Climate change leaves northern tree swallows more vulnerable those in the southern US
A long-term study of tree swallows reveals that northern populations are more vulnerable to climate change than southern ones due to temperature variability. The research highlights how environmental shifts create a 'timing squeeze' that threatens bird populations.
Why it matters
As aerial insectivores, tree swallows serve as critical indicators of ecosystem health, and their decline signals broader environmental instability.
edited by Lisa Lock , reviewed by Andrew Zinin
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Add as preferred source Credit: CC0 Public Domain Tree swallows in the northern U.S. and Canada face the greatest risk from climate change despite responding to temperature the same way as tree swallows in the southern U.S., according to a new study led by Cornell researchers that analyzed nearly 95,000 nests across five decades. The findings, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , reveal a critical timing squeeze for tree swallows in the northern half of the United States and Canada, putting them at risk.
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