate can result in varying amounts of rain and drought. This can have a major impact in how much body fat the birds add and has major impacts on their overall health. Changes in when plants flower due to climate change could greatly reduce food availability if the birds keep up their strict migration schedules. Read more at: Will Climate Change Trip Up Punctual Songbirds? – NYTimes.com.

Related articles

• Songbirds Pursue Strict Time Schedule During Migration (naturenplanet.com)