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A change at the bird feeder
Going Green
Going Green: A change at the bird feeder
You may soon notice a change of clientele at your birdfeeder because of climate change. New York State's bird population is changing as birds from the Mid-Atlantic States move north and New York birds shift north into Canada.
New research documents birds like the red-bellied woodpecker and the Carolina wren are moving north.
"But the real signal came out with these northerly species, species that are more common in Canada and other parts of the northeastern United States and their southern range boundary is moving northward as well at a much faster clip I'd say,” said Dr. Benjamin Zuckerberg, SUNY ESF.
Dr. Benjamin Zuckerberg says it appears a nearly 1-degree Celsius increase in average temperatures over the past 30 years is pushing birds like the Nashville warbler and the pine siskin farther north into Canada.
Dr. William Porter worked with Zuckerberg comparing the bird census taken in New York in the early 80s with the census taken in 2000 and 2005.
"There are wide spectrum changes that are occurring and those changes are occurring in a relatively short span of time. We're not talking centuries, we're talking decades,” said Dr. William Porter, SUNY ESF.
They focused on 83 species of birds that have traditionally bred in New York and found northern movement in nearly all of them.
"And so when you put all these things together, you're starting to get this puzzle that potentially climate change could be affecting these populations but to really get down to it and determine whether it's habitat loss or reforestation New York State, this is much bigger issue, trying to dissect that mechanism is something we're still working on."
"New York citizens need to recognize that these changes are occurring. Whether they are good or bad, whether they should be addressed, whether we should adapt to them, whether we should try to mitigate some of this, those are questions that really, rightfully, belong in the political arena."
