[Tweeters] Impact of freezing temperatures on birds.

[Steve Hampton via Tweeters]

Yes, I think Hal is exactly right. The longtime local birds are fine with
freezing weather, and waterfowl are used to dealing with it. It's the
newcomers that have problems.

There's been research on this, especially regarding the Carolina Wren in
the east. Human development and now especially climate change is causing
many species to shift their ranges poleward. Around here, the most notable
examples are Anna's Hummingbird, Calif Scrub-Jay, Black Phoebe, Lesser
Goldfinch, and some others. At the same time, there are still cold waves
(especially the last few winters!). A new paper talks about increasing
whiplash between extreme conditions -- The Guardian summarized that paper
today
<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/15/climate-whiplash-events-increasing-exponentially-around-world>
.

I summarize the Carolian Wren data here: Tough bird: The Carolina Wren on
the front lines of climate change
<https://substack.com/home/post/p-153864477>
They keep pushing north, then get knocked down by a polar vortex, then come
back stronger. They just had one in Labrador last month.

I think Anna's Hummingbird is probably our closest parallel to the wren.



On Wed, Jan 15, 2025 at 8:53 PM HAL MICHAEL via Tweeters <
tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:


> Hmm, since freezing temperatures in the winter have occurred in western WA

> for (really long time) I suspect that the species that have been around for

> millennia will just keep on keeping on.  It is possible that

> species/individuals that are up here now from the warmer south may have

> issues.  They will all likely gorge whenever they can find some foodstuffs

> and when not eating they will look for a well protected place to sleep.

>

>

> Hal Michael

> Board of Directors,Ecologists Without Borders (http://ecowb.org/)

> Olympia WA

> 360-459-4005

> 360-791-7702 (C)

> ucd880 at comcast.net

>

> > On 01/15/2025 7:39 PM PST Elston Hill via Tweeters <

> tweeters at u.washington.edu> wrote:

> >

> >

> > What is the impact of the freezing night time temperatures on the birds

> that call Western Washington home in the winter?

> >

> > Thanks,

> >

> > Elston

> > _______________________________________________

> > Tweeters mailing list

> > Tweeters at u.washington.edu

> > http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters

> _______________________________________________

> Tweeters mailing list

> Tweeters at u.washington.edu

> http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters

>



-- 
​Steve Hampton​
Port Townsend, WA  (qatáy)
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman11.u.washington.edu/pipermail/tweeters/attachments/20250116/a81535ba/attachment.html>