Rare Bird Species In Hawaii May Lose Habitats To Rising Air Temperatures And Disease

Rare bird species in Hawaii's elevated forests may lose more than 50 percent of their natural habitats by the end of the century, due to climate change and disease outbreaks, according to a recent study by Lucas Fortini and fellow researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey.

"As dire as these findings are, they do not mean that these bird species are doomed," said Dr. Lucas Fortini, lead author and research ecologist, in a news release. "Instead, our findings indicate what may happen if nothing is done to address the primary drivers of decline: disease spreading uphill into the few remaining refuges."

Some of the most threatened bird species in Hawaii have managed to survive in the higher elevated forests, where vegetation prevails and the cool temperature limits mosquitoes, which carry diseases like avian malaria. However, climate change could speed up the rising of temperatures in Hawaii, which would result in mosquitoes inhibiting elevated forests with endangered bird species, according to the researchers.

In their study, the researchers used regional climate projections, a species sightings database and distribution models to determine the potential effects of climate change shifts on the ranges of 20 bird species in Hawaii.

In the climate change category, projecting temperature increase and disease spread, the researchers found that 10 species, some of them endangered, could lose over 50 percent of their ranges. Of the 10 species, six species could lose 90 percent of their current ranges by the end of this century, according to the study.

Hawaii forest birds have specific habitat requirements, which reduces the possibility of expanding to new ranges for the species. This research highlights the need for new solutions to solve avian malaria and mosquito infestations, according to the researchers. 

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