Hummingbirds fly to higher reaches to escape loss of habitat due to climate change

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Hummingbirds

Climate change is a fact that can’t be wished away and now to understand its impact on both flora and fauna, scientists are conducting many studies. One such as per a report in sciencealert.com delves on how species are struggling to relocate to new habitats.

Moving to places which are at a higher altitude raises two points. These are temperatures which are colder and also thinner, meaning they have less oxygen and make breathing harder. To comprehend these two issues, a group of Anna’s hummingbirds also known as Calypte anna were moved to a place 1,200 metres or 4,000 feet above their usual home.

Researchers made a rather odd observation when they found that the metabolic rates of these birds lowered as they lingered around while there was lesser efficiency in flying shorter durations, most probably due to wanting more oxygen.

Though in future the temperatures may become warmer, the study’s cool environs had a drastic consequence on their sleep patterns. Dozing off these creatures went into a mini-hibernation many times which reduced their metabolism by 37 per cent on an average.

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