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Future far from bright for our feathered friends 14 September 2014 - A new National Audubon Society study concludes that nearly half the bird species in the continental United States and Canada, including the bald eagle, face severe threats from climate change through loss of habitat they need to survive. The study identifies 113 bird species in Washington that could lose 50 percent or more of their winter or summer range habitat by 2050 as the world warms from the outpouring of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Some pretty familiar feathered friends of South Sound birders occupy the list, including black-headed grosbeak, Wilson's warbler, Barrow's goldeneye, bald eagle, varied thrush, pine siskin, common merganser, brown creeper, hairy woodpecker, mallard, and violet-green swallow. 'It's a punch in the gut,' said Audubon chief scientist Gary Langham, who spearheaded the seven-year study. 'The greatest threat our birds face today is global warming.' (more)
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