Climate Change Lengthens Australian Bird Wings

The rapid growth in wing length of a common Western Australian bird has been linked to climate change, according to a study released on Monday.

Scientists from the University of Notre Dame in Sydney linked the growth in wing length of the Australian ringneck parrot, or Barnardius zonarius, to climate change as the limbs of animals in warm climates tend to be longer, Efe news service reported.

The wings of the parrot lengthened 4 to 5 cm in the last 45 years.

“As temperatures rise, the increase in the length of wings can help these birds release excess heat and adapt better to their environment,” said one of the study’s scientists, Dylan Korczynskyj, Business Standard reported.

Korczynskyj explained that the biggest changes in wing length have occurred since the 1970s, a period that coincides with temperature changes of more than 0.1 to 0.2 degrees Celsius and deforestation carried out in the state of Western Australia.

“Although temperature variation appears minimal, the impact on the environment is significant, as evidenced by research on the bird species,” he added.

The study examined several specimens from the Museum of Western Australia, which has a collection of birds dating back to the early 19th century and includes a ringneck parrot specimen from 1904.