70 years of data show extreme heat is already wiping out tropical bird populations

By James Watson, Professor in Conservation Science, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland
Maximilian Kotz, Marie Curie Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Barcelona Supercomputing Center-Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS)
Tatsuya Amano, Associate Professor, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland

Human-driven climate change threatens many species, including birds. Most studies on this topic focus on long-term climate trends, such as gradual rises in average temperatures or shifts in rainfall patterns. But extreme weather events are becoming more common and intense, so they warrant further attention.

Our new research shows extreme heat is having a particularly severe effect on tropical birds. We found increased exposure to extreme heat has reduced bird populations in tropical regions by 25–38% since 1950.…

Read complete article

~	Niger Junta Dissolves Justice-Sector Unions

~	Thailand: Aid Cuts Put Myanmar Refugees at Grave Risk

~	Ethnicity is a powerful indicator of health needs – cutting it from a new GP funding formula is a mistake

~	Australian workers are likely to change occupations twice in the next 20 years. How do we help them do this?

~	Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs linked to rare but serious eye conditions

~	How can you be sure your clothing has been produced ethically?

~	How the neoliberalism of ‘Hayek’s Bastards’ changed the world – and fuelled the rise of the populist right

~	Four years on, here’s what total exclusion of women in Afghanistan looks like

~	GPT-5: has AI just plateaued?

~	This isn’t how wars are ended − a veteran diplomat explains how Trump-Putin summit is amateurish and politically driven