By Canadian Press

Climate change expected to drive shifts in urban birds, animals, bugs

Mar 27, 2024 | 11:39 AM

A study suggests climate change will drive a massive shift in the birds, bugs and other critters that live alongside humans in 60 cities across North America.

The good news in the newly published paper is that under warming temperatures, cities with temperate climates like those in Canada could welcome new animals.

By the end of the century, cities such as Ottawa and Edmonton could become hospitable for hundreds of new species while losing habitat for a couple dozen.

The bad news is that the species most likely to benefit from the changes are insects.

Lead author Alessandro Filazzola of the University of Toronto’s Centre for Urban Environments used massive data sets generated by citizen science programs to make the projections. 

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He says he conducted the research because he wanted to see how climate change would affect the nature most people come in contact with — that found in their own backyards or urban parks. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 27, 2024.

The Canadian Press