Birds’ Bodies Adapt Due to Climate Change

Climate change has had such a profound impact on the world that even birds in the wildest parts of the Amazon rainforest are now decreasing in size. This is evident in several studies carried out over a 40-year period on 77 different species of non-migratory birds of the forest.

Scientists stated that the birds have been losing 2% of their body weight every decade since the 1980s. They also believe this phenomenon might be happening to other animals and plants as well since climate conditions have been drastically altered with the greenhouse effect.

In addition to the loss of body weight, the changes they have gone through include longer wings, which will allow the birds who are more exposed to heat and a drier environment to fly without using too much energy. The study clearly expressed that “body proportions moved in the direction of more efficient flight and lower metabolic heat production”, and added that animals are being born with bigger beaks and ears to easily regulate their body temperature.

Furthermore, research has shown that, during the wet season, rainfall has escalated by 13% and that temperature has risen by 1 degree Celsius. Meanwhile, in the dry season, precipitation diminished 15% while temperatures increased by 1.65 degrees Celsius. Some scientists suspect that the warmer climate has affected the fauna’s food or water sources, forcing their bodies to adapt to these new conditions.

Ecologists are worried about the effect that humans are having on the Amazon rainforest even from afar since the areas that were studied were not in direct contact with civilization or in danger of deforestation. More than 15,000 birds were analyzed by being caught, weighed, and tagged before being released once again and they have brought scientists all of the same results.

Bibliography

French Press Agency. (2021, November 15). Amazon birds change their body shape due to climate change. Daily Sabah. https://www.dailysabah.com/life/environment/amazon-birds-change-their-body-shape-due-to-climate-change

Hunt, K. (2021, November 12). The climate crisis is messing with birds' body shapes. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/12/americas/birds-bodies-amazon-rainforest-climate-change-scn/index.html