Bird Heatwave Study - Only 2F Increase In Temperature Can Double Water-Loss Rate For Small Birds

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n 2003, a massive heat wave struck and killed some 30,000 people in Europe in an area where heat was not considered a major threat. Similar mass die-offs occur in wild birds and some mammals during heat waves, but unlike humans, birds may not be able to take shelter or find fresh water in order to survive devastating heat. What is the outlook for desert bird communities in light of expected global temperature increases on Earth?

Blair Wolf, an associate professor of biology at the University of New Mexico, and his collaborator Andrew McKechnie from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, have been studying how increasing global temperatures will impact desert bird populations.

They have found that during heat waves, increases in air temperatures of as little as two degrees Fahrenheit can double the rate of water loss in a small bird and importantly impact its survival time.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that the average temperature of the planet will rise between 3.5 and 6.5 degrees Fahrenheit over the next hundred years. This may not seem like much to the average person, but according to Wolf, these changes could be disastrous for birds and some mammals because of the increased intensity and frequency of heat waves that will result.

EDIT

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Increased_Destruction_Of_Bird_Populations_Are_Predicted_With_Rise_In_Global_Temperatures_999.html