How Climate Change Will Affect Birds in Nevada
Vulnerable Birds in Nevada
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.
Nevada
| 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.
How will the Mountain Bluebird's range be affected in Nevada?
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 Nevada 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 Nevada at risk.
Nevada's Birds and Habitats
Nevada’s Great Basin National Park encompasses 120 square miles of arid scrub and pine forest and hosts Pinyon Jays at low elevations and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds on mountain slopes. Steller’s Jays and Clark’s Nutcrackers live in the coniferous woodlands on and around Mount Charleston, near Las Vegas. Important wetlands, such as those in the Lahontan Basin and Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, host tens of thousands of waterfowl and shorebirds throughout the year. Across the state, you can find Nevada’s state bird, the Mountain Bluebird, nesting in tree hollows or flitting between branches in mountain meadows.
Climate Policy in Nevada
RENEWABLE
.2 % Biomass
4.7 % Hydro
10.9 % Solar
FOSSIL FUEL
4.9 % Coal
OTHER
BY 2030
Climate Alliance?
(Data: U.S. EIA)
In 2017, the Nevada legislature passed 13 clean energy bills, one of which restored the state’s net metering policy that contributed to 1,100-percent growth in the solar industry the following year. In 2019, the state increased its renewable energy goal to 50 percent by 2030, set a clean energy goal of 100 percent by 2050, and directed NV Energy to help low-income customers install rooftop solar. In 2019, Nevada experienced a 32 percent growth in clean energy jobs, due substantially to battery-storage technology at Tesla’s Gigafactory.
Climate Threats Facing Birds and People in Nevada
Snowpack levels have diminished throughout Nevada, decreasing surface water and shortening the winter tourism season. More severe droughts threaten water supplies, while wildfires damage homes and infrastructure. In the coming decades, Nevada will likely experience more frequent wildfires, decreased productivity of farms and ranches, and lower water levels in the Colorado and other rivers.
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.