OCTOBER 11, 2019
Warmer temperatures linked to climate change are having a big impact on the breeding habits of one of Australia's most recognisable bird species, according to researchers at The Australian National University (ANU).
The study looked at the breeding season of superb fairy-wrens living in the Australian National Botanic Gardens in Canberra.
The research was led by Dr. Lei Lv, who is visiting ANU from Sun Yat-sen University in China.
Dr. Lv says warmer temperatures in early spring mean the birds will start breeding earlier than they normally would. If temperatures rise too high in mid-summer, they will also finish breeding earlier.
"Fairy-wrens have a very long breeding season which usually runs from around September through to February," Dr. Lv said.
"The timing varies a lot among individuals and from year-to-year. We wanted to see if this variation was connected to changes in climate.
"It turns out if the minimum night-time temperatures are milder, the birds will start breeding earlier.
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