Cornell Lab of Ornithology research ecologist Frank La Sorte developed computer models of predicted changes in climate for every week of the year in the Western Hemisphere. These models were then overlaid with weekly estimates of abundance for 77 migratory bird species that fly between breeding grounds in North America and non-breeding grounds in Mexico and Central America. La Sorte used bird observations from the eBird citizen-science database, an online program run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
La Sorte's research pinpointed a period in late summer in the temperate zone of North America when the climate is projected to be significantly different from the historical norm. That change in climate, La Sorte says, could affect insect and plant communities, which in turn would threaten food resources for migratory birds during the crucial stage when they're bulking up and layering on fat reserves to fuel their autumn migration journey.
Most at-risk, La Sorte says, would be eastern migratory birds that fly greater distances and require large fuel reserves, and the juvenile birds that just hatched a few months earlier and are undertaking their first migration—a hazardous journey that can be extremely energetically taxing.
"Using bird observations from eBird, our study provides an unprecedented level of spatial and temporal detail, allowing us to identify locations and times when migratory bird populations may be at particular risk under future climate change," said La Sorte. "This information is important because it advances our understanding of the unique challenges migratory birds are likely to face in the future, and where and when the application of conservation efforts may achieve the greatest benefits."
On Tuesday, April 3, 2018 at 5:29:12 PM UTC-4, cathie...@gmail.com wrote:
Hi Jeff and all,
How do you think swallows are faring in central Maine?
I realize tree swallows can eat some fruit that has overwintered when they first arrive...good thing!
in recent years it has seemed like our swallows have had their timing off, compared to the insects they'd like to eat.
I remember years when hundreds of swallows, multiple species, would be hawking fresh hatched insects from the Kennebec River and Cobbossee stream just in time to feed their young, but I haven't seen that lately.
Last spring I was birding along Cobbossee Stream in May when a mayfly-type hatch occurred and there wasn't a single swallow enjoying it.
I know this lack of synchronicity is happening in some parts of the world/country due to climate change, and not in others.
How do you think our part of the world is doing?
Cathie
On Tuesday, April 3, 2018 at 12:33:47 PM UTC-4, Jeff Wells wrote:Numbers of Tree Swallows coursing over the Cobbossee Stream and nearby in downtown Gardiner have continued to grow so that there are at least 50 here at mid-day. An Osprey was sitting on the favored perch near the bridge next to Dunkin Donuts in Gardiner this morning as well.Jeff Wells
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