Each map is a visual guide to where a particular bird species may find the climate conditions it needs to survive in the future. We call this the bird’s “climatic range.”

The colors indicate the season in which the bird may find suitable conditions— blue for winter, yellow for summer (breeding), and green for where they overlap (indicating their presence year-round).

The darker the shaded area, the more likely it is the bird species will find suitable climate conditions to survive there.

 

The outline of the approximate current range for each season remains fixed in each frame, allowing you to compare how the range will expand, contract, or shift in the future.

 

The first frame of the animation shows where the bird can find a suitable climate today (based on data from 2000). The next three frames predict where this bird’s suitable climate may shift in the future—one frame each for 2020, 2050, and 2080.

You can play or pause the animation with the orange button in the lower left, or select an individual frame to study by clicking on its year.

Climate Endangered

Osprey

The darker the color, the more favorable the climate conditions are for survival. The outlined areas represent approximate current range for each season. More on reading these maps.

The darker the color, the more favorable the climate conditions are for survival. The outlined areas represent approximate current range for each season.

More on reading these maps.
Winter
Summer

Winter Range
Summer Range
Both Seasons
Zoom InOut
Focal Species
Brian Kushner
Cool Facts

The female is 25 percent larger on average than the male.

It will eat any kind of fish it can catch, with more than 80 different species documented in North America alone.

After delivering a fresh fish to his mate, the male will often preen and clean himself.


This raptor is projected to lose 79 percent of current summer range by 2080, according to Audubon’s climate model. While it has expanded potential to live year-round in places like Florida, it’s uncertain whether this fish-eater will be able to find enough food in stable and expanded portions of its range, or how sea-level rise will affect its success in coastal areas.

Species Range Change from 2000 to 2080

The size of the circles roughly indicates the species’ range size in 2000 (left) and 2080 (right).

The amount of overlap between the 2000 circle and the 2080 circle indicates how stable the range will be geographically. Lots of overlap means the bird’s range doesn’t shift much. No overlap means the species will leave its current range entirely.

About This Bird

One of the most widely distributed raptors in the world, and one of the few that specializes in eating fish, the Osprey nests along the coastlines, rivers, and large lakes of five continents and many islands. Its breeding territory extends from North America and the Caribbean to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, Indonesia and Australia, and wintering birds also reach South America and southern Africa, giving this bird a truly global presence. Despite this wide range, the Osprey is vulnerable. North American populations almost disappeared during the 20th century, owing to the effects of DDT and other persistent pesticides. After DDT use was outlawed in the 1970s, Osprey populations rebounded in a dramatic way. These large raptors can now be seen plunging feet-first to catch fish in many regions of this continent, from lakes in the mountain west to mangrove swamps in Florida.

Cool Facts

The female is 25 percent larger on average than the male.

It will eat any kind of fish it can catch, with more than 80 different species documented in North America alone.

After delivering a fresh fish to his mate, the male will often preen and clean himself.


Birds at Risk

Explore more birds threatened by climate change around the country.

Allen's Hummingbird
Baird's Sparrow
Bald Eagle
Brown Pelican
Burrowing Owl
Cerulean Warbler
Common Loon
Eastern Whip-poor-will
Golden Eagle
Greater Sage-Grouse
Hooded Oriole
Mississippi Kite
Northern Shoveler
Osprey
Piping Plover
Ruffed Grouse
Rufous Hummingbird
Spotted Owl
Tundra Swan
White-throated Sparrow
Yellow-billed Magpie

You Can Help

It's easier than you think to make a difference. Become an Audubon member today to help birds facing climate change.

Share Your Pledge

Thank you for pledging to help save the birds most at risk from global warming. But we need everyone’s help–and soon.

Share this urgent message with your friends and family. Tell them why these at-risk birds are so important to you, and ask them to pledge to do their part, too.

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