Counting marmots…
Early snowmelt driven by climate change has been associated with changes in phenology for many species. However, there is little research on how montane birds are changing their nesting habits in response to early snowmelt. I looked at the relationship of the date of bare ground and nest onset for Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva), Wilson’s Warbler (Cardellina pusilla), Mountain White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha), and Lincoln’s Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) at several sites at varying elevation around Gothic. Using a generalized linear mixed model, I analyzed the relationship between nest onset and the date of bare ground for 2026 and predicted nest onset given the historical mean date of bare ground. Nest onset was found to be significantly influenced by the date of bare ground (95% CI [0.89, 7.69]), as the date of bare ground advanced earlier in the season, nest onset also advanced earlier. Additionally, nest onset advanced 8 days earlier compared to the predicted historical onsets. These results indicate that the breeding timing for these four species is altered by earlier snowmelt, raising concerns for a phenological mismatch between nesting birds and their invertebrate prey.
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