Scores of bird species could disappear due to climate change, study finds

Post date: Sep 13, 2017 10:23:21 AM

Scores of bird species could disappear due to climate change, study finds

By David Abel GLOBE STAFF SEPTEMBER 12, 2017

Not even the state bird appears to be safe from climate change.

The black-capped chickadee, which inhabits nearly every corner of Massachusetts, is among scores of birds that are likely to disappear from parts or all of the state by 2050 as temperatures continue to warm, according to a new report by Mass Audubon, a conservation group.

Of the state’s 143 most common breeding species, 43 percent are considered “highly vulnerable” to climate change by the middle of the century, the researchers found. An additional 22 percent are considered “likely vulnerable.”