How Climate Change Will Affect Birds in Iowa
Vulnerable Birds in Iowa
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.
Iowa
| Flyway | Mississippi Flyway |
| State Brief | Download [PDF] |
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.
How will the Sandhill Crane's range be affected in Iowa?
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 Iowa 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 Iowa at risk.
Iowa's Birds and Habitats
Iowa’s expansive agricultural landscape is speckled with forests, prairies, wetlands, and lakes that are home to more than 380 recorded bird species. Grasshopper Sparrows, Henslow’s Sparrows, and Bobolinks nest in the prairies of Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge. Along the Des Moines River, the wooded valleys and bluffs of Lacey Keosauqua State Park host spring migrant warblers and songbirds, while Saylorville Reservoir attracts waterfowl, loons, grebes, gulls, and terns.
Climate Policy in Iowa
RENEWABLE
.4 % Biomass
1.8 % Hydro
NUCLEAR
FOSSIL FUEL
43.8 % Coal
.3 % Petroleum
Climate Alliance?
(Data: U.S. EIA)
Iowa was the first state to establish a renewable energy goal—105 MW, passed in 1983—though it hasn’t updated it since. The Iowa Utilities Board’s energy efficiency programs led to cost-effective energy savings throughout the state, although recent legislation rolled them back.
Climate Threats Facing Birds and People in Iowa
Heavier precipitation has increased the frequency, distribution, and intensity of floods along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, damaging homes, infrastructure, and critical bird habitat. Rising temperatures will exacerbate droughts and reduce crop yields. In the coming decades, Iowa will likely experience more intense droughts and more frequent extreme heat days that threaten communities, especially vulnerable people such as children, the elderly, the sick, and the poor.
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.