Birds and Climate Change

The Audubon Christmas Bird Counts have been gathering data on birds and their locations for the past 40 years.  This citizen science initiative has given scientists a good look at birds and their historic as well as their current ranges.  The scientists have found that 60% of the 305 North American bird species have moved their ranges northward by an average of 35 miles.  The Christmas Bird Counts have documented this northern shift.  The reason for this northward shift is simple, global warming.  Our natural systems and wildlife are being affected by the climate change. 

Some species like the Purple Finch and Wild Turkey have moved over 400 miles northward.  Others like the Marbled Murrelet, Ring-billed Gull, Red-breasted Merganser, and Spruce Grouse have moved over 300 miles to the north.  As they become more common to the north, they become less common in their historic ranges to the south.

The birds that are able to adapt and make the change northward are the lucky ones.  Of the grassland species, only 38% seem to be making the northward move.  If there is no suitable habitat for them to move to they may not survive.  Species such as the Burrowing Owl, Eastern & Western Meadowlarks, and Vesper Sparrows have nowhere to go and these species are in decline.

All of us can help avoid the worst impacts of climate change.  We can decrease our energy usage, switch to clean energy, & plant for wildlife in our own yards.  We can urge our political leaders to take immediate action to curb greenhouse gas emissions.   We can be active in promoting conservation of wildlife habitats.

Everglades Headwaters NWR & Conservation Area comments again needed!

In the April 2011 Wingspan, you read about the proposed Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area.  This proposal has gone past the public scoping meetings, receiving thousands of comments in favor of the project.  The next step, the Draft Land Protection Plan and Environmental Assessment is now available for comment.  Please email your comment in favor of proceeding with the creation of the Everglades Headwaters NWR & Conservation Area Alternative C to EvergladesHeadwatersProposal@fws.gov before Nov 25, 2011.  Why?  Much of this area is used by the beautiful Swallow-tailed Kites and Crested Caracara as well as many other threatened upland bird species.  This new Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area will create a much needed wildlife corridor that will benefit Florida’s birds.  For more information see the April 2011 Wingspan archived at www.stpeteaudubon.org or go to www.fws.gov/southeast/ and click on the link for Everglades Headwaters NWR.  (The extension to the comment period was requested by local hunting groups, so we all need to speak up.) 

Learning the facts about Climate Change can get pretty serious.  For something fun and different, test your bird-related climate knowledge at National Audubon’s Climate Change.

Quiz: http://web4.audubon.org/bird/bacc/quiz.php

http://web4.audubon.org/bird/bacc/WhatUCanDo.html

New Solar-Thermal Power Plant Comes Online in Martin County

Audubon of Florida Executive Director Eric Draper was a featured speaker at the opening of FPL’s newest solar energy installment, located in Martin County. The array features over 190,000 mirrors that concentrate the sun’s rays by 80%. That heat is then used to boil water, which in turn creates steam that is used to generate 75 megawatts of power, or enough to serve 11,000 Florida homes.

Besides being 75 million dollars under budget, the new plant is the first in the world to be hooked up to an existing natural gas power plant and will save customers an estimated $178 million in fuel costs over its lifetime.

Congratulations Florida – it can be done!

• Reduce global warming pollution 80 percent by 2050;
• Repower America by moving us toward a 100 percent clean energy future;
• Reduce our dependence on oil by half;
• Invest in the clean energy economy of tomorrow; and
• Help birds, wildlife and ecosystems adapt.