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March 15, 2022

Date: March 25, 2022, from 2-2:30 p.m. eastern time

Speaker: Dr. Ryan C. Burner, Research Wildlife Biologist, USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center

A flock of Eastern Bluebirds at the Patuxent Research Refuge
A flock of Eastern Bluebirds at the Patuxent Research Refuge. 

Summary: We know that climate change affects migratory birds in North America by altering habitats, changing food and water availability, and causing phenological mismatches. A recent study demonstrated that multiple species of North American migratory birds passing through Chicago were showing consistent changes in morphology across a long-term dataset. However, it was unknown if this reflected changes in migratory routes or timing, or if it showed a more fundamental response to broadscale global changes. Data from our long-term study of resident birds in the Amazon help answer these questions. Results show similar patterns and support the hypothesis that bird body shapes and sizes are shifting in response to climate change.

 

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