Climate Watch
By Jeremy Lucas
Jeremy Lucas, Conservation Chair of Eastside Audubon Society
Understanding how birds respond to climate change is a key component to bird conservation. Habitat changes, food supply, and a general preference in temperature are all factors that come into play. Most of our members are aware of National Audubon’s report called Survival By Degrees. A lesser known (but just as important) research project is called Climate Watch. Eastside Audubon has been a participant in this effort since 2019.
Currently, we are targeting two birds, the Red-breasted Nuthatch, and the Spotted Towhee. The protocol is reasonably simple: We go out twice a year (once in summer and once in winter) to predefined survey areas and count any individuals of each species we hear or see. We currently have 12 points at each of the following locations: St Edward State Park, Clyde Hill, and Tradition Lake. We are currently evaluating Rattlesnake Lake as a potential fourth location.
The purpose of this survey is to determine if we see a change in the abundance of these species over time. Both species have been identified as target species due to the potential threat they face due to climate change. Survival By Degrees predicts a 66% loss in current range for the Red-breasted Nuthatch and 55% for the Spotted Towhee. Both numbers represent a worst-case scenario. Climate Watch will give us the data we need to test the model for accuracy.
As previously mentioned, we have only conducted Climate Watch surveys since 2019. Our dataset is still small and not powerful enough to test any long-term trends. You can view our Climate Watch page, with current data here, and our interactive map here.
Next update to the data should be around July, 2021.
Photo credit by Mick Thompson.