A comprehensive review on the impact of climate change on the ecology, breeding seasonality, abundance and distribution of birds and possible approaches to address and conserve bird populations

Lakhnarayan Kumar Bhagarathi 1, *, Phillip N. B. DaSilva 2, Gyanpriya Maharaj 3, Ferial Pestano 2, Chalasa Cossiah 2, Sushmita Kalika-Singh 2 and Rahaman Balkarran 4

1 Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus, Greater Georgetown, Guyana.
2 Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Guyana, Berbice Campus, Tain, Corentyne, Guyana.
3 Centre for the Study of Biodiversity, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus, Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara, Guyana.
4 Queensborough Community College, New York, United States of America.
 
 
Review
International Journal of Science and Technology Research Archive, 2024, 06(02), 021–044.
Article DOI: 10.53771/ijstra.2024.6.2.0040
Publication history: 
Received on 01 March 2024; revised on 08 April 2024; accepted on 11 April 2024
 
Abstract: 
The purpose of this paper is to review and evaluate published literature on the impact of climate change on birds. A systematic method was utilized to access research works of literature on “Impact of Climate Change on Birds”. A total of sixty-seven (67) research papers published between the years 1962 to 2023 was accumulated and used for this review. A subjective approach was used to select the topics: impact of climate change and birds. In this paper, nine (9) threatening impacts of climate change on the bird populations were assessed and presented as well as three (3) detrimental impacts of climate change on birds inhabiting mangrove forests. Further, this paper assessed some birds that are threatened with extinction and it also provided a checklist of some migratory birds that are threatened due to the changing climate and that are found on the RED list of the IUCN. Approaches and strategies to enhance and address bird conservation to combat the effect of climate change was also presented in this review. The published works of literature established that the global bird population dynamics, ecology, breeding seasonality, abundance and distribution are all affected due to the threats of climate change. Climate change will affect birds indirectly in the future by modifying their habitats through sea level rise, changes in fire regimes, and changes in vegetation or land use. Birds are in particular vulnerable to environmental changes like climate change since they are subject to continuous changes that may be negatively connected. This review highlights the fact that more extensive studies on the impact of climate change on birds should be done in neotropical countries since there are gaps of such information on research and published data in these biodiversity rich regions.
 
Keywords: 
Climate change; Birds; Endangered; Extinction; Conservation
 
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