Survival by Degrees: 389 Bird Species on the Brink
Ovenbird. Photo: Linda Freshwaters Arndt/Alamy

How Climate Change Will Affect Birds in Connecticut

Vulnerable Birds in Connecticut

Highly and moderately vulnerable birds may lose more than half of their current range—the geographic area where they live—as they are forced to search for suitable habitat and climate conditions elsewhere.

Connecticut

Flyway Atlantic Flyway
State Brief
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Below, find out which of the birds that nest or spend the winter in your area are most vulnerable across their entire range. Some birds may lose range outside of your state, making the protection of their current habitat in your area even more important.

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How will the Ovenbird's range be affected in Connecticut?

Rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns affect birds' ability to find food and reproduce, which over time impacts local populations, and ultimately continent-wide populations, too. Some species may even go extinct in your state if they cannot find the conditions they need to survive and raise their young.

Select a warming scenario to see how this species’ range will change under increased global temperatures.

Reducing warming makes many types of birds found in Connecticut less vulnerable.

In order to hold warming steady, we must act now to reduce the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere and limit warming to 1.5 degrees. We must reduce our carbon emissions and also absorb what is produced through natural solutions like reforestation or with technology that removes carbon from the air.

Click the three different warming scenarios to explore how increased warming puts more species in Connecticut at risk.

Connecticut's Birds and Habitats

The tidal wetlands that form the heart of provide vital habitat for thousands of migratory birds. The deciduous forests and swamps of the host nesting Ovenbirds and Blue-winged Warblers. At , 700 acres of wetlands, meadow, shrubland, and mixed forest are home to Prairie Warblers and Indigo Buntings. And the distinctive calls of Black-throated Blue Warblerssand Eastern Wood-Pewees ring through ’s coniferous and deciduous woodlands.


Climate Policy in Connecticut

Electricity Generation Breakdown
3.4%
RENEWABLE
2.3 % Biomass
1 % Hydro
.1 % Solar
47.7%
NUCLEAR
47.3%
FOSSIL FUEL
46.2 % Natural Gas
.6 % Coal
.5 % Petroleum
1.6%
OTHER
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Targets
45%
BELOW 2001
levels by 2030
80%
BELOW 2001
levels by 2050
Renewable Portfolio Standard
40%
BY 2030
Member of the US
Climate Alliance?
No

(Data: )

The state’s 2015 set mandatory targets to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions; these have been updated with , , and . As a member of the Commission of Environmental Standards, ³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏ Connecticut advocated for a bill to procure 2,000 megawatts of by 2030. In 2019, Connecticut enacted , which promotes energy efficiency and energy storage.

Connecticut is a participant in the , a cap-and-trade program in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic United States that aims to reduce carbon emissions from power plants.

Climate Threats Facing Birds and People in Connecticut

Sea levels along the coast have risen since 1954 and are projected to rise another six inches in the next 15 years, threatening coastal communities, eroding beaches and wetlands, and increasing damage from coastal storms. In the coming decades, Connecticut could also experience disrupted agriculture and ecosystems.


The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk harm people, too. Hover over or tap an area on the map to see specific threats that will affect that area as warming increases.