Climate change is damaging bird habitats leading to a significant decline in bird population in Pakistan, warned Wildlife expert Dr. Muhammad Azhar.
Climate change patterns, marked by limited temperature variations and low metabolic rates, threaten biodiversity. Particularly vulnerable to climate change are tropical mountain birds, such as the northern snowbird, which lack access to higher elevations to escape rising temperatures, explained Dr. Azhar.
Dr. Azhar cautioned that a 3.5°C temperature increase by the next century could drive 600 to 900 bird species to extinction, with a staggering 89% of these extinctions occurring in tropical regions. Even common birds like sparrows are rapidly declining because they respond to various forms of climate perturbations, according to a report by the WWF
Sparrows are already on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) ‘Red List’ of Threatened Species, with Greater London having lost nearly 70% of its sparrow population between 1994 and 2001. IUCN Country Manager Mahmood Akhtar Cheema pointed out that sparrows are not on the Red List in Pakistan because no one has undertaken a comprehensive count of their current population.
Regarding captive birds, Dr. Azhar emphasized that those with limited temperature variations and low metabolic rates are most at risk from biodiversity degradation.
Climate change has already caused advanced spring migration, alterations in bird habitats, increased disease transmission risks, earlier egg-laying times, reduced food availability, and population declines. Highly and moderately vulnerable birds may lose over half of their current geographic range as they seek suitable habitats and climate conditions elsewhere.
The connections between climate change and birds are increasingly evident. Warming temperatures are altering bird distribution, migration timing, egg-laying patterns, and even their physical attributes, highlighting the urgent need for action to address this critical issue.
The world’s wildlife population volumes have plummeted by an average of 69% between 1970 and 2018, a dangerous decline resulting from climate change and various human activities, according to the WWF.