Defenders' Experts
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge- New Mexico
Attracted to the lush stretches of habitat along the Rio Grande, tens of thousands of ducks, snow geese, sandhill cranes and other birds migrate to New Mexico's Bosque del Apache refuge each fall. In spring, these birds fly north to nest and migrants from the south, such as the brilliant yellow warbler, take their place in the refuge. Summer brings nesting waterfowl to Bosque del Apache's extensive wetlands.
The Threat
Global warming is expected to accelerate destruction of stream-side vegetation on which birds depend for food and cover. Loss of this vital habitat - already occurring because of overgrazing and human water consumption - is the chief threat to wildlife in New Mexico today. Songbirds in New Mexico have already been affected: Twenty percent of many of the state's warbler species have shifted their range by more than 65 miles in the past quarter century. Federally endangered Southwest willow flycatchers rely on riparian vegetation for nesting and food. As warming temperatures reduce surface flows and water tables, portions of the floodplain will convert to grasslands, further reducing potential flycatcher habitat. If the warming trend continues, the cycle of migrations in Bosque del Apache will be altered forever.
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