Climate change hits some bird species but others are thriving

Study: Changing conditions suit some but could drive others to extinction

A number of declining rare breeding birds are becoming increasingly vulnerable to extinction in the UK as a result of climate change, according to a new report.

Species such as dotterel, whimbrel, common scoter and Slavonian grebe are all said to be in danger, based on projections around the impact of global warming.

The Scottish crossbill, found only in Scotland, is at risk of becoming extinct all together, experts fear.

By contrast, however, some other birds were found to have thrived in the warmer, wetter climate, which has enabled them to expand their range further north.

The study is produced by the RSPB, the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), along with various statutory nature conservation bodies.

It found climate change is already affecting bird life in the four countries of the UK, which is responding to a 1C (1.8F) increase in average summer temperatures since the 1980s.

“Migratory birds are arriving earlier and egg-laying dates have advanced such that swallows, for example, are arriving in the UK 15 days earlier and breeding 11 days earlier, than they did in the 1960s,” the report said.

For species such as the dotterel, whimbrel, common scoter and snow bunting – whose UK breeding populations are found almost entirely in Scotland – population declines are said to have been considerable already.

The report went on: “The UK’s kittiwake population has declined by 70% since 1986 because of falling breeding success and adult survival.

“Other species that feed largely on sand eels, such as Arctic skua, Arctic tern and puffin, are at high risk of climate-related decline.”

On a more positive note, the report found warmer temperatures during the breeding season have had a positive effect on breeding success for a range of species.

Birds that feed insects to their young, such as great tits and chaffinches, have improved their productivity in warm, dry springs, while nuthatch, goldfinch and chiffchaff have been expanding their range into Scotland over the last 30 years with large increases in numbers.

Pictures: Scottish Natural Heritage/Getty. Many bird species such as puffins, top, and snow buntings are struggling to adapt to climate change, with numbers dropping. However, other species are thriving.