Birds aren’t keeping up with earlier springs

Plant green-up times are shifting, but birds’ spring migrations aren’t keeping up. In a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers found climate change is altering the plants’ timing, affecting birds’ ability to reach the food they need during breeding. Using satellite images, researchers compared green-up timing with bird migration data from the citizen science app eBird for 150 bird species that nest in North America.

“The findings “emphasize the mounting challenge migratory animals face in following en route resources in a changing climate,” the authors wrote.

Read the study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.