May 26, 2021

Ryan J. Bradshaw

 

Today I saw a Bay-breasted Warbler,

a bird I’ve never seen in the past!

 

She was there and then gone in a flash.

 

I hope my first sighting wasn’t the last.

Bay-breasted Warblers spend the breeding season in the boreal forest, where their diet largely consists of Spruce Budworms. This is true of some other warblers as well, but the height at which they build nests and forage for food is different from other species.

 

According to Audubon’s Survival by Degrees study, the Bay-Breasted Warbler is estimated to lose 71% of its current summer range in the not-too-distant future as average global temperatures rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Climate experts believe we will reach 1.5°C as soon as the early 2030s. If we allow global heating to progress at this rate, the Bay-breasted Warbler could lose 84% of its current summer range as soon as 2050 (2°C), and 100% as soon as 2080 (3°C). Projections suggest this species could gain 51% in new areas by the early 2030s, but that number could dwindle down to only 35% by 2080. Displaced birds may face new challenges and have varying degrees of success in nesting and rearing young.

 

Want to help? Visit the United Nations website for a list of actions that you can take!

 

 

Photograph courtesy of Nick Saunders

 

This project is supported by SK Arts