Birds

Birds provide ecosystem and human services by pollinating wildflowers, consuming invasive insects, and providing recreation opportunities like bird watching and hunting. Over the past half century, bird populations in North America have declined substantially due to environmental change. To cope with warming temperatures, for example, birds might be able to track the climate by moving...

Animal migration over the North American continent is contingent in many ways on the predictability of weather conditions along the route. Yet, climate projections suggest that seasonal patterns in temperature, pressure, and precipitation are likely to change. For iconic migratory species, such as the Monarch Butterfly, these climatic changes could undercut their ability to maintain...

Project Overview Recently discovered in Arizona, the Gulf Coast tick has the potential to transmit a bacterial spotted fever to both humans and animals. Though it is possible that it was present in the region, yet undetected, researchers supported by this Southwest CASC project aim to study the presence of the Gulf Coast tick in Arizona by capturing and monitoring the health of birds...

Project Overview: The San Pablo Baylands support critical wildlife habitat and major transportation infrastructure, but the combined effects of sea-level rise and planned highway redesigns on habitat and public access remain uncertain. Scientists supported by this Southwest CASC project will work with federal, state, and regional managers to fill key data gaps and model how sea-level...

Climate change, invasive species, and diseases are threatening Northeastern forests, with consequences for bird populations and carbon storage. Researchers supported by this Northeast CASC project will evaluate whether already-implemented climate adaptation strategies in the region have been effective at protecting bird habitat and what the implications of carbon storage have been. The...

Project Overview Infectious disease poses a growing threat to wildlife and human health, and managing disease threats is complicated by climatic changes that can change levels of disease risk. Researchers supported by this North Central CASC project will co-develop a method to rank wildlife disease threats under climate change, providing critical useable information to Montana’s wildlife

Infrastructure development and climate change pose significant threats to migratory bird populations by altering their distributions and habitat. This Northeast CASC-supported research team will use citizen-science and structured monitoring data to identify current and future areas that are important for migratory bird species across the Northeastern US. Researchers will produce high...

Project Overview In the Midwest, climate change is forcing birds to shift their ranges, raising concerns about how well protected areas provide refuge for vulnerable bird species. Researchers supported by this Midwest CASC project will use two decades of bird monitoring data to evaluate how protected areas in the Upper Great Lakes region support birds now and in the future under changing...

Climate change threatens many functions of wetlands and habitat connectivity for migratory shorebirds who use wetlands across the Southern Great Plains. Researchers supported by this South Central CASC project will survey stakeholders in the region, project climate impacts on wetland-dependent birds, and create tools for conservation planning (e.g., ranking wetland importance to...

Project Overview Hawaiian honeycreepers face numerous threats related to sea level rise, increasing storm frequency, erosion and invasive species. These impacts can alter their habitat, making it unsuitable and detrimental to their already small populations. Researchers supported by this Pacific Islands CASC project will create additional populations of a Hawaiian honeycreeper species by

Project Overview The James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge in Hawai’i provides important wetland habitats for four species of endangered waterbirds. However, due to invasive species and climate change impacts, these habitats are becoming unsuitable for the fledging and longevity of these birds. Researchers supported by this Pacific Islands CASC project will examine the effectiveness of

As part of the State Wildlife Grant Fund, states are required to submit State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) every 10 years detailing habitats, species, and conservation plans. However, incorporating climate change in SWAPs isn’t required and capacity to do so is limited at most state agencies, resulting in varied consideration of climate change impacts. In support of the revisions to...