These State Birds May Be Forced Out of Their States as the World Warms

Each day, Trump and his Republicans act to make our planet less & less inhabitable for our children and grandchildren. The window of opportunity to effectively mitigate Climate Change is rapidly disappearing. The remaining 2020 Democratic Candidates will try to cut & paste portions of Governor Jay Inslee’s comprehensive & actionable Climate Change Mitigation Plan. We must go with the Real Deal. The winning Democratic Party 2020 Ticket: President Warren (build a green economy) + Vice President Inslee (save a blue planet)! W+IN 2020!

About 15 years ago I was fishing with my father, about 10 miles off the NJ coast. The weather deteriorated and we decided to head in. Shortly after getting going, a flock of goldfinches appeared out of nowhere and landed in various places around our very small 21 foot boat. There were at least 40 of them! There were 4 of them on the top of the steering wheel, and with every course correction they would shimmy to the left of the right, inches from my hand, to maintain their safe footing. Several took refuge behind the windshield. As well I'm pretty sure we each had a bird or two on our shoulders. After a while land came in sight, however our newfound cargo chose to disembark only after breaching the entrance to the Shark River. I'll never forget those birds, and I will be sorely disappointed if they leave us.

We can all do our part. Support density and don’t move to new suburban or exurban developments created by destroying open space. Wherever you live- go to the Audubon plant selection web site and type in your zip code. You will get a remarkable list if native plants to sustain the birds in your area. Over the past year I have been changing my plantings based on this. I have 1/8 acre in a very urban area on the east coast. While total bird count in my garden is down, I have seen many new and stunningly beautiful bird species attracted to my native plantings. I’ve been trying to attract birds for years and have virtually no lawn. But my plants and shrubs were not native. Within days of planting natives the birds arrived.

I love Loons, since childhood Now need to move to Canada eh, maybe my best idea lately...

For some unknown reason, the raptors are increasing in our area, especially the large ones.

Every spring I was lucky to have bluebirds visit my 2 acres in suburban Fairfield County for a few days - and they did that for twenty years. But this spring was the first time that they were a no-show. In fact, I did not see one bluebird this whole year in CT - terrible what we're doing to these innocent creatures.

I'm from Southwest Louisiana, and growing up I would sometimes see the state bird, the Eastern Brown Pelican. One even nabbed a fish that was on my fishing line - fortunately the fish was small enough that I would have tossed it back. In the late 1960's I went to college in upstate New York and majored in ecology. I was shocked to read that there were no more pelicans breeding in Louisiana - and that very few even visited the state. DDT had caused the eggs to not hatch and the birds to die off. Louisiana usually resists cleaning up pollution but because the pelican is our official bird the state solidly joined the federal government to eliminate DDT and bring the big birds back. I hope that these states will do likewise for their state birds.

All of the birds you depict are such beautiful animals!

This is but another of too many reasons why climate-protest actions are urgently needed. Whether it’s disintegrating bird habitat, single-use plastics clogging life-bearing waters, the mass deforestation and incineration of the Amazonian rainforest (the ecosystem biomass of which produces 20 percent of Earth’s oxygen), unprecedented stalling hurricanes, a B.C. midsummer’s snowfall, a vicious heatwave, an endangered whale species gradually dying off, record-breaking flooding or geologically invasive/destructive fracking or drier forests resulting in unmatched wildfires or a myriad of other categories of large-scale toxic pollutant emissions and dumps—there’s discouragingly insufficient political gonad planet-wide to sufficiently address it. For too long, what politically mattered most was—and, astonishingly, for too many it still does—the seemingly euphoria-inducing creation of jobs, however temporary, and stimulating the economy, however intangible when compared to the destruction of our natural environment.

It won't cool the climate, but we can all help a little by re-conceceiving our gardens. Stick with native species. Include plenty of berries (and multiple water sources) for the birds. Plant flowers beloved by bees and butterflies - easy to find with a little Internet research. Keep it a bit untidy - a little messiness provides shelter for critters as does groundcover - dead wood encourages insects that birds feed on - and forget the herbicides and pesticides.

I know this is heresy, but when will we accept the fact that we might have to look at geo-engineering. At the very least we should be conducting research and testing. Or are we just going to go "gentle into that good night."

Local policy makers could protect wetlands and forests but for the agriculture classification people seek for tax benefits and the property rights protection provided by agriculture. With the protections there come all sorts of federal and state agencies to help convert forest to truck crops or industrial pine, and wetlands to an artificial lake for "wildlife".

Wow, that purple finch calls to mind a classic quote from a classic work of cinema: "PRETTY BIRD!"

I developed an organic sanctuary farm in the midwest. My farm is an “oasis” surrounded by massive ag farms where crops are planted right up to the county road right-of-ways. Aerial spraying is vert common. My farm is the ONLY farm within a ten mile circumference that has ANY flowers, let alone native flowers & grasses. My farm had an abundance of varied bees, bats, wonderful insects like praying mantis. We host significant varieties of butterflies, including monarchs. The bird life is wonderful. Our farm is the ONLY farm with meadow larks, brown thrashers, prairie chickens, bobwhites, and on and on. People drive from town to watch our fields “light up” with fireflies....again, the ONLY farm with fireflies. We had hundreds of dragonflies this summer; it was spectacular! Is our farm “neat as a pin”? No. Is it extra labor to hand pull invasive plants? You know it! Is it worth the “raggedy look” and extra work? Absolutely!! Here is the dilemma, we are seniors. What will happen to our “oasis” when we can no longer care for our “inhabitants & visitors”? Keeps me up at night wondering....

Here at the Central California coast the quail in lower Carmel Valley have been putting out a second set of chicks in late summer. Don't know how this would be related to the climate, but they didn't use to do that.

Every species lost, is a testament as to how we have failed as coinhabitants of this planet. It took millions of years for certain species to develop, and in a mere twinkling of an eye for us to eliminate them forever. Ignorant people, who do not understand the process of evolution and the tremendous diversification of the flora, and fauna of the earth, and what the disappearance of these species foretells, are not concerned.

Most birds have the option of flight to find habitats that can sustain them. Although that is no assurance of survival. The same climate change effects that will cause birds to lose areas of their current range impact all organisms. Forests won't pick up their roots and head out for new territories, the change in global temperature will be too fast. People in marginal habitats will be on the move in droves.

I saw a presentation by two wildlife biologists who said that as the climate warms, insects and plants will emerge sooner in the season. Migratory birds time their arrivals for when food and shelter is available. They will show up on the same schedule as usual, but the insects will have hatched and gone.

I live in a rural area in northwestern Massachusetts where there is still relatevely intact forest cover, grasslands and farmland. I have a masters degree in environmental science, and over the last 30 years, I have watched birds that were once common decline precipitously. Birds such as juncos and white throated sparrows have practically disappeared just over the last decade. When I pointed out these observations years ago to fellow ornithologists and biologists, many would discount them. But now that these studies are documenting what many naturalists and concerned citizens have been pointing out, they are sounding the alarm. Many of these same professionals in the field of conservation science also just are not getting it that pesticides like neonicotinoids and glyphosate (Roundup) are doing untold, widespread damage to insects, amphibians and birds. (They always love to say that "further research is needed," and they will be saying that until the there are no more birds.) Of course there are a litany of other reasons, habitat loss being the number one cause of species decline. Light pollution and collisions with tall buildings and skyscrapers also disprupts migration and kills millions of birds each year. The 9/11 “Tribute Lights” kills insects, birds and bats, as the artificial light lures them in and disrupts their ability to navigate. I am from New York City, and this seems to me like a pretty sad way to honor those who died or were injured on 9/11.

I have been looking at a book of the last photographs of extinct species and it is so sad. Maybe a very few extinctions are normal, but what is happening now is awful. I hope that when the last of us goes, they'll remain a little blue-green algae that will grow into more species, minus the humans.

I live in Victoria , BC and we have commented for the past few years on the lack of the Dawn Chorus. The regular birds are diminishing and the occasional rare bird sighting (usually a vagrant from the South) are increasing. the bugs on the windshield are gone. we have an increasing number of warm water residing species being reported here. All are signs that the Southern part of the Continent is warming up. Our native vegetation is having a hard time surviving and will be replaced by tropical plants over time. Global warming is here.Our grandchildren will inherit this and nothing will stop it now.

I've been a bird watcher for many, many years. And the change of bird population is not only noticeable, it's astonishing. However, I've observed an increase in the common loon population in southeast Florida in the vicinity of Palm Beach. Specifically at 1100 S. Ocean Blvd.

How sad that there are only two comments on this excellent article. When NYT publishes something about Trump, the comments section fills up in a matter of hours and is closed. Why people are not more devastated by this news (that will ultimately affect THEM) is mystifying. Thank you, NYT, for continuing to publish news and opinion pieces on the horror of climate change and the loss of our beloved birds.

The photographs are amazing.

Not to minimize the thrust of the article, but I'd be curious to know what birds would be replacing them.

Its not only global warming but destruction of habitat as the article states. Major efforts should have already been in place to reduce global warming but with Trump has rejected that global warming is occurring. Even the Democratic establishment want to slow down the wing of the party that want to take tough measures to curb global warming. Agricultural exploitation and humans moving into vulnerable areas destroying habitat need to be addressed. Which also elevates fire risk in places like CA. Suburban sprawl not only creates traffic problems but mindlessly destroys vast areas of habitat for wild animals.

Sad I have seen so few of these. We can not deprive future generations of the joy of their existence.

Too bad Trump doesn't spend some of his time on the White House lawn walking around and looking at nature and seeing if there are any live birds or animals on the lawn. Would be better than the talking he does! Might improve his soul. Birds are beautiful; I have a small Hummingbird feeder and I get Hummingbirds and happy to see them and feed them.

I have also noted declines in species. There is certainly more going on than climate change, but it is central. But the article seems to assume that climate change will only force birds into cooler, more northern ranges. What it does is kill them off. What determines the number of birds are the availability of food and nesting sites. Birds are adapted to particular ecologies, not particular climates, which means there is often nowhere to go. Many species may feel climate pressure to move, but where they move they do not find the foods they need. There are no open bird frontiers ready for new settlers. Northern climes are already at capacity for the birds that are there. In some ways most concerning is the lack of available nesting sites. Birds are very particular about this, and the number of nesting sites, especially for cavity nesters, shoreline nesters, and even some species of tree nesters, are limited, and if new birds attempt to move in, they find such spaces already occupied. Some species of females simply refuse to mate or lay without acceptable nesting sites. Rachel Carson warned us that one day our Springs could be silent. Summer, Fall, and Winter will be bereft of birds as well. Birds are certainly nature's most beautiful and varied creations. They have now all become caged canaries in our collective, global coal mine.

Seems we are more concerned about global warming than pesticide use and PFAS Our water is as important as our atmosphere. In Connecticut, this year we've managed to destroy a wild and scenic river, the Farmington River. 30-50,000 gallons of PFAS fire retardant accidentally dumped into the river. Then 6 months later, a WWII plane crashed and they used more PFAS fire retardant as required by the FAA to use. These chemicals are called forever chemicals as they don't break down. People think lead in the water is a problem. There are thousands of PFAS and few cities test for PFAS and if they do they only test for 5 of them.

Here in Prescott AZ in past years I have heard and seen dozens of Gambrel's quail (so adorable). This year about four. We have had dozens of birds of different types at our bird bath. This year maybe 25-30. I have seen one hummingbird. Sad, devastating, and preventable. Birds don't exist for our pleasure, but they certainly give us pleasure....sorely missed.

As an avid bird watcher for many years, I started noticing gradual declines in the numbers of birds seen and heard in our annual "official" May bird counts. Starting about ten years ago, the pace of decline picked up to what has become catastrophic absences of common species. When we bought our summer home on Lake Erie in 1990, we saw over 175 species in just the first year or two. Since we were perched over the beach, we had birds in our garden and in the tall trees overhead, and birds that we could see and hear out over the Lake. Thousands of Tundra Swans, thousands more ducks, and many shore birds--like Whimbrel--flew by in large groups during spring migration. By the time we left, the number of Baltimore Orioles nesting in our neighborhood plummeted from nine or ten pairs to one. The Brown Thrashers just stopped showing up to nest, along with Song Sparrows, House Finches, House Wrens and the Bobolinks and Meadowlarks in the field next door. Swans, and ducks and shorebird numbers were down during spring migration. So we are already in crisis mode, and I'm afraid that Trump, with his vast ignorance and his lack of respect for the natural world will only hasten the decline.

Not enough care about the collapse of either the avian (30+% in NA) or insect world (70+% worldwide) to make a difference. We are well into the 6th extinction, and it is largely being received with a yawn. As a species, we can continue to ignore this massive disruption in the natural world, but ecological karma will have the last laugh.

It's the same here in the Netherlands, many species of birds are disappearing fast in nature areas and towns( as are insects...) very scary indeed and so terribly sad.

I spent 5 years in Vermont in the 1980's and worked in the Green Mountains each summer building and maintaining hiking trails. I backpacked all around the state. I've been back the past 3 years, late summer and early fall. It has been striking to me how silent the forests are now. Black capped chickadees were a constant, even in winter, and the haunting, flutey call of thrush. The only chickadees I heard/saw this year were a few at a friends bird feeder; none! in the forest. Not one thrush. I hiked every day for 3 weeks.