CLIMATE CHANGE AND BIRDS

 

CLIMATE CHANGE AND BIRDS 

314 species of birds will be seriously threatened by climate change by the end of this century.

Dramatic climate change such as famine producing droughts, killer floods ,  out- of -control forest fires, desertification of fertile lands,  melting of the polar caps,  soaring  record- breaking  temperatures, increase in the  number of deadly and property destroying weather events such as hurricane, tornadoes, cyclones, massive mud slides, freezing rain, and snow blizzards affect all birds in different ways.

v It can greatly affect bird distribution in specific area.

v  It can modify the birds’ behaviour.

v Their numbers can be dramatically reduced.

v And even their genetic composition can be altered.

v The timing of year when birds migrate and when they breed can be drastically altered depending on the severity of the change in climate.

v Birds are affected directly in a negative way if rainfall is suddenly reduced in a specific area or if there is a dramatic decline or increase in the temperature.

v And as the climate changes in significant ways, birds may face increase pressure from parasites, new diseases, and predators to which they have not been able to adapt quickly enough.

v Birds will also be increasingly and negatively impacted as more and more forest fires rage out of control for months and months, leaving behind a bare and blackened wasteland. Today birds are one of the best studied groups of organisms. The data is already available clearly showing the devastating effects of climate change on birds.

Help our feathered friends by joining any of the following-

1.  NATURE BARRIE - naturebarrie.com

2.  York Simcoe Nature Club –ysnatureclub.com

3.  NATURE CANADA - naturecanda.ca

4.   ONTARIO NATURE - info@ontarionature.org

Specific Ways Birds Have Been Affected by Climate Change

Egg laying

One large-scale study showed that birds are laying eggs up at an average rate of 6.6 days earlier per decade.

 Migration Times

Most birds are migrating earlier in the spring as spring temperatures are getting warmer.

A study of 63 years of data for 96 species of bird migrants in Canada showed that 27 species have changed their arrival dates significantly.

 Birds also seem to be delaying their autumn departure due to global warming.

 In a study of 13 North American passerines, 6 species were found to delay their departure dates.

Some birds in Europe are even failing to migrate all together.

Bird behaviour and their environment are becoming mismatched

Much of a bird’s life cycle and behaviour is closely linked to cues from the environment, like changing seasons. A mismatch occurs when birds cannot shift their behaviour, such as breeding times, enough to coincide with changes in environment, such as when prey is available.

Long-distance migrants are particularly at risk of a mismatch as it is harder for them to know what conditions might be like at the end of the migration route. For example, wood warblers in North America aren’t migrating earlier from their neo-tropical wintering grounds, despite earlier springs in their northern breeding ranges – this risks a late arrival, after spring food sources on breeding grounds are gone.

Distributions are changing

As climate continues to change, bird populations are expected to shift toward the North and to higher elevations to remain with their ideal temperatures.

 

A study of 35 North American warbler species found that 7 of the species had shifted their range of occurrence significantly north in the past 24 years, by an average of over 100 km.  None of the birds shifted to the south.

 

The Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas data demonstrates that “southern” bird species such as Tufted Titmouse, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Northern Mockingbird, and Red-bellied Woodpecker have increased in number and have expanded their range northwards in Ontario compared to 20 years ago.

Unfortunately, not all bird populations are able to cope with a warming climate by shifting their range. Migrating bird may be prevented from finding new ranges by human development, fragmentation, or natural geological features like large bodies of water.

 

  At least 85 of the worlds breeding species breed in the global Arctic regions. Since warming is occurring at an alarming rate in the Arctic, birds breeding here are particularly vulnerable. The loss of vast areas of tundra and sea ice will have devastating effects on Arctic birds; especially, Ivory Gulls which forage along the sea shore.  

Ecological communities are disrupted

Entire ecological communities can be drastically altered by climate change. The food, shelter, nesting material that birds depend on may have diminished or disappeared making birds very vulnerable to prey, parasites, competitors, and predators.  

Thick-billed Murree breeding in the northern Hudson Bay area have not been able to adapt higher temperatures and higher volumes of mosquitoes breeding earlier. This double whammy- climate- induced scenario has resulted in greater adult mortality and higher egg loss.

 

As the climate continues to transform in northern Manitoba and southwestern Ontario we may end up with 14 fewer species of warblers than currently are in existence in 2016. Since the web of life is intricately interconnected, the loss of many species can have serious consequences. In this case of warblers, we may experience increased outbreaks of forest pests such as the spruce budworm.

 

Tufted Puffins at Canadian sites are dangerously affected by global warming.  When water is at its warmest their breeding success is near zero! As waters continue to warm, year after year, Scott Island will become completely unsuitable as a breeding ground for Tufted Puffins.

Scott Island is the largest breeding ground in Canada for this species!

 

Extinction risks are on the rise

The birds,  which are most at risk for disappearing form our Earth forever,  are those  with restricted ranges, poor ability to move their range, small populations, or those already threatened for any number of reasons.

Migratory birds, which they depend on multiple habitats and sites, are particularly vulnerable to climate change effects.

 

HOW CAN I HELP PROTECT BIRDS FROM THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

·          Join Nature Canada

 Nature Canada supports community-based bird conservation programs across Canada to promote local stewardship and restoration efforts. Since 1996, Nature Canada has supported more than 150 grassroots projects and invested close to $450,000 in on-the-ground projects involving 100 Important Bird Areas.

Nature Canada fought vigorously to bring Bill C-15 into law to ensure shipping companies and their ships are held accountable if they illegally dump bilge oil in Canadian waters. The new law protects birds from chronic oil pollution at sea and could prevent the deaths of some 300,000 seabirds annually off the coast of Newfoundland alone.

The Boreal forest region contains crucial breeding habitat for 80% of the waterfowl species of North America, 63% of the finch species, and 53% of warbler species. To protect the boreal for all birds, Nature Canada is a member of the Boreal Forest Conservation Framework, a made-in-Canada effort to balance conservation and development in Canada’s Boreal region. We are working to ensure endangered birds are saved and common birds stay common.

As climate change progresses, many birds could be forced to shift their ranges out of traditional areas. Where will they go? Nature Canada is a strong advocate for the need to designate and protect new areas of habitat for birds as they attempt to adapt to our changing climate, not just relying on static networks of existing protected areas.

·          Join Nature Ontario

Species

Ontario is a vast province, rich in biodiversity. Yet every year, more plants and animals are added to Ontario’s list of species at risk, which now numbers more than 200. These species are known to be in danger of becoming extinct or of disappearing from the province. In response, Ontario Nature is actively involved in research, public education and policy work on their behalf.

Research

Ontario Nature collaborates with a variety of stakeholders on species at risk research including government, farmers, naturalists and private landowners. For example, we promote Safe Harbour stewardship agreements. We produce publications that inform conservation strategies for endangered wildlife and habitats. We also provide opportunities for volunteers to be involved in direct, hands-on citizen science initiatives through projects like the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario and the ongoing Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas project.

     Policy

For decades Ontario Nature has been at the forefront of efforts to protect species at risk through strong legislation, regulations and policy. Since the Endangered Species Act was passed in 2007, Ontario Nature has been advising the government on implementation and on innovative solutions to difficult issues through public consultations, and through participation on the Species at Risk Program Advisory Committee and the Bobolink Round Table. In 2013, we took the provincial government to court for unlawfully gutting Ontario’s Endangered Species Act. That case is still before the courts.

Public Education

Ontario Nature promotes public awareness of and engagement in the conservation of all wildlife – including species at risk – through public presentations, workshops, and outreach materials. Ontario Nature also publishes articles on species at risk in our award-winning magazine, ON Nature.

 

 

 

 

·        Join Nature Barrie

The Brereton Field Naturalists' Club (Nature Barrie) of Barrie is a group of friendly people who enjoy and work to protect our natural heritage. Their aims are to acquire and share knowledge of natural history, to protect wildlife, and to stimulate public interest in nature and its preservation.

The Breretons advocate the protection of significant green spaces and corridors in the planning process for our high-growth region. Little Lake, a provincially significant wetland, is also a high priority. They monitor and advise the city on the management of its woodlands bordering Little Lake.

In addition, they  work with the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority to manage Minesing Wetlands, an international Ramsar site and provincially significant wetland complex, support MTM Conservation Association in managing provincial wildlife areas at Marl Lake, Tiny Marsh and Matchedash Bay (another Ramsar site), and support local Rails-to-Trails organizations.

Visitors are welcome to their meetings and field trips which include birding, wildflowers, scenic trails, reptiles, mushrooms, insects, fossils, stargazing, potluck meals, etc.

The Blue Heron newsletter reports on club activities and provides information on local natural history.

The Brereton Field Naturalists' Club was named for Dr. Brereton, a local dentist who was born in Schomberg in 1876.

Dr. Brereton, was one of Canada’s outstanding amateur ornithologist. He played a key role in building up the Royal Ontario Museum’s bird collection.

 His interest in ornithology began with visits to Algonquin Park. This interest soon resulted in a connection with the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. Later, he gained distinction as Director of the Federation of Ontario Naturalists.

He wrote many notes on a wide variety of subjects for the Canadian Field Naturalist and for the Barrie Examiner. He also supplied a great quantity of notes and valuable specimens for the Ontario Museum collections. He was a collaborator with Ott Devitt in the publication of “Birds of Simcoe County”, and also contributed notes to the Toronto Field Naturalist’ Club.

 

 

·        Become involved in tree planting  initiatives

For the first time in history we are facing a global crisis triggered by climate change. In the last few years we have observed  first hand or read about the devastating effects of climate change such as property destroying and killer  floods, ( witnessed first -hand in May 2017 in Ontario and Montreal) out-of-control forest fires, scorching temperatures, (new records are set daily)  drought-producing famines, rising sea levels, the acidifications of our oceans,  the desertification of fertile farmlands, melting tundra,  (produces vast amounts of methane gas) and polar caps melting at alarming rates. 

    The easiest, most effective, and least expensive way to help mitigate the destructive effects of climate change is to plant as many trees as possible. 

The roots of one mature tree can absorb a staggering 57 thousand gallons of water-a great sponge for reducing the damaging effects of flooding.

     BFNC is a key community partner with Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, with a   mandate to plant native coniferous and deciduous trees in the Barrie area.  The autumn tree planting will be announced soon.
Gwen Petreman convinced a local chiropractor to donate his yearly Charity Day to BFNC to add to the LSRCA tree planting fund. Three community groups received donations from this chiropractic team, including, $1, 100 for BFNC’s Tree Planting partnership with LSCRA.

The Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority also spearheads tree planting projects in the Barrie area.

Check out their tree planting dates by visiting: http://www.nvca.on.ca/about/careers-volunteers

·        Plant as many trees as possible on your property.

My property consists of a small courtyard, so I have been planting standard trees that take up more air space and less land space.

·        Feed our feathered friends

Feed the birds, especially in winter, by installing your favourite squirrel-proof bird feeders on your property.

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