UK bird populations already impacted by climate change

Climate change is already reshaping UK bird populations, with upland birds and seabirds facing steep declines while warmer-weather species expand northwards, according to a new report by the RSPB and British Trust for Ornithology. Puffins are among seabirds at risk due to climate change Rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and more frequent extreme weather events are already affecting UK bird populations, according to the RSPB and British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). Birds that live in moorlands and uplands, and seabirds face steep declines in their numbers, while some southern species are expanding their ranges. The findings came in a new report from the charities. Upland species such as Dotterel and Golden Plover are facing deteriorating habitat conditions linked to changing soil moisture levels. Climate change will continue to affect the UK’s birds, both through extreme weather events and the harder-to-detect effects. Meanwhile, seabirds including Puffin and Arctic Tern are being impacted by warming seas, reduced food availability and greater exposure to storms. The report warns that if greenhouse gas emissions continue at high levels, some seabird populations could decline by more than 80% by 2050. These losses are likely to be compounded by other ongoing pressures such as habitat loss and human disturbance, the charities warned. Warning signs 'impossible to ignore' Katie-Jo Luxton the RSPB’s director of conservation said: “Climate change is already reshaping the UK’s birdlife, and the warning signs are impossible to ignore. “Without urgent conservation action, upland birds and seabirds will continue to face rapid declines, while species from the south push northward as temperatures rise,” she said. Related article Europe’s skies are becoming increasingly empty: scientists warn that 600 million birds have disappeared This shift is happening quickly, and protected areas and land in between will become vital spaces for birds as the climate continues to change, she added. However, these landscapes and the areas that connect them are already under mounting pressure from development and change in land use, she warned. Little egrets are expanding the areas they inhabit as the climate warms Southern species are expanding as the climate warms In contrast, birds in the south who are more adapted to warmer conditions are faring better. Milder winters and improved breeding conditions are enabling species such as Cetti’s Warbler and Little Egret to increase rapidly in both range and numbers across the UK. However, though this sounds positive, those that are able to adapt are increasingly displacing those that are not, they warned. Climate change is also altering the winter distributions of waterbirds. Areas favoured by many Arctic-breeding species’ during winter are shrinking as birds no longer need to cross the North Sea to find favourable conditions. Birds such as Bewick’s Swan and Goldeneye, a species of duck, are examples of those whose UK population is falling due to this. BTO’s director of Science, Prof James Pearce-Higgins, said: “This report highlights how climate change will continue to affect the UK’s birds, both through extreme weather events and the harder-to-detect effects that cascade through complex ecological communities.”