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Climate Change Leads Male Birds to Migrate Sooner
The effects of climate change can be different for members of the same species.
© Andy Reago and Chrissy McClarren
For years, biologists have been seeing migratory birds arriving earlier in the spring due to the effects of climate change. But surprisingly, the effect on arrival time is different for members of the same species. Male birds are changing their arrival dates faster than females in many species of birds that breed in North America. While it’s still unclear what effect this has on bird populations, understanding how climate change can affect females and males differently can help guide our conservation efforts.
BirdNote®
Climate Change Leads Male Birds to Migrate Sooner
Written by Conor Gearin
This is BirdNote.
[Nashville Warbler song]
One of the clearest signs of how climate change is affecting birds is how many migratory birds are arriving earlier in the spring than they did in years past. We know this thanks to dedicated bird banders that catch birds every year, note down the first arrival dates for each species, and place ID bands on birds’ legs to keep track of them throughout their lives.
[Nashville Warbler song]
But surprisingly, the effect on arrival time is different for members of the same species. Male birds are changing their arrival dates faster than females in many species of birds that breed in North America. It’s long been the case that male songbirds arrive ahead of females to establish breeding territories. But now, that difference is becoming even more pronounced.
[Nashville Warbler song]
It’s unclear what kind of impact this change will have on bird populations. But it’s a clear sign that climate change can affect female and male birds differently. And conservation efforts may need to account for those differences. Paying close attention to the birds enables us to help them the best way we can.
[Nashville Warbler song]
For BirdNote, I’m Michael Stein.
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[Nashville Warbler song]
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Senior Producer: John Kessler
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Conor Gearin
Content Director: Jonese Franklin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Nashville Warbler ML156885811 recorded by Brad Walker.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2023 BirdNote September 2023
Narrator: Michael Stein
ID# climatechange-05-2023-09-15 climatechange-05
Reference:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/gcb.16492
https://academic.oup.com/auk/article/137/2/ukz080/5740120?login=false#2…