https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ece3.74183
The Future of Birds
By Wm. Mueller - - Ornithology, ecology, environmentalism, and our life in the natural world
Sunday, November 1, 2026
Monday, September 21, 2026
‘Planetary boundaries’ necessary for flourishing of life have been massively breached, scientists warn
New report shows key indicators of Earth’s health are ‘outside the safe operating space’ as climate disaster looms.
The planetary life support systems relied upon by humans have deteriorated to their worst levels ever recorded amid ongoing pollution and habitat destruction, according to a key yet grim annual update by scientists.
Of the nine “planetary boundaries” that help determine whether life can flourish on Earth, seven are being breached at their highest ever levels of transgression, according to the latest planetary health check, a process that was established in 2009.
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Monday, August 17, 2026
Thursday, August 13, 2026
Extensive climate-induced range shifts in butterflies across the globe
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-026-03117-y
- Article
- Open access
- Published:
Extensive climate-induced range shifts in butterflies across the globe
- Shawan Chowdhury,
- Upama Aich,
- Laura H. Antão,
- Stefan Pinkert,
- Perpetra Akite,
- Gilberto S. S. Almeida,
- Tatsuya Amano,
- Andras Ambrus,
- Jade A. T. Badon,
- Seung-Yun Baek,
- Maksims Balalaikins,
- Michal Barták,
- Vijay Barve,
- Michał Bełcik,
- Timothy C. Bonebrake,
- Simona Bonelli,
- Diana E. Bowler,
- Michael F. Braby,
- Roger Caritg,
- Sei-Woong Choi,
- Wen-Chen Chu,
- Eloisa Clain,
- Steve Collins,
- Johnattan H. Cumplido,
- …
- Jonathan Lenoir
Nature Ecology & Evolution (2026) Cite this article
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11k Accesses
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237 Altmetric
Abstract
Global changes are leading to widespread species redistribution. Comprehensive assessments of range shift dynamics and their drivers are difficult, partly due to the variation in range shift detection over space and taxa. Here we compile documented range shift records for 1,758 butterfly species from 105 countries and territories, representing ~10% of the known diversity of these insects. Most species (80%) experienced range expansions, and most range shifts (79%) were associated with climate change and extreme weather events. A substantial proportion of species in our dataset contracted their ranges (27%) or shifted along elevational gradients (22%). We report widespread horizontal range expansions and contractions across tropical countries, with less evidence for elevational range shifts. We show that a clearer picture of range shift dynamics emerged only through the combination of different types of data, with expert assessments and non-English studies alleviating potential biases. Our findings of climate-driven range shifts call for concerted efforts to improve inclusive data monitoring and conservation efforts, especially for tropical countries, where human-induced land-use changes exert additional critical pressure.
Sunday, July 26, 2026
new WBCP Issues Paper
The Status of Midwest Aerial Insectivores is #9 in the set of
Issues Papers
http://www.wisconsinbirds.org/issues-papers/
*NOTE: In January 2020, the name of our partnership was changed from the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative (WBCI) to the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Partnership (WBCP).
Members of the Issues Committee of the Wisconsin Bird Conservation Partnership have prepared a series of “Issues Papers” to provide information for WBCP partners and the public. These documents contain an overview of of the topics and sections covering WBCP Goals, Research Findings in Wisconsin and Elsewhere, Recommended Actions, Additional Research Needs, Links, and Additional Literature.
All of the following are printable PDF files:

