The story of canaries being used to uncover dangerous monoxide conditions in mines is well known. Birds are, in general, more sensitive to unnatural or dramatic changes in the environment, which explains the occasional mass death that can occur to them. We can utilize birds and their behavior to spot the early signs of the imbalance in nature, regardless of the cause. Additionally, since some can fly to high altitudes, they can also indicate atmospheric changes. Scientists are working on understanding the correlation between bird behavior and climate changes in climate.
Key Takeaways:
- Birds feed near the top of the food chain, making them indicators of changes lower on the chain.
- The population and distribution patterns of birds often mirror those of other wildlife groups.
- Bird populations are fairly easy to observe, and large amounts of data are collected on them.
“As rising temperatures and habitat loss degrade the natural world, bird species everywhere play the role of mine canaries for the whole planet.”
