Charlotte HartleyFor breeding birds, timing is everything. Most species have just a narrow window to get the food they need to feed their brood—after spring’s bounty has sprung, but before other bird species swoop in to compete.
Now, a new study suggests that as the climate warms, birds are not only breeding earlier, but their breeding windows are also shrinking—some by as many as 4 to 5 days.
This could lead to increased competition for food that might threaten many bird populations.Birds typically time their breeding to cues signaling the start of spring, so that their chicks hatch when food like plants and insects is most abundant.