With warmer winters, migrants shift north
A study among North American birds shows that more and more species are moving their winter migration grounds further north as a possible outcome of global warming.
The Audubon Society has published a report (download) that clearly shows that species such as the Purple Finch (top), Wild Turkey, Marbled Murrelet, Red-breasted Merganser (below) and Spruce Grouse have moved their winter migration grounds northward by hundreds of miles.
The trend may be similar the world over. Winter bird records in India have indicated that some wintering species have arrived later than usual in some of their wintering grounds.
Photographs:
Purple Finch - © Ashok Khosla
Red-breasted Merganser - © USFWS, Dave Menke
Audubon Birds and Climate Change Press Room