Climate Change Makes Shorebird Egg Theft A Bigger Problem In The Arctic

"The daily rate of eggs stolen from shorebirds' nests in the Arctic is three times higher than it was 70 years ago. The trouble, which coincides with warming temperatures, could impact vulnerable populations of stunning birds."

"For centuries, the Arctic has been a relatively safe place for shorebirds such as plovers and sandpipers to lay their eggs, as nests in the tropics were much more likely to suffer attacks from predators.

That is changing.

The rate of "daily nest predation"— eggs stolen from the nest by predators such as foxes or rodents — has increased threefold over the past 70 years in the Arctic, according to a study published today in Science that looked at more than 38,000 nests from 237 shorebird populations in 149 locations throughout the world. "

Brian Bienkowski reports for Environmental Health News November 9, 2018.

Source: EHN, 11/13/2018