California Ponders Bird Migration Changes

CBS Evening News: Scientists Find That Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Makes Dramatic Difference For Birds

(CBS)  Near San Francisco, Tuesday was a perfect day for bird watching.

But for bird watchers, something confusing has been going on for years - bird species have increasingly been showing up where they don't seem to belong, reports CBS News correspondent John Blackstone.

Now scientists with the Audubon Society have taken four decades of bird-sighting records and found that some species like the house finch and the Steller's Jay have moved their winter homes hundreds of miles north.

In those same 40 years, the average January temperature in the United States has risen by almost five degrees.

As the temperatures have gone up the birds have gone north. Since the 1960s some species have changed their winter destination more than 400 miles.

Of 305 species studied more than half had moved north an average of 35 miles.

"It's a very strong indication that global warming is not something that's remote," said Reg Butcher of the National Audubon Society. "It's something that's been with us for the last 40 years."

In California, Audubon scientists went beyond bird movement to look for solutions. They found that reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming can make a dramatic difference for many birds.

"California can really lead the way on this, but ultimately it's gonna have to be a global solution that we're looking at," said William Monahan of Audubon California.

While birds are moving to adapt to global warming Audubon scientists say climate change may be coming too quickly for some to survive.

As average January temperatures rose more than 5°F in the continental U.S. over the past 40 years (left), the mean latitude marking the center of abundance for 305 North American bird species has moved 35 miles north during the same time.

(National Audubon Society)

[rf35]

So the birds are moving farther north...what do greenhouse gas emissions have to do with that? The article mentioned the natural phenomenon of global warming. This sounds right to me, but has nothing whatsoever to do with man-made emissions.

[observer2020]

everlaw01: Exactly! Can''t say anything else. Very well said.

[perceptions5]

"CBS Evening News: Scientists Find That Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Makes Dramatic Difference For Birds "

........ JESUS! I''ve heard it all now..........

What a fairytale...............

[everlaw01]

When the rest of the world, and i mean everybody else, is on board, I''ll be willing to discuss reducing pollution.

It''s like the old days....every liberal in America wanted us to give up our nukes....but no one was protesting in Russia...

We didn''t give up our nukes, I grew up and now have 2 children. I am not willing to place the burden of "cleaning up" this planet by having only America shelve 200 years of progress while countries like India, China and Russia continue to pollute without consequences.....

[smurfcrusher]

"Many temperatures are being measured in cities, which proves cities act like a heat sink. How do you explain the people freezing to death in Kentucky or freezing temperatures in Florida this winter?"

Posted by andylance1

Yeah, good point. So I guess Australian records -weren''t- smashed by 120 degree temperatures, and wildfires -didn''t- cook people to death as they drive away from the flames.

Oh, and that an Australian study identified that particular areas as one likely to be impacted by more severe than usual fires because of global warming.

Republicans just love to stick their head in the sand, and don''t have enough sense to pull it out before the tide drowns them.

[rovingrep]

Weather and Climate are two different things. The relative mean temperature worldwide is rising. That''s Climate. The weather has become rather freakish, due to excessive energy in the Climate system, so some people freeze and others roast. You''ll also see hundred year Weather events become more commonplace as extremes become the "norm" the more energy the Climate system has to work with. That''s why global warming is a big deal. Most of the species on the planet don''t have nice homes they can go into to protect them when things aren''t to their liking, and not all humans have nice homes either. (Come to think of it, seems like *most* humans don''t have it so nice.)

[rushlimpdrug]

Indeed, something very strange is going on.

Why I found shrimp on my plate in Arizona.

Imagine that, shrimp in Arizona.

Fried shrimp at that.

[andylance1]

Are the swallows still going to San Juan Capistrano or are they going to Santa Barbara instead? What a bunch of baloney!

Many temperatures are being measured in cities, which proves cities act like a heat sink. How do you explain the people freezing to death in Kentucky or freezing temperatures in Florida this winter?