BIRDS across the United States have adopted a troubling habit that, if continued, could have devastating consequences for human society. Researchers have discovered that birds are abandoning their usual migrations because warmer temperatures in their winter habitats are disrupting annual migrations, writes the Daily Mail .
While postponing the annual migration south may not seem like a big problem, visiting scientist from Cornell University, Andrew Farnsworth, warned that it could lead to the extinction of many bird species and drastic changes in nature.
Important role in the ecosystem
Birds play a crucial role for humans, helping to control pests, disperse seeds, and pollinate plants. About five percent of the plants that humans use for food and medicine depend on birds as pollinators. If more and more birds become extinct because they cannot find enough food due to changing seasons, food production declines, and the natural balance is disrupted.
When birds die out en masse, it quickly affects pollination of tropical plants such as bananas, coffee and cocoa, from which chocolate is made. Medicinal plants, including orchids and some types of aloe, could also experience declines, limiting access to natural medicines. If bird populations continue to decline, farmers could face challenges in growing food, which could increase costs and affect food availability around the world.
Alarming data
Farnsworth, an ecologist and migration expert, found that rising temperatures in places like the Arctic, along with problems like wildfires, are making it harder for birds to survive. The National Audubon Society has warned that 389 North American bird species are at risk of extinction within the next 50 years.
This non-profit organization notes that these species make up almost two-thirds of the species studied and could lose more than half of their habitats by 2080. Additionally, a study by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology found that approximately three billion birds have disappeared in North America since 1970.
Climate change as the main culprit
The main driver of this mass extinction is habitat loss, exacerbated by climate change, pesticides and other human impacts like urban development. “There’s a very close connection between where birds are on the planet and what’s happening with climate and weather,” Farnsworth told NBC Connecticut.
Rising global temperatures have changed the rhythm of the seasons, causing birds to leave their nests earlier or later than usual. This can mean they arrive at breeding or feeding sites when food such as insects or plants are not yet available. As a result, birds can starve, have difficulty finding shelter and mates, leading to population declines.
Endangered species as an example
Several species in the US have already been affected by these changes, including Setophaga caerulescens , C alidris canutus , and Catharus ustulatus .
Populations of the species Setophaga caerulescens have declined due to lack of food during migration. The population of the shorebird Calidris canutus has declined by about 75 percent as Arctic warming and rising sea levels have disrupted breeding and feeding sites. The Catharus ustulatus is becoming extinct due to habitat loss caused by forest fires.
“We see birds following climate change, and clearly some are able to adapt, but it’s a challenge for those who can’t,” Farnsworth explained. The researchers also noted that people feeding birds is exacerbating the problem, as it reduces their desire to migrate and attracts predators that then hunt them.
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