This past summer, I traveled to Oregon to begin a field research collaboration with Dr. Jamie Cornelius, an ecologist based at Oregon State University. Together, we’re studying the effects of wildfire smoke on birds, addressing how birds respond in real time to fires of different severities.
Scientists still understand little about the behavioral and physiological responses of birds to wildfires. Under what smoke conditions do birds decide to leave their territory? If they stay, what behavioral modifications help them to cope with smoke? If they leave, where do they seek shelter? Are there flyways or habitats that offer refuge during smoke events?
Addressing these questions requires understanding of how fire and smoke impact bird survival, and how various behavioral responses to fire, such as the timing of spring and fall migration, mitigate their risk to wildfires. And by addressing these questions, we hope not only to better understand how birds are impacted by smoke, we hope also to work with fire scientists and resource managers. Doing so will help us identify feasible management strategies to reduce the negative impacts of smoky conditions on birds and other wildlife. For example, we may be able to evaluate whether specific habitats or flyways are used during smoke events that could be protected or managed to benefit birds and other wildlife trying to escape large wildfires.
Wildfire smoke has not only impacted western North America recently, but we’ve also seen its presence right here in the Midwest over the past summer, highlighting how widespread its effects could be. By first learning about how birds cope with smoky conditions in Oregon, we can apply such lessons back in Midwest, to provide the information needed to help birds in Indiana and neighboring states cope with this emerging health threat.
