A new threat to already-stressed migratory birds

Written by Jack Sanders
Thursday, 18 March 2010 10:47

As the migration season begins, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has released a new report saying climate change threatens hundreds of species of migratory birds, already under stress from habitat loss, invasive species, and other environmental threats.

The State of the Birds: 2010 Report on Climate Change says nearly a third of the nation’s 800 bird species are endangered, threatened or in significant decline.

“For well over a century, migratory birds have faced stresses such as commercial hunting, loss of forests, the use of DDT and other pesticides, a loss of wetlands and other key habitat, the introduction of invasive species, and other impacts of human development,” Secretary Salazar said. “Now they are facing a new threat — climate change — that could dramatically alter their habitat and food supply and push many species towards extinction.”

The report, a collaboration of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and experts from conservation organizations, shows that climate changes will have an increasingly disruptive effect on bird species in all habitats, with oceanic and Hawaiian birds in greatest peril.

Key findings include:

• Oceanic birds are among the most vulnerable species because they don’t raise many young each year; they face challenges from a rapidly changing marine ecosystem; and they nest on islands that may be flooded as sea levels rise. All 67 oceanic bird species, such as petrels and albatrosses, are among the most vulnerable to climate change.

• Birds in coastal, arctic/alpine, and grassland habitats, as well as those on Caribbean and Pacific islands show intermediate levels of vulnerability; most birds in arid lands, wetlands, and forests show relatively low vulnerability to climate change.

• For species already of conservation concern such as the Whooping Crane,  the added vulnerability to climate change may hasten declines or prevent recovery.

• The report said common bird species such as the American Oystercatcher,  Common Nighthawk, and Northern Pintail are likely to become species of conservation concern as a result of climate change.  All three are found hereabouts.

“This report confirms the serious threat of a changing climate to Saltmarsh Sparrows, Roseate Terns, American Oystercatchers and many other Connecticut species,” said Thomas R. Baptist, vice president and executive director of Audubon Connecticut (not to be confused with Connecticut Audubon). “These threats are not only to the birds themselves but also to the habitats they depend upon and to the benefits that those habitats (coastal marshes and beaches) provide to the people of Connecticut.”

Mr. Baptist said Saltmarsh Sparrows, Roseate Terns and American Oystercatchers are among the most sought-after of Connecticut’s birds in the wildlife related ecotourism industry in the state, “which according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service contributes over $500,000,000 annually to the economy of Connecticut.”

“The birds that people from other parts of the world come to Connecticut to see are precisely the species most at risk from the effects of rising sea levels and climate change,” he said.  “The habitats upon which they depend are also extremely important for outdoor recreation, including fishing and for flood prevention and clean water.”

“Birds are excellent indicators of the health of our environment, and right now they are telling us an important story about climate change,” said Dr. Kenneth Rosenberg, director of Conservation Science at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

“The dangers to these birds reflect risks to everything we value: our health, our finances, our quality of life and the stability of our natural world,” said National Audubon’s Glenn Olson. “But if we can help the birds weather a changing climate, we can help ourselves.”

“We can reduce the impact of climate change by taking immediate action to reduce carbon emissions and find creative conservation solutions to help birds adapt to the changes that are already in process,” said David Pashley, vice president of the American Bird Conservancy.

Details on this report are at stateofthebirds.org.

Coming up

Connecticut Ornithological Association annual meeting, four top speakers on all things ornithological, Saturday, March 20, 8 to 4, Chapman Hall, Middlesex Community College campus in Middletown, ctbirding.org

Woodcock Watch, search for one of the rites of spring, Saturday, March 20, 6:45-7:45 p.m. Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, RSVP 203-869-5272 x221, Greenwich.audubon.org

Bird Watching Basics, introduction to the science of ornithology, Saturday, April 10, 9:30 to noon, $12 adults, kids free, Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, RSVP 203-869-5272 x239, Greenwich.audubon.org

Migration & Early Spring Migrants, workshop, Saturday, April 17, 9:30 to noon, $12 adults, kids free, Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, RSVP 203-869-5272 x239, Greenwich.audubon.org

Spring migration bird walks, rain or shine, at 7 a.m., about 90 minutes, Wednesdays April 7, 14, 21, 28, May 5, 12, 19, 26, at Fairchild Garden, meet in parking area on North Porchuck Road; Saturdays, April 3, 10, 17, 24, May 1, 15, 22, at Audubon Greenwich, meet in main parking area; Audubon Greenwich, 613 Riversville Road, 203- 869-5272 x230, Greenwich.audubon.org.

Saturday Morning Bird Walks with Luke Tiller; to register, sunrisebirding.com/walks.htm; 203- 453-6724, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

First Sundays, birding at Greenwich Point with Meredith Sampson of Wild Wings, and other guides, 203-637-9822.

Copyright 2010 by Jack Sanders. Send sightings or comments to: jackfsanders [at sign] yahoo.com, or to Bird Notes, Box 1019, Ridgefield, CT 06877; or call 203-438-1183, extension BIRD (2473), and leave a message with your report, spelling your first and last names and telling us your town. If you need help identifying a bird, try your local nature center. If you find an injured bird, call wildlife rehabilitator Darlene Wimbrow of Redding, 203-438-0618, Wildlife in Crisis of Weston, 203-544-9913, or Wild Wings of Greenwich, 203-637-9822. The columnist’s website is www. sandersbooks. com.

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites