Millions of young birds are dying from extreme heat in fields across America. in the diary Science Researchers say this is a major threat to the bird population.
Chicks often die from dehydration and heat shock when they escape, especially in “open cup” nests located in unshaded fields, researchers at the University of California at Davis report.
Their survival also depends on their parents’ ability to forage for food and keep the nest safe; This becomes much more difficult to do in extreme temperatures.
“We know that habitat transformation is happening [в связи с сельским хозяйством] “This is already impacting biodiversity and the health of species on farms,” said Katherine Lauck, co-author of the paper and a graduate student in ecology at the University of California, Davis.
According to scientists, such large-scale chick deaths are an indicator of environmental degradation. In 2019, experts from seven major bird societies and nonprofits estimated that the number of adult breeding birds in North America had declined 30% since 1970, representing a loss of nearly 3 billion birds.
Previous scientists to create birds that are immune to bird flu.