Birding: Despite climate change, one habitat critical for breeding birds is mostly intact

Posted April 14

We need to preserve the North American Boreal Forest.

BY HERB WILSON

Earth Day, which is a week from Monday, serves as a reminder to all of us to redouble our efforts at minimizing our impacts on this globe and do what we can to help the millions of species with which we share this Earth.

Climate change represents one of the most dramatic changes our world is experiencing. The timing of various biological and meteorological events attests to our altered climate. Ice-out on our lakes is earlier now, as is the first appearance of leaves on many of our trees, the first flowers of many plants, the first singing of spring peepers, and the spring-time arrival of migratory breeding birds.

We are also seeing the northward expansion of the ranges of many mobile species. Turkey vultures, red-bellied woodpeckers, tufted titmice and Carolina wrens are all well established in Maine now but were rarities 40 years ago.

Climate change, habitat fragmentation and pollution collectively challenge the survival and successful reproduction of many birds. Birdlife International finds that 1,469 of the roughly 10,000 bird species are in danger of extinction. That’s one of every seven species.

Continued