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Global Warming is the hot topic of the decade, if not the century, and we have had predictions ranging from doomsday is nigh to prominent Western leaders naysaying the entire hypothesis. The truth is...well, that is the hard part: there is no absolute truth, only predictions from learned people and highly sophisticated computer global climate simulation models. What we do know: global warming is caused by green house gases (carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour, ozone and nitrous oxide), which absorb heat radiated from the earth, which would otherwise end up in outer space. This phenomenon is necessary to life on earth, or it would be darned cold here! But (there is always a but isn't there?) human activities are pumping 6 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide alone per year into the atmosphere; this does not even include noteworthy amounts of methane and water vapour also contributed by our frenetic activities. We do also know the climate is indeed changing, and the earth's atmosphere is definitely warming up. So what does this have to do with birding, you ask? Weeeell according to a publication of the 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species of birds, one in eight bird species is threatened with extinction due to global warming. Global warming is not the only contributing factor as habitat fragmentation, alteration and even destruction is also a major contributing factor. How does global warming affect bird species you ask? Food sources for birds will be altered, in other words plants, fruit, insects etc. which are a source of food for birds may not weather the change in temperature or rainfall amounts. The birds themselves may not be able to adapt to higher temperatures and migratory birds may find their stop over places for food and shelter e.g. wetlands, have “dried up”. For now it is all about educated guesses and, yes, the future is somewhat uncertain for our feathered friends. But (and there are also good "buts") it's not all bad news. Some bird species are already showing signs of adapting to a changing climate. According to studies revealed in National Geographic News, the Great Tit in the UK is "adjusting their breeding schedule each year to coincide with caterpillar abundance." Interestingly enough the same species in Holland was not following suit. So the outlook is both somewhat sobering and if I may stick my neck out here, interesting.... things are going to change, make no mistake, just how much remains to be seen. Will I be standing on the sidelines watching? No way!!! I will follow the precautionary principle and do my bit toward 1) reducing my carbon footprint and 2) actively encouraging preservation of the remaining undisturbed areas which are home to birds and other creatures as well as voicing my disapproval of any activity which endangers the survival of bird habitats...you just never know, mine may be the voice that sways the final decision 
photo by Andre Botha A Tawny Eagle, one of the bird species which may face local extinction due to global warming.
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at Saturday, 24 May 2008 12:42
I for one am fearing the idea of Global Warming becoming more than just a prediction... So little delicate lives hang on the balance of adapting or losing their lives e.g. the swallows that died while migrating over Limpopo... After all, if bird species do die out, I wouldn't have a future job that I would really enjoy!
2Comment
at Sunday, 08 June 2008 16:03
Candice, I dont think a mass extinction is likely, unless of course we push green house gas content in the atmosphere to the threshhold level (and no, we have no idea what that level is) BUT we do need to use less, buy less, recycle, reuse...we all know the rap by now ;-)
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