Climate change driving Texas wildlife northward

By ANNA M. TINSLEY As the hot days in Texas get even hotter, it may just be too much for some birds and fish. From the American goldfinch to the gray snapper, some species have been moving north for years, searching for cooler ground. And their quest may someday lead them to migrate out of the state — forever — especially if climate change continues to make Texas warmer, as predicted. “The simple fact is, species may be migrating, shifting, because of climate changes,” said Ted Hollingsworth, land conservation director for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “If we want to preserve those, keep them in Texas, we need to be thinking ahead.” … These species may move out of the state in coming decades because of climate change: American goldfinch: In recent decades, this small seed-eating bird has moved nearly 220 miles north, and its Texas population has dropped more than 40 percent, according to an Audubon Texas State of the Birds report. At the same time, the bird’s population north of Texas grew more than 80 percent. Subtropical forest birds: Some of these birds, such as Couch’s kingbird, the long-billed thrasher and the olive sparrow, tend to make their homes in brushy clearings and overgrown agricultural fields. They have gradually been reported as moving north in Texas, likely because of climate change, said Wendy Gordon, program leader of nongame and rare species at the Parks and Wildlife Department. Red mangrove: This treelike plant with long roots, which serves as a feeding and breeding ground for fish, birds and other wildlife, appears to be moving up the Texas coast. It was typically found in tropical regions — earlier maps showed it not far north of the Rio Grande estuary — but now it’s found more than 200 miles north, near the edge of Matagorda Bay…

Climate change has some Texas animals fleeing the Texas heat via Democratic Underground