Will wader birds become extinct soon due the climate change?  

There is no mistake in calling September a month dedicated to the fascinating birds. In addition to the native birds, migratory birds can also be seen on the island. Sri Lanka, a stunning tropical island at the southern edge of India, boasts diverse and favorable climatic conditions and natural habitats that draw birds to its scenic ecosystem. In particular, we are focusing on wader birds and their intriguing tale.  

Who are waders? 

Wader birds, or shorebirds, are diverse bird species typically found in or near aquatic environments such as coastlines, estuaries, mudflats, beaches, and wetlands. These birds are adapted to foraging in shallow water or along the water’s edge. Long legs and slender bills characterize them, and they often have plumage that provides camouflage in their coastal habitats. Wader birds have various feeding habits, including probing in mud or sand for invertebrates, filter-feeding in water, and catching small fish and insects. These fascinating feeding behaviors trigger people to be more attractive to them.  

Types of wader birds are Sandpipers, Plovers, Curlews, Avocets, Stilts, Herons, and Egrets. These birds play critical ecological roles in their ecosystems by helping control populations of prey species and serving as indicators of the health of coastal and wetland environments. 

Many wader bird species undertake long-distance migrations, making them fascinating study subjects. They usually arrive around mid-August of a particular year and remain on the island until about May of the following year, when it is time for them to return once again to their native lands to breed.  

Major migratory routes of wader birds and major birding sites 

The map shows the migratory routes of wader birds. They enter the country through three main courses and inhabit wetlands.  When considering their habitats,  Ramsar wetlands come to the top. Sri Lanka is home to 6 Ramsar sites with a surface area of 198.172ha: Bundala, Kumana, Anavilundawa, Madu River, and Vankalai. These ecosystems are enriched with different environmental conditions and foodstuff to bring back the birds that come to the country once. But is this sufficient for wader birds? 

We discussed this with Professor Hemanthi Ranasinghe. She is a senior researcher and Senior Forestry and Environmental Science Professor at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka. She says in recent years, there has been some concern that Sri Lanka’s Ramsar wetlands may not be sufficient to meet the needs of wader birds. For example, a study published in 2018 found that the number of wader birds at Bundala National Park had declined by 50% over the previous 20 years, she added. Therefore, it must be said that the condition of the water birds has reached an unfortunate level. 

The study attributed this decline to several factors, including habitat loss due to coastal erosion and sea level rise. As we all know, these environmental changes are mainly driven by climate change.  

Professor Hemanthi explains habitat loss and degradation, Food scarcity, Increased competition, and Extreme weather events as the main challenges of water birds in the island of Sri Lanka. She added that this happens due to climate change and other anthropogenic factors such as habitat destruction for development, pollution, etc. 

Here, examples show how these things affected the wetland habitats of wader birds. 

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Climate change disturbs natural habitats and species in different ways. Some signs rising temperatures are affecting biodiversity while changing rainfall patterns, extreme weather events and ocean acidification are putting pressure on species already threatened by other human activities. More can be read here.

Let’s see how these changes impact wader birds. 

Climate change impact on wader birds 

Habitat Loss 

Habitat transformation caused by climate warming is also considered a significant threat to the survival of wader bird species. Rising sea levels and increased coastal erosion, driven by climate change, can lead to the loss of critical habitats for wader birds, such as mudflats, salt marshes, and coastal wetlands. These areas are essential for feeding, breeding, and resting during migration. More can be read here, 

Migration challenges 

Migratory birds, including waders, fly long distances twice yearly, alternating nocturnal flights with stopovers to rest and replenish energy stores. Temperature and wind patterns can influence when and where birds migrate, potentially causing difficulty in finding suitable stopover sites for rest and refueling. More can be read here, 

The duration of each stopover depends on several factors, including internal clocks, meteorological conditions, and environmental factors, such as food availability. Changes in temperature and precipitation patterns can disrupt birds to reach their destinations on time, causing food problems, too. 

Altered Breeding Patterns 

Temperature and precipitation changes affect the timing of plant growth and insect hatches, impacting food availability for wader bird chicks. This can lead to mismatches between chick hatching and food availability. 

Low food availability increased daily in almost all species, while all birds showed low intensity of nocturnal migratory restlessness. More details can be read here. 

Extreme Weather Events 

More frequent and severe weather events, like storms and hurricanes, can damage breeding and feeding grounds and disrupt migration patterns. Birds may be killed or forced to move by extreme weather. These events can have devastating effects on wader bird populations. 

The impact of severe weather on individuals may vary. For example, adults are more likely to survive than juveniles as they are more experienced feeders and thus better able to meet their energetic needs. More can be read here, 

Disease Spread 

Climate change can influence the distribution and prevalence of diseases that affect wader birds, potentially leading to increased health risks for these populations. The competition for resources can increase with climate change. As climate change alters the distribution of species and their habitats, wader birds may face increased competition for limited resources, such as food and suitable nesting sites, from other bird species. 

In a Nutshell 

climate change poses significant challenges to the survival and well-being of wader birds by affecting their habitats, food sources, and migration patterns. Conservation efforts, including habitat restoration and protection, are crucial to mitigate these impacts and help wader bird populations adapt to changing conditions. 

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