Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Great tits cope well with warming

At least one of Britain's birds appears to be coping well as climate change alters the availability of a key food. BBC News reports that researchers found great tits laying eggs earlier in the spring than they used to, keeping step with the earlier emergence of caterpillars.

The great tits are laying eggs now about two weeks earlier in the year than they were 47 years ago.

The timing is crucial, because for the two-week period after they hatch, the chicks have to gobble down huge quantities of winter moth caterpillars which only emerge for a short period.

via Presurfer

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