California’s terrestrial ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to future changes in the global climate, including increased temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and changes in human infrastructure and development. Information on the potential effects of climate change on bird communities can help guide effective conservation and inform land management decisions. We are using climate models and multi-source bird data, networked for the first time thanks to the Avian Knowledge Network, to predict current and future species distributions for California terrestrial breeding bird species. Currently, we have nearly 200 species available for viewing. These species represent 7 major habitat types found within California including riparian, oak woodland, scrub, conifer, grassland, wetlands, and desert habitat types.It is important to remember that models, however sophisticated, are simplifications of reality. Due to various sources of uncertainty in climate models and species distribution models, climate change projections will differ depending on which combination of models is selected. Each projection may be viewed as a plausible future scenario; areas where multiple models agree can be interpreted with greater confidence.
