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How Climate Change Will Affect Birds in Oklahoma
Vulnerable Birds in Oklahoma
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.
Oklahoma
| Flyway | Central 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.
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How will the Great Crested Flycatcher's range be affected in Oklahoma?
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 Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma at risk.
Oklahoma's Birds and Habitats
The mixed-grass prairie and oak scrub at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge support hundreds of bird species, including Black-capped Vireos, Painted Buntings, and reintroduced Burrowing Owls. The vast salt flat and shallow lake at Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge attract shorebirds and water birds, including nesting Least Terns, migrating Sandhill Cranes, and wintering waterfowl. In the northeast, Tallgrass Prairie Preserve is one of the few locations you can catch endangered Greater Prairie-Chickens dancing their iconic courtship rituals.
Climate Policy in Oklahoma
Electricity Generation Breakdown
35.2%
RENEWABLE
RENEWABLE
32 % Wind
.4 % Biomass
2.8 % Hydro
.4 % Biomass
2.8 % Hydro
64.7%
FOSSIL FUEL
FOSSIL FUEL
41.2 % Natural Gas
23.5 % Coal
23.5 % Coal
.1%
OTHER
OTHER
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Targets
None
Renewable Portfolio Standard
15%
BY 2015
BY 2015
Member of the US
Climate Alliance?
Yes
Climate Alliance?
(Data: U.S. EIA)
Located in the center of America’s wind tunnel, in 2017 Oklahoma ranked second in the nation in net electricity generation from wind. The industry employs some 9,000 people in the state, and is the largest taxpayer in 14 counties.
Climate Threats Facing Birds and People in Oklahoma
Oklahoma faces two seemingly contradictory climate-driven threats: flooding from increased rainfall, and drought. Over the last 50 years, increased rain has fallen on the wettest days of the year—if it continues, it is likely to lead to increased flooding. Meanwhile, drought will increase as summer rainfall declines overall, threatening water supplies, irrigated farmland, and cattle rearing.
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.