I'd like to preface this bay saying first that this is in no way directed toward Gordon as I appreciate him posting this and second that I am NOT a global warming doubter, I DO believe the prevailing scientific opinion regarding the role of human beings in global warming, and I realize that warming of even a few degrees will likely result in significant problems for humans and nature alike. However...
I did visit this link, the report, and I did read the article on this report in the STrib and I think Audubon is probably painting an incomplete picture here. Basically, they are saying that CBC data shows birds wintering or residing far north of their historic ranges so global warming must be the culprit...and they might be right, global warming may be a factor. However, does anyone believe that global warming alone has moved Purple Finches 400 miles already? I don't think ornithologists are being fair to anyone to completely gloss over the effects of the increased popularity and sophistication of bird feeding, changes in habitat (both "good" and bad), and increased observer coverage. Corridors of development filling in farther north may be helping human-adapted or disturbance-adapted birds move north. Increased availability of fruit in the north like Common Buckthorn (bad!) and planted crabapples may sustain more birds in the winter. Habitat loss to the south may discourage birds from returning to wintering grounds. Increasing forest age in the north (regrowth from logging heydays) may create habitat for more birds in the north. More people looking for birds in the north increases observations. I don't know if all of these are a factor, and I could probably sit here and hypothesize more. But, certainly some of them are a factor and none of them are addressed at all in the Audubon report...at least not where the casual observer would find them. Again, global warming probably is a FACTOR...especially with birds of the boreal spruce forest like Spruce Grouse receding on the southern edge of their range. But, we need to be honest that there are likely compounding explanations. This doesn't mean that global warming isn't a serious problem. What it does mean is that it is an additional stress combined with other stresses that we also need to address, like overdevelopment. This is especially important for nonbirders to understand. I can't count the number of times nonbirders have asked me about the robins they have seen this winter or the cardinals increasing up north and whether global warming is the reason. Generally, I tell them it's not quite that simple and ask them how much time they have to hear my thoughts... Shawn Conrad http://users.2z.net/itasca_chippewa_birding/ > Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:10:55 -0600 > From: [email protected] > Subject: [mou-net] FW: Birds and Climate Change Report Released Today > To: [email protected] > > birders and conservationists, > > > > Some of you have probably seen this. I don’t know if JCurry’s blind distn > list went to all of MOU listserv. He is with Audubon MN. I am forwarding a > link from the study website (not the whole message that came from Nat’l > Audubon). It is based on 40 years of CBC data. 58% of 305 species showed > significant movement north in winter. 25% spread south. The 13 spp. that > moved the furthest north are featured at the link below. You can click on > some of the species names to get the distribution info and the natural > history info for the bird. > > The full report is found in the left-most menu (“download report”). The > report is only 14 pp long. There are petition, homepage, and FAQ’s links in > the left menu. > > > > http://www.audubon.org/bird/bacc/Species.html > > > > The report website is below JCurry signature block. (I deleted the rest of > the NAS promo msg, but all the info is available in the menu.) > > > > good birding to all > > Gordon Andersson > > St Paul > > _____ > > From: CURRY, John [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 10:00 AM > To: CURRY, John > Subject: Birds and Climate Change Report Released Today > > > > Friends, > > > > The National Audubon Society released its compelling analysis of wintering > bird habits and climate change today. We are doing all we can to promote > this through traditional and internet media. Below is what the NAS sent me > to get informed and help take action against climate change. Thanks for any > help you can be in promoting this report to media, friends, family, work > colleagues, fellow birders, etc. > > > > John Curry > > Policy Director > > Audubon Minnesota > > 2357 Ventura Drive, Suite #106 > > St. Paul, MN 55125 > > 651-739-9332, #19 (office) > > 651-253-5691 (mobile) > > <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] > > > > > > Check out <http://www.birdsandclimate.org> www.birdsandclimate.org. > > > > > > > > > > > > > ---- > Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net > Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html _________________________________________________________________ Want to do more with Windows Live? Learn “10 hidden secrets” from Jamie. http://windowslive.com/connect/post/jamiethomson.spaces.live.com-Blog-cns!550F681DAD532637!5295.entry?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_domore_092008 ---- Join or Leave mou-net:http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=mou-net Archives:http://lists.umn.edu/archives/mou-net.html
