Migratory Birds facing severe threats due to climatic changes

Bird species around the world are threatened due to grave changes in the environment. The factors that are posing dangers include climatic change, loss of habitats due to deforestation, hunting and the signal mobile towers. Hundreds of bird species are migratory, they travel very long distances for breeding and raising their chicks. Migratory birds find their way by using the location of the sun and the stars. 

                                                                   Migratory Bird

Some of the migratory birds

• Siberian Cranes- These cranes are known to travel for about 200 miles in a day.
• Arctic Tern- It is known to fly about 49,700 miles in a year,  the longest journey it undertakes to fly from the Arctic to the Antarctic. 
• Humming Bird- The smallest bird travels at a speed of about 48km/hour.
• Bar Headed Goose- It can fly about 2,5000 feet from the earth to cross over the great Himalayan mountains. 

 Reasons for Migratory Bird Journeys

• To find the habitats for breeding places. To feed and for raising their chicks.
• To migrate from harsh climatic conditions for places that are suitable for their survival.

                                                            Snow Geese Migration 

How adverse factors threaten Migratory Birds

1. Deforestation- Cutting forests for urbanisation has resulted in the loss of habitat for thousands of birds and animals. Due to trees and vegetation loss, many species are on the verge of extinction. Many migratory bird habitats are lost and the eco-system, biodiversity is disturbed. Hunting for birds feathers and for their meat has drastically decreased species population.

2. Climatic Change- Change in the climatic conditions due to pollution over the years has also resulted in a loss of birds. Desertification, floods and temperature increase has been some of the major factors affecting the habitats loss for the birds. 

3. Mobile Signal towers- Birds are very sensitive to magnetic radiations. The network towers in the cities send signals as radio waves and these are major disturbances for the birds. The eggs of birds get damaged thereby decreasing the population of the birds. The migration pattern of birds changes due to illuminations around mobile towers making the birds disoriented and colling with the structures. The electromagnetic waves interfere with the navigational abilities of the birds. 

Conservation Of Birds 

The key to saving the bird species is by Conservation. Hunting of birds to be banned, cutting of forests should be avoided and protect areas of bird habitats.  More awareness has to be created to make people save birds. Birds play an important role in pollination, disease control and help in the dispersal of seeds,  thereby promoting forest cover. This in turn brings about ecological balance in the environment. Hence it becomes very important for a man to save the birds for better living and to save nature's beauty.