Bird Species and Climate Change

This WWF report produced by Climate Risk Pty Ltd, provides a global analysis of current and future impacts of climate change on birds. The report reviews more than 200 research reports to assemble a clear and consistent picture of climatic risk to this important animal group, illustrated with numerous examples and case studies.

The report notes that the degree of global warming is the most fundamental variable that will determine future impacts on birds. This depends on: 1) the sensitivity of the climate to current and future greenhouse gas concentrations, and 2) the extent and speed of greenhouse gas emissions increases or reductions.

Having served as reliable indicators of environmental change for centuries, birds now indicate that global warming has set in motion a powerful chain of effects in ecosystems worldwide. As this report shows, robust evidence demonstrates that climate change is affecting birds’ behaviour - with some migratory birds even failing to migrate at all. Furthermore, new research reveals a trend of escalating impacts that already impairs some birds’ ability to reproduce or even survive, findings which indicate that a march toward a major bird extinction may be underway. Looking to the future, the report includes projections of major population declines for many bird species and high rates of extinction in some zones.