The Effects of Climate Change on Migratory Birds

Global Warming is making our temperatures and ocean levels to rise at a rapid rate (Carey 3321). This behavior has become a threat to our biodiversity. Biodiversity is defined as the basis of all life on planet earth. The term biodiversity has become a popular topic today because people are beginning to understand the importance of biodiversity. Moreover, rapid climate change is putting species at risk of extinction because these species cannot adapt to such rapid changes in a short amount of time. Biodiversity is a broad-topic, therefore in this paper, I will focus on the effects of climate change on migratory birds, with emphasis on how climate change is affecting bird’s migration and their breeding habitats.

The Earth temperature is rising rapidly and due to rapid climate change, birds have shifted their migration pattern. Some birds have delayed their departure, and other birds have arrived earlier or later to their end destination (Carey 3325). Climate change is especially affecting birds in Europe. The Pied Flycatcher is a long distance migrant bird that lives in South Africa during the winter and migrates to Europe to find a breeding site (Coppack & Both 371). Climate change has changed the timing of migration of these birds. If they arrive too early to their breeding ground, they may face starvation. On the other hand, if they arrive too late, their chances of finding a partner to reproduce with are slim (371). In fact, about 30 bird species in Central Europe have delayed their departure time in the fall, and in the spring, they have arrived earlier than their normal arrival time (Carey 3326). When extreme weather hits, birds tend to migrate to a more comfortable place (Coppack and Both 369) because birds are highly sens...

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