Passport to Texas

 
This is Passport to Texas

According to a National Audubon Society report, sixty percent of all bird species in North America are moving farther north.

Cliff Shackelford is a Texas Parks and Wildlife non-game ornithologist, and says there are probably several reasons why birds are on the move. One reason: climate change. As temperatures rise, birds move north. Another reason: habitat alteration.

33—The interesting thing is that probably four or five decades ago there was another pulse or movement of birds that might not have been related to climate change. And what some people have suggested is a lot of these birds are extending their range because of fire suppression where grasslands were probably a good barrier to a lot of these woodland birds. And now that we don’t have fires to maintain grass, we have trees encroaching. Things like mesquite, huisache and retama are increasing, and a lot of those South Texas birds are moving in response to that.

Some birds… like the golden-cheeked warbler… are already endangered because of habitat alteration. And if something’s not done to restore the habitat, many more birds could find themselves without a suitable home.

09—They’re specialized they need a very specific habitat and when that is whittled away, they’re not able to adapt to other environments.

That’s our show…The Sport fish and Wildlife restoration program supports our series…and is funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motor boat fuel….

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.