Birds Stay Close

Faced with climate change, some birds are changing their migration schedules and staying closer to home — and in the future they might stop migrating altogether. Researchers have found that some birds are shortening their migrations, putting more energy toward breeding and eating instead of flying, and they speculate that eventually the birds could give up migration altogether. However, shorter migrations may only be an option for some species; others, which travel long distances over inhospitable ground, may not be able to shorten their trips.