Bird Migration

According to the Audubon Society study, as the average temperatures in the U.S. rises, birds are staying more northward than previously in the winter seasons. The researchers believe that this is evidence that climate change is having an affect beyond the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

More than half the U.S. bird species are spending winters farther north than they did 40 years ago and the average temperature rose about 5 degrees Fahrenheit during that time frame.

The Audubon Society will consider other factors when continuing their research such as habitat loss, insect spawning patterns, and changes in vegetation. Yet, their belief is that climate change is the most reasonable explanation for so many species of birds shifting northward in the U.S. during the last 40 years.