Climate change appears to be affecting hundreds of North American bird species, according to the Audubon's Birds and Climate Change Report.
Of the 588 North American bird species studied, over half is possibly in trouble, with 314 bird species likely losing over 50 percent of their present climactic range by 2080.
Also, 126 of the 314 found at risk because of global warming are categorized as "climate endangered" and estimated to lose over 50 percent of their present range in 2050.
The remaining 188 bird species, meanwhile, are categorized as "climate threatened" and anticipated to lose over 50 percent of their present range in 2080 if global warming persists at its present pace.
The Audubon Report is a pioneering and comprehensive study that predicts how climate change could affect certain North American bird species. It covered Canada, Alaska and the 48 lower states.
The scientists applied citizen-scientist observations spanning three decades from the North American Breeding Bird Survey and Audubon Christmas Bird Count. These observations were used in defining the "climatic suitability" for every bird species, such as temperature range, seasonal changes and precipitation necessary for their survival.
The report also discovered that North American birds by the dozens spend winter in South America. The scientists, however, said they lacked enough data to examine the consequences of global warming on the winter ranges of these birds and that most likely global warming threatens more birds than those they have so far identified.
With the use of greenhouse gas emissions scenarios that are recognized internationally, the scientists charted the possible future location of the ideal climatic range of each bird as climate changes.
The maps serve as a guide as to how the current range of every bird could contract, expand or shift through 2020, 2050 and 2080. Every map is also said to be an animated guide to the possible location of the climate conditions the bird species needs in order to survive the three time periods in the future.
The areas shaded signify the location where birds may discover appropriate climate conditions for every time period given. The locations are also color-coded according to season. If the shaded area is much darker, it means the bird may find better climate conditions there.
The animation's first frame implies the location of a fitting current climate based on data from the year 2000.
"The outline of the approximate current range for each season remains fixed in each frame, allowing you to compare how the range will expand, contract, or shift in the future," the Audubon Report said.
