Birds Facing Dire Future Under Warming

March 4, 2009 -- Birds in Europe are already feeling the heat from climate change, with three species suffering reduced ranges or population for every one that benefits from warming, said a study published Wednesday.

Researchers found a strong match between data collected over decades from a continent-wide monitoring network and computer models forecasting the impact of global warming.

"Although we have only a very small actual rise in global average temperatures, it is staggering to realize how much change we are noticing in wildlife populations," said lead author Richard Gregory of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in Britain.

"If we don't take our foot off the gas now, our indicator shows that there will be many much worse effects to come."

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Any increase in Earth's average temperature above 2.0 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to pre-industrial times "will create global havoc" for birds and other wildlife, he said in a press statement.

The study, published in the online journal PLoS ONE, analyzed data for 122 wild bird species, more than a fifth of the 526 species known to nest in Europe.

"We found that the number being negatively impacted was nearly three times greater than that benefit from climate change," said co-author Frederic Jiguet, a research at France's National Museum of Natural History.

The researchers created the first continent-wide indicator of climate change impact on wildlife.