Posted on 04/01/2020 2:39:56 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
Rising temperatures may be having a profound physical impact on one of the world's favourite songbirds.
Researchers in Spain found that over a 20-year period, nightingales had evolved smaller wingspans.
The scientists say this is linked to a changing climate in the region which has seen the early onset of spring and increased drought.
They are concerned that this could affect the bird's ability to migrate in winter.
Famed for its ability to sing, the nightingale has a very rich repertoire as it is able to produce over 1,000 different sounds, compared to just 340 by skylarks.
Although common in many parts of Europe and Asia, the bird is mainly seen and heard in southern England.
Numbers here have declined markedly over the last half century, down 90%, with multiple factors to blame including deer eating their preferred nesting sites, but also because of a changing climate.
The nightingale spends the winter in sub-Saharan Africa, with the small, brown creature clocking up huge distances during migration. Wing size is critical to this endeavour.
Now,, researchers say that ability to migrate may be impeded by climate change.
Scientists in Spain have studied 20 years of data on wing shape in two populations of the birds.
They found that the average wing length of the nightingales relative to their body size has decreased.
They believe this is related to changes in temperatures seen in the Mediterranean region.
"Our results show that spring is delayed and the intensity of the summer drought is higher, which means a shorter optimal breeding period for the birds," said Dr Carolina Remacha, from Madrid's Complutense University, who led the study.
"We find the unique possibility that shorter wings are being favoured."
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
You can’t even buy a paper with climate change anymore.
The nightingale in the US is a noisy little night bird that will drive you nuts if you are trying to sleep outside in the spring. They will sqauk from disk till dawn.
Matt McGrath is a grown man who has been writing this rubbish about gloBULL warming for years. what a sorry life he has.
The poor nightingale with its stubby little wings is now turned into a miniature prairie chicken.
The sky is falling !
Whatever. They still do the job:
Nightingale bird singing at sunrise. The most beautiful bird song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKqfcR4mXMI
My favorite though:
The Hermit Thrush:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0mATRdzZSc
What nonsense.
Penguins prove that Cold weather makes the wings smaller, not warmer. That is my settled Ornithologiclimatological Science.
Don’t mess with Penguins.
Both very nice. Thank you...
Hummingbirds, they cant go anywhere on their stubby little wings....oh wait...
Take away their wings, and the birds will have to walk to get around...
What about its effect on the average velocity of unladen swallows?
Shorter wings in just 20 years? Evolved? Bullsquat!
Survival of the fittest is what got us here in the first place. If the fittest Nightingales are surviving something, that means the species is improving, not dying out. Remember, though, that correlation in no way means causation. The birds may very well be adapting to windmills. It is just as likely that the proliferation of windmills is killing Nightingales. The ones with shorter wingspans may be better able to dodge the killer blades.
Makes perfect sense. Warmer air holds more moisture. Moist air is denser than cold air. More density gives the same lift with less effort. Since less effort is needed, the wings shorten.
Or something.
” Moist air is denser than cold air.”
While that seems to make sense, intuitively, the truth is exactly the opposite. Cold, dry air is denser.
Therefore the Nightingales are predicting an ice age!
But, but, but warmer air is less dense, so they should be getting bigger wings....
You can’t use common sense with the cult.
the key word was supposed to be “change”, as in coins
Just having some fun.
I agree with your thoughts though.
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