Earlier Return for Long-Haul Migrant Birds

Climate change has led several migrating bird species to re-set their travel clocks. In a new study, researchers claim that the earlier onset of spring in northern Europe seems to affect long-distance bird migrants, most of which winter in Africa, more than it does Europe's short-distance avian vacationers. Researchers say the findings suggest that these birds' earlier migration may result from evolutionary changes driven by the warming climate.