Birds adapting to climate change

[alfredo]

http://www.wired.com/2014/09/bird-map-climate-change/

"Climate change is going to leave a lot of birds looking for new flight patterns. Scientists expect that the migratory ranges of many birds will be profoundly altered as weather patterns shift. The ranges of less adaptable birds will shrink. Species that are more flexible will be able to carve out niches in new areas.

A new report by the Audubon Society modeled habitat suitability for 314 of North America’s at-risk bird species under several different climate scenarios. In each case, the authors balanced the bird’s biology and behavior with predicted changes to the North American landscape. Some birds, like the tree swallow, should fare relatively well (see the illustration below). Others, not so much: Climate change could make the Chesapeake Bay inhospitable for orioles, or Minnesota a bad place for loons. The study’s authors were kind enough to share some of their data so I could explore how climate change might affect some of my favorite species."

Zoomable maps in article.