Kenneth Feeley analyzed forest surveys from North, Central, and South America to study how tropical bird species were responding to rising temperatures. The study found that these birds are relocating their homes to mountain slopes at a faster rate than birds in temperate climates.

“Basically, species can tolerate these changes through adaptation or acclimation or, alternatively, they can shift their geographic distributions to minimize the climatic changes they experience,” Feeley explained. “If they fail to do either of these things, then eventually they will suffer and be at risk of extinction.”

• Kenneth Feeley